Game Idea - Civil War

geoschmo · #1 June 24th, 2002, 06:49 AM

Kicking around a game idea based on stuff that has been discussed before in threads, and other stuff.

All the races are splinters of a once mighty galactic empire. The empire has broken up and retracted into the core systems, ala Foundations, or something like it. You are in the leader of a small empire on the edge of the galaxy. You must survive and expand your empire aginst the other splinter empires, and the remnants of the mighty Galactic Empire that still exsists in the center systems.

You and the other splinters would all start out with low tech. You might run into a couple of your fellow splinters fairly early on, but the galaxy would be large enough that you should not run into the Empire for a while. And that's a good thing because they would be more advanced technologically than any of you.

Setup shouldn't be too difficult. I would have all the players give me empires that were based on the same race, probably human, because there are so many of those out there. It's actually fairly easy to design a shipset that uses stock pics and just substitute a race pic even. I would place these around the edge of the galaxy and then play the Galactic Empire for a 100 turns or so to let them build up econmically and tech wise. Leaving the splinter empires to sit idle. Then turn the GE over to the AI and let the players start playing.

Interested? Suggestions?

Geoschmo

TerranC · #2 June 24th, 2002, 07:14 AM

*Give the factions One or two Unique tech.

+As in Unique, a normal tech that is researched to modest levels, that only the faction have. Something that does not give Enormous Advantage and equalized by others; unorthodox or not.

*Give them minimal-modest population?
*One advanced ship; and maybe somehow make it so they can't analyse it.

-Make the Ancients or All powerfuls attack some factions; as it would be assumed that they will try to reclaim their population or territory.

Taz-in-Space · #3 June 24th, 2002, 07:34 AM

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?

[ June 24, 2002, 06:40: Message edited by: Taz-in-Space ]

Gil Hamilton · #4 June 24th, 2002, 08:34 AM

Good idea...I've been thinking of a game along the same lines but using 9 star maps (due to the limited size) with the "Empire" in the central one; but have yet to determine if there is a way to join the maps.

Each race could then confront multiple neutral races within their "own" map to toughen themselves up before facing the empire.

AeoN2 · #5 June 24th, 2002, 09:16 AM

Cool idea... Reminds me of the Foundation series by Asimov (very cool books)...

The coolest would be if the empire could be very well settled and defended at the start of the game, but with an AI that prevents more expansion... So the empire controls many powerful colonies and technology, but gradually the splinter factions will conquer the worlds and use them against the other factions...

--
AeoN2
--
Churchill's commentary on man:
Man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of the
time he will pick himself up and continue on.

sachmo · #6 June 24th, 2002, 05:05 PM

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 · #7 June 24th, 2002, 06:51 PM

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 · #8 June 24th, 2002, 08:20 PM

Quote:

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 · #9 June 24th, 2002, 09:46 PM

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

geoschmo · #10 June 25th, 2002, 01:14 AM

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