Trading

[Psitticine]

I agree that it's good you can't use the special tech unless born to it, so to speak. It is often conceptualized as being a product of special inborn understanding or ability rather than just something that could be copied like blueprints so I think there's a lot of logic to it.

I also like keeping something unique in the various nations, be they computer- or human-controlled. It adds profoundly to the flavour of things if everybody really seems *different* and not just the same basic foe developed to different levels of sophistication along the same tech path.

That's one of the reasons (the other is I love "exploring" the tree) that I always play with low starting tech. It makes it all that much harder to get deep into a game before the 100 turn bell goes off but the fact the AI opponents have followed different research paths means you will face an array of different ships. That's just more *fun*, IMHO.


[This message has been edited by Psitticine (edited 06 October 2000).]

[Taqwus]

I, for one, would not want to fight an AI fleet of CAs with shard cannons, seeker parasites, and both crystalline and organic armor. Heh.

Tech preferences for AIs are noted in their text files, right? (implicitly -- as in the ship design templates). It'd be interesting if they could be randomized at startup, so one doesn't see the Jraenor Imperium and think "CSM ships", for instance. Racial traits like Crystalline aren't hidden (interestingly enough), but this would help keep some of the suspense.

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-- The thing that goes bump in the night

[General Hawkwing]

In one game, I demanded a LC from the purple Psy race hoping it would be armed with a psy weapon (crew conVersion). Turned out the ship was armed with depl uran 1, shields 1 and engines ion 1.
Sent ship out to unknown parts until out of supplies and then gave it back.

[Psitticine]

Oooo, mean trick!

I'll have to remember that one myself.