Trade Federation Role Play for Neutral non AI Player

[Gryphin]

Trade Federation? Ideas for SE
I. Purpose:
a. To trade / sell Resources, Technology, Intel, Ships etc to / with other races.
b. To store Resources at a fair, ”Storage Charge”
c. To be “Gifted” ships that have run out of resources.
II. Racial Makeup:
a. Ancient Race
i. Would give knowledge of the Quadrant.
ii. Would give knowledge of “Ruins”
1. These could be Exchanged
b. Traders = Gives 5 percent more Trade Revenue
c. Political Savvy - As many points as possible
i. Would Increase Revenue from Trade
With those settings and 5000 Racial Points there are 1500 points left over. This allows some customizing for the FT player
III. Possible Rules:
a. May not initiate war
b. Can cancel treaties with other races for any reason
c. Can refuse to deal with races
d. Can refuse any Trade
e. Can apply a ”Storage Charge” up to 2 percent per month. (Just a random number pulled out of thin air) Ideas Anyone? On what the “fair ”Storage Charge” would be?
f. Would be allowed to colonize and develop any planet that had Ruins on it.
g. It could not claim the system. FT could Sell the planet if it chose to.
i. An agreement to return the existing population to the FT or pay for their “Consulting services” on a planet.
ii. Restrictions to this may be: Planets in question could not contain: Mining, Intel, or…. Ideas Anyone?
h. When Gifted ships that have run out of supply
i. An additional “Covering Cost” may be charged to cover the expense of Retrieving or destroying the ship in question.
ii. Ship could also be Traded or Sold to another race “As Is” or after repair.
i. FT could act as a “Broker”, (for a charge of course), in trades between two untrusting races.
i. It would be gifted the items in question
ii. Only pass them on if it was correct.
j. FT could maintain a “Repair / Refuel” fleet of “Tenders”
i. They would go to a “Gifted” ship
ii. Repair or refuel
iii. Gift it back.

Some thoughts:
This looks like it will be a lot of actual “Spread Sheet” work for the FT player.

More ideas anyone?

[Batman]

Sounds like the Bentusi from Homeworld/Homeworld Cataclysm.

The Bentusi were nomadic (I think); maybe your Trade Fed should be too.

Also, the Bentusi were near unattackable but had a very detached, serene demeanor. Maybe something that should be encouraged for the TF?

[dmm]

Lots of good ideas. Would allow very quick exploration of galaxy if you could pay the TF to allow your ship to refuel at TF planet/base. Maybe you would have to "gift" it to TF (along with payment), who would fleet it with a base to refuel it, then "gift" it back.

Actually, I wish you could make agreements with a player to allow refueling or safe passage for a specific ship/fleet. This would be more realistic. As it is, you have to get a Military Alliance, which gives total access to each other's space -- something you both are usually opposed to. So the TF helps with this.

[dmm]

I think only the "storage charge per turn" would lead to spreadsheet. You could make it instead a one-time charge per storage transaction. Then you just have to add and subtract from player and TF accounts, which you could do with pencil and paper.

The main thing that TF needs is galactic email to set up deals.

[Gryphin]

dmm and folks,
A one-time charge would be easier.
It would still be nessasary to track who gave how much.
I guess it would be up to an agreement between the FT and all of the players how much detail to track.
I will implement this and see how it works.

Update:
So far with my “Assistant” playing the FT and 1 Race while I play two races the FT is able to stay ahead of the curve. For the most part she is learning a lot about the game and how to use a spread sheet.

[geoschmo]

I have lost track of the previous thead you all were discussing this in, so sorry if I am repeating something someone else has already said.

Another useful service the TF could provide would be repair/upgrade services for ships that are not near a space yard. This would have the side benefit of being a way for the TF to accquire tech as the contracting race would need to supply the TF with the technology so they could repair/upgrade the components on the ship.

This of course could present problems with Racial techs, unless you devise a way that allows the TF to have access to all the racial traits. It might be possible by allowing them to spend 5000 racial points at startup, and decreasing a lot of the other characteristics. The other players would still be limited to 2 or 3 K, whichever the game is set to. If this doesn't work you can use mod files at startup for this, or use a mod that allows racial tech to be gifted/traded/stolen, but not researched.

Is the idea that the TF would be super powerful to prevent attack, or just make it economically stupid for another race to attack them?

Geoschmo

[Gryphin]

geoschmo,
You need never apologies to us. Without you, I’d still be losing to the Phong, (Ok, I still lose to the Phong but not as often).

“Another useful service the TF could provide would be repair/upgrade services for ships that are not near a space yard. This would have the side benefit of being a way for the TF to acquire tech as the contracting race would need to supply the TF with the technology so they could repair/upgrade the components on the ship.”
Great idea, this will be implemented.

In terms of Racial Traits it could be premised they are beyond the capacity of the TF to research. It would be a “Limitation”.
I guess others could mod it but it is beyond my ability.
Anybody?
Repairs could be made to standard items such as Engines so the ship could get back to base. The other option would be to Gift a ship with Repair Bays to the race in question. The Service Ship would be gifted back

Artificial Rules Section:
It would be an understanding by all players not to attack the Trade Federation.
All races would be required to Gift FT Comm Channels to all races they make Contact with regardless of Treaty status =>. “Non Aggression” treaties to be established => Reduce / avoid accidental combat