Trade Federation Role Play for Neutral non AI Player

[geoschmo]

(So, they are what? empaths?) That opens a lot of possibilities. So you could buy ships (at a high price) with racial tech that you don't have. What a nice surprise for your opponent!

Yep, and you could contract with the TF to build racial facilities on you planets. Temporal vacation facilities, organic gestation vats, psychic training facilities. Since these are all things that you cannot accquire the tech for unless you have that racial trait, they would provide a steady flow of trade bait for the TF.

Of course players can do that without the TF, but there isn't always an empire with that tech handy, and you may not be on good terms with them of course. A player might hesitate to provide these items to another that might turn on them later. But the TF would not have such political considerations, only whether or not it was a good deal.

I don't know what you would call the TF. Empaths is as good as any. Since for the most part they wouldn't be researching but accuiring technology through other means, you could just say they were master traders.

Geoschmo

[ June 11, 2002, 18:23: Message edited by: geoschmo ]

[geoschmo]

Originally posted by dmm:
I originally thought of the TF as an ancient race or as a multi-national trade conglomerate. So I had the game starting with the TF already spread out over the galaxy, one planet per system, with lots of storage III facilities. And I made them "non-attackable" to prevent people from getting pops of TFs, planets full of resources, planets with resource converters, etc. Especially if you start the TF out in one spot, you have to have something to prevent someone from taking them over right at the beginning. Perhaps with the upcoming patch you could give them race-specific weapons platforms, really cheap, with super bonuses.

Well, first of all, to answere your earlier question, capturing a planet with resource storage facilities does not give you the resources stored there so that's not really a problem. It only increases your empires storage capacity, and decreases the empires that lost the planet.

If the TF starts out as a low tech empire like the others, there is really no advantage to a player in jumping them quickly, and you would earn the wrath of the other players as a result. Lots of downside for little or no gain. Better to nurture the TF and attempt to benefit from it and position your self as it's "protector". But also be in a position to possibly control access to it, if done with care and subtlty.

But if someone does get uppity and decide to pop them, the game would just proceed normally without the TF. That is why the TF's objective is to spread as far and wide as quickly as possible. To ensure that no attack is a death blow and allow it to remain in the game and have an influence of some kind.

But if you want to give them race specific uber-platforms, that can be done now. No need to wait for the patch.

Geoschmo

[ June 11, 2002, 18:33: Message edited by: geoschmo ]

[geoschmo]

Something else I just thought of. Even though I have the TF's inteligence characteristic at the minimum, that only affects the TF's research facilities. The TF would gain research points from any empire it has a T&R or better treaty with, and it gets a bouns to that becasuse of it's savvy characteristic. 4 or 5 T&R treaties ans all of a sudden the TF has more research points every turn than anybody else in the game, on top of any tech it accquires through more direct means. They should be sufficently advanced not too long into the game to defend itself if needed even considering the hefty combat penalties.

Geoschmo

[Gryphin]

I guess I’m a bit naïve.
The best “protection” for the Trade Federation would be a “Invitation Only” game where the players knew each other by reputation if naught else.

the other ideas are great! I'll re-write them and add them to the page. (um, that is not violating copy write here?). I will repost the full set when I am finished.

[geoschmo]

Originally posted by The High Gryphin:
I guess I’m a bit naïve.
The best “protection” for the Trade Federation would be a “Invitation Only” game where the players knew each other by reputation if naught else.

By all means Gryph, if there was a house rule that the TF was not to be attacked, then it would be poor sportsmanship for anyone to do so. What I was trying to suggest were some rules of engagment whereby the TF would not be strictly immune from attack, or so powerful that any attack were irrelevant. I was thinking that this would give more of an uncertainty to the game, and keep it more interesting for the TF player. Hopefully thereby increasing the attractivesness of what could otherwise be a bit of a drudgery. Of course in real life, the guy with all the money has lots of fun, but who would want to play a game of Monopoly and just be the banker for example?

Geoschmo

[Gryphin]

“who would want to play a game of Monopoly and just be the banker for example?”
Good point geoschmo.

I can think of a few options for the TF in the event of an attack. None of them would ensure survival.
No matter what stage of the game, militarily the FT is likely to be at a disadvantage.
It would behoove the other players not to let the TF fall into the hands of an “Evil Empire”.
The possibility of the TF giving free Tech and Resources to Allied empires should be cause for caution on the part of a predatory player. Then again, it could be a “Feint with in a Feint” and the TF could end up giving Tech to a “pre planned’ future Ally of the EE.
Destroying / Capturing the FT would be like “Killing the Goose that Laid the Golden Egg”
Yes, I like the uncertainty.

Business Ideas Section:
I could also see an initial “Transaction Fee” for opening an account such as Gifting a planet.
I personally would not do it but I could see an FT player running a “Slave Trade” where they would trade in “Atmosphere Breathing Types”. I would never “sell” my population for any reason. Come to think of it. Ethics was sorta what got this thread started. What to do with out of supply ships => what to do ethically => dmm’s idea of a Trade Federation.
Which generates another thought.
The FT could play more than one race. That would
Avoid the modding issues
Make them a formidable opponent
There would be a lot of interesting Ramifications.

[geoschmo]

Dont' think of it as a Slave Trade, think of it as a Employee Placement Service.

"Need Workers for that airless moon mine colony your empire just established? Call 1-800-TRADE-FED and we will get you in contact with the workers you need. The increased production will pay for itself before you know it."