The "Birth-of-a-new-mod" Thread!

[Ed Kolis]

So how about a thread where we can discuss crazy ideas that people had for mods and stuff, and maybe we can match up the people with the cool ideas (like me) with the people who can actually implement them (like SJ)

So here are a few ideas that would be cool to make mods out of...

Starcraft - I know SC is a ground-based RTS but maybe the flavor of the different races could be captured in an SE4 mod... Terrans with their variety of units, Zerg with their mass hordes of cheap organic-based units, and Protoss with their high-tech, heavily shielded but mega-expensive units...

Megaman - Well, this would work just as well with Pokemon anyway but Megaman is more sci-fi and respectable among grown-ups What I had in mind is, what if there were some way to make a system where one type of weapon was ultra-powerful against some type of ship, but not against another? I have no idea how to do this - I thought of maybe something to do with armor/armor piercing and shields/shield piercing but that seems a bit limiting... also anything involving Megaman would have to have the "Now I've got your power!" factor so Boarding Parties would play an important role...

Monopoly - Yes, it sounds crazy, but I was thinking of trying to start a Monopoly game on PBW... the basic idea being that each star system represents a color-group and has planets with the appropriate property names (so the planet Marvin Gardens would be located in the Yellow system, for example), only there would be Deadly Damaging Debris-fields of Doom (tm) that would constrict your path so your tokens (more on that later) would have to survive a battle with the planet... oh wait you just set your strategy to "don't get hurt" and they just hide in the corner and pass on the next turn... SOMETHING needs a rethinking

So feel free to post your ideas here... (oh great I started 3 paragraphs with the word "so" )

Oh, and like the new sig? Captures my contribution to the SE4 community, doesn't it?

[TerranC]

SC won't make much of a mod. Neither will Megaman, IMHO.

But a Monopoly mod, that could be doable. The map would be the easy part, the hard part would be the jail, and community card slots.

[Gryphin]

Rock / Paper / Sissors Mod (aka Beer and Pretzels)
There are only
3, (maybe 6), weapons / components
1 Engine type
No Bridge required
etc.. Strip the game down to the very, very, very basics.

[Suicide Junkie]

These will be single-component ships.
These three components will be the only components in the game.
The only facilities in the game will be Spaceyards.

Make the components 150kt, and delete all hull sizes other than escort.

All weapons have range 1, and use 1 supply point.
All components have Supply storage, 2 points, and Solar Supply Generation 2 point.
Price per ship: 1 mineral.
All components have -100% maintenance modifier ability.

Rock:
10,000 shield points, 50 hitpoints
Bridge, Crew Quarters, Lifesupport
2 movement, 48 damage shield generators only.

Paper:
10,000 phased shields, 49 hitpoints.
Master computer ability
2 movement, 50 damage, phased.

Scissors:
10,000 phased shields, 48 hitpoints
Bridge, Crew Quarters, Lifesupport
2 movement, 50 only master computers damage.

Reccommended galaxy: 2-8 systems.

Minimum Empire Resource Storage may be adjusted each game. This value determines the number of ships that can ever be built by each player, and ensures the game will end shortly after that many turns expire.

Minimum storage of 50, will allow a race to build 51 ships before they run out of funds; a few turns later the battles will end, and the winner can be declared.

Note that only Paper can damage planets, so a homeworld defense fleet of scissors is essential.
Also, note that RPS ships can kill at most 1 enemy when on the attack, and 2 when on stationary defense. After rushing (2 movement in one turn) they cannot make kills until they rest for a turn.

If a paper attacks 3 rocks, it can kill only one, but will still not be destroyed itself. On the next turn, it can kill another, and then another.

If many papers attack a single stationary scissor, 2 papers will die on the first turn, then one per turn thereafter.

[Gryphin]

SJ, that looks really nice. Now, who is going to bell the cat? I expect Davidg's program would work really well for the project.
yah know what is funny?
We / I / you make these Micro Mods?
And somebody will inevitably add to them

Gottal love humans

[geoschmo]

Originally posted by Gryphin:
Rock / Paper / Sissors Mod (aka Beer and Pretzels)
There are only
3, (maybe 6), weapons / components
1 Engine type
No Bridge required
etc.. Strip the game down to the very, very, very basics.

Heck, why stop there? Eliminate all the components and go with one "Component" that incorporates all the various abilities in them. Have a generic research field that gives you "tech levels" instead of specific technoligies so you can build more advanced ships. Then it's all about raw economics and getting more ships then the other guy, or the strategy of getting your ships where the other guy's aren't.

[Gryphin]

geoschmo,
I think that would be a fun mod. It souds very "Risk like". In fact I would like to proffer the name for these as
"Micro Mods" Mods with very few Components, Facilites, Tech Levels, .ect... They would be great for "Pick Me Up Games" where you wanted to play to a meaningful conclusion in a limited number of turns.

I could see in the R/P/S MM
6 Offensive Weapons
6 Counters to Offensive weapons
3 Tech Levels each
1 Engine with speed 6
No Intel
The only facilties would be Research, Ship Yards, Mineral Extrators, What elsE?
There would be no need for Rads or Organics.

Disclamer,
I only proffer the ideas. I have no intention of coding this MM.

[ January 06, 2003, 12:55: Message edited by: Gryphin ]

[Dralasite]

This may exist in some form or another, but I would like mods where you have to choose things that have negative implications as well as positive. Examples:

1. components that give you +attack but -defense

2. facilities with +radioactives production but -happiness

3. population types that give you funny penalties (like the lazy and masochistic types mentioned in the "Peaceful, neutral & bloodthirsty? Can you make your own Category?" thread)

Lots more possibilities. Clearly poeple like to min max racial traits, why not let them do it with everything else? Or make it more interesting to try and balance ships, planets, etc.

[ January 07, 2003, 23:19: Message edited by: Dralasite ]

[DarkHorse]

Originally posted by Dralasite:
This may exist in some form or another, but I would like mods where you have to choose things that have negative implications as well as positive. Examples:

1. components that give you +attack but -defense

2. facilities with +radioactives production but -happiness

3. population types that give you funny penalties (like the lazy and masochistic types mentioned in the "Peaceful, neutral & bloodthirsty? Can you make your own Category?" thread)

Lots more possibilities. Clearly poeple like to min max racial traits, why not let them do it with everything else? Or make it more interesting to try and balance ships, planets, etc.

Being lazy has gotten a bad rep. I prefer to think of it as minimizing entropy.

[Gryphin]

SJ, Feel like pursuing the RPS MM? I'll do it but it will be a couple months from now. PM me if you like or gryphin@windinstream.com
Enjoy