Space Empires 5

[Zarix]

Originally posted by geoschmo:
No, you would want it to change the conditions to whatever is ideal for the population currently on the planet. If that's not optimal, then you don't want optimal. That's the point..

I meant that when you build the facility, it starts changing the planet so that the people living there become happy. Then if the player decides that those people are annoying, the player could increase the temperature and suck the air out making some vacuum-packed beef.

I have a question though. Not that it matters for game play or anything, and I won't use the "R" word, but how exactly would terraformers change the gravity of the planet?

That is quite simple. To decrease the gravity they have to put springs in every shoe on the planet. When increasing it they replace the springs with heavy weights.

[geoschmo]

Originally posted by Zarix:
I meant that when you build the facility, it starts changing the planet so that the people living there become happy. Then if the player decides that those people are annoying, the player could increase the temperature and suck the air out making some vacuum-packed beef.

Oh. ROFL! I didn't realize you were going for the "Evil Overlord" kind of thing there. There are more efficent ways of dealing with annoying populations, but I guess the inefficency is where the fun is. The fact that you would go to so much trouble to make their lives miserable shows what a cruel, heartless bastard you can be if you are shown the proper "respect". I LIKE it.

EDIT: Along with these lines, give us the ability to grant independance to a colony. Then you can turn around and glass it the next turn. MUUUHAHAHAHA! You can do the same thing now by gifting it to another race, but the other race has to accept the gift, then you run the risk of them getting upset at you for glassing the colony, and you don't get the satisfaction of the "Skull and Bones" log message telling you that you totally wiped that new empire out. Hehehehe, that would be so fun!

Geo

[ July 12, 2002, 15:28: Message edited by: geoschmo ]

[Growltigga]

Geo, genocide is not acceptable in any social circle I am aware of. Evil Overlord or not, you should really try and curb these tendencies toward the mass slaughter of innocents.. after all, the good lord did say that one should turn the other cheek and not do unto others as you would not like done unto yourself and let's face it, you wouldn't be too chuffed to find out you were the target of an evil despotic maniac with a predelection for extreme violence and an appalling tendency to go "MUAAUUAAUAUAUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH"

You probably will be stroking small white persian cats next

[Zarix]

New victory condition for SE5: Hell

To win the game you have to transport at least 10M of each race in the game to a planet and terraform that planet to barely liveable to all those races.

[geoschmo]

Ah yes, but when you are the all powerful ruler of all that you survey, whether your predilictions are socially acceptable is of no concern. Societal mores only exsist to assist in keeping the masses in line with the arbitrary wishes of their Emporer. Or did you miss that day in "Despot 101"?

You haven't lived until you have had a quiet candelight dinner with the concubine of your choice sitting on the veranda watching the light show created by millions of rioting Xiati being jettisoned from your transports and reentering the atmposphere. It's fantastic!

Geo

[Baron Munchausen]

Micromanagement is supposed to be reduced by computers, not increased. If you have micromanagment problems with a 4X game it's not designed properly, and I don't mean that the simulation elements are out of place. More detail is good. It makes the game fun. All we have to do it design the game properly to have the detail without forcing us to work on it constantly. We can have technologies to cope with planet gravity, temperature, radiation, and even atmosphere type, without micromanagement hell. There can be ONE facility type for each and even combined facilities at higher techs, that automatically adjust the planet towards the ideal conditions for the population. Issue the order for the building of the facility or facilities once. Authorize upgrades globally when a new level of technology is discovered. What's the big deal?

I think detailed planetary conditions are essential to a good 4X game and I hope even SE IV will add something besides this moronic 'conditions' variable before it's done. We could have radiation levels, for example.

That and more detailed population abilities, with better retention of those abilities when captured/conquered, would make a huge difference in the fun level of the game. Also, more detail in mass population management. Populations ought to have persistent 'attitudes' towards each other, and your empire as a whole ought to have a defined 'central government' somewhere that can be destroyed or captured. A 'Seat of government' ought to be either a facility or a component so you can be paranoid like the Minbari and keep your government hidden in a ship somewhere.

More detail in other non-combat aspects of the game would be great, too. Stars ought to have internal dynamics and 'evolve' a little bit over the course of the game. Star conditions ought to affect both planets and stellar harnessing techs. Storms ought to appear and disappear, not just sit there like a type of planet. Comets ought to swing in and back out from their stars. When will comets be implemented, I wonder???

As far as ship features and combat features, yeah, we desperately need some 'randomness' to damage, and area effect weapons. At the very least we need the option to have collateral damage. It would not be that hard to have a check made on for adjacent ships when a ship blows up and allocation of a little damage. If there is a settable 'percent' for collateral damage in the config files, you can set it to zero if you don't want it.

I've been asking MM to implement different 'levels' of armor most recently. I think he could do it for SE IV if he wanted to. There would be levels of armor 'density' just like there are currently levels of cloaking, and then different levels of armor skipping just like there are levels of sensors. 'Skips Armor 1' would skip normal armor (the default 'titanium' stuff) but not 'Armor 2'. You could have an elaborate system of armor and armor-piercing technology then, with something like 'Neutronium' at the top being impenetrable. (level 9? something like that)

Of course, right now I'd be happy if Emissive Armor worked. It still doesn't stop any damag at all if the damage total is over the emissive ating...

[ July 12, 2002, 17:10: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]

[Baron Munchausen]

Originally posted by geoschmo:
Ah yes, but when you are the all powerful ruler of all that you survey, whether your predilictions are socially acceptable is of no concern. Societal mores only exsist to assist in keeping the masses in line with the arbitrary wishes of their Emporer. Or did you miss that day in "Despot 101"?

You haven't lived until you have had a quiet candelight dinner with the concubine of your choice sitting on the veranda watching the light show created by millions of rioting Xiati being jettisoned from your transports and reentering the atmposphere. It's fantastic!

Geo

LOL LOL LOL LOL...

Yep, this is what it's all about. The fantasy of absolute power. And detail creates a better illusion of power.