Game Idea - Civil War

[geoschmo]

Thought about having some Empire tech available to the splinter Groups, would have to make sure to do it carefully to balance it. Plus that complicates things somewhat as far as making it not as easy for me to setup. Haven't decided yet whether I will do that or not.

I was thinking instead of trying to modify the Empire AI to make them grow or not grow at a certain rate, I would just make them a little bigger at the start than the others, and a lot higher tech, and then let the AI run it normally. The distance should prevent contact before the players are ready. AI aren't very good anyway as we all know. I don't think it would be nessecary to try and keep them artificaaly contained. I would be afraid that if I did that they would be too easy to beat once contact was made.

Beating the Empire wouldn't be the true objective anyway, beating the other players would be.

Geoschmo

[sachmo]

Well, there is another possibility...

I don't know how many are familiar with the Battletech story, but you could do something sort of based on the Clans.

You would have one of the splinter Groups, preferably based very far away from the others, but with pretty advanced tech starting off. In the core systems, all of the splintered Groups would be fighting for survival/ascendancy, and basically pummeling each other into submission. Eventually, the advanced splinter group decides that THEY are the ones who will recreate the grand republic, and they come looking to subjigate everyone...
I always loved that story...might be fun to play!

[Tenryu]

I was thinking of doing a similar thing for a single player game geo.

I was going to set a map with a bunch of specific starting points for the players. Disable random players. Leave neutrals.

Create 'special' cultures for the little 'splinters' and the Empire.

The empire in particular I was going to give like a large minus to R&D.

Start the game and 'cheat up' the empire tech and spread them out to where I wanted them letting the little ones sit.

I figured a lot of the 'advantages' and handicaps can be set up in the cultures.txt and RacialTraits.txt by modifing these and after establishing the empire, turn on the AIs you want to play against, save the game and GO! I think it will work fine.

[Baron Munchausen]

Originally posted by Taz-in-Space:
Perhaps you could have the Empire 'gift' the other factions some advanced satellites or weapon platforms to the Splinter factons. This would protect the Homeworlds from attack early in the game.
BTW This makes me wonder...can units be analyzed for tech if on a ship that is Analyzed?

You cannot scrap (which is a synonym for analyze) a ship if it has cargo. And units alone cannot be analyzed. If you select a satellite group in a space yard sector, for example, only the 'scrap' option lights up. Analyze does not.

[Katchoo]

Neat ideas!

In going with the ancient race in the core and the splinter Groups outside, one way to avoid contact may be to have the core empire not make any expansion attempts until one of the splinter Groups encounters them. You could even surround the core empire with black holes/spatial distortions with weak warp holes to dissuade the splinter Groups from venturing in until their ships are strong enough to make the journey?

Just an idea.

Katchoo