SE5, Tell Aaron what's on your Wish List

[Emperor's Child]

I've noticed that the AI seems not to ever send their ships to the yards to modernize their designs, so you tend to fight lots of older ship models unless they have suffered significant losses earlier in the game. I'd like to see a tweak to get the AI to be a little more agressive on their modernization of older ship designs. -COTE

[Suicide Junkie]

For the combat replay and simulator:
A handy, floating window which lists the ships (and perhaps units) in combat.

<Name> : <Launched units left> : <Shield %> / <Armor %> / <Hull %> : <status icons>
Status icons would include:
- no movement
- no weapons
- no supplies

This would make it much easier to see how things are going without having to click each ship, so you could have both a fast relay/simulation AND ship details.

Currently, the simulator's tactical mode takes too long, but the strategic mode has way too few details.

[boran_blok]

Another one: Make it possible to set a ships maximum speed, say you have one engine using 10 supply/move (simplified example) and you can move 6 spaces/turn, but now if you have a supply generation device giving 40 supply/turn you would run out of supplies eventually, it would be handy to be able to cap speed at 4 and thus be able to cruise indefinetly.

Also The option to at least mod in solar-independent supply generation would be nice (ramscoops and bussard collectors are technically seen (where they technically possible) not influenced by the amount of solar radiation, but rely on the ever present space dust)

[zircher]

Hmmm, along that line of thought. A Star Trek planet eater device would be nice. Say something that strip mines asteroids for supplies/fuel.
--
TAZ

[Strategia_In_Ultima]

Indeed, strip-mining together with the two types of resource extraction in SEIV would be mucho welcome.

Currently, you have two processes to generate resources:
-Normal mining/whatever, which does not generate too much resources but keeps value constant.
-Remote mining, which slowly decreases value (and can only be used on uninhabited planets) but generates more resources IIRC.
To have Strip Mining added as a third:
-Strip Mining, can be done with facilities or remotely, generates masses of resources at unthinkable speeds but very rapidly decreases value AND conditions, and not only in the tpye of resource you get. A Mineral Strip Miner would also decrease org/rad value.

[Suicide Junkie]

You can do that.
Simply give a facility large resource production, and then add a negative value improvement ability.

[Strategia_In_Ultima]

Yes, but an ORBITAL strip miner will be hard. Remote Resource Generation only deducts 1% per turn per comp IIRC, to simulate actual strip mining you would not only have to have a very large production but also a VERY large value degeneration.

And Strip Mining will affect the very planet, so I'd want my Strip Miner facility to have an effect that turns the planet into a small patch of asteroids with no value whatsoever after Value has hit rock bottom, or perhaps even sooner; you could only strip mine for such-and-such amount of turns before the planet is reduced to rubble.

[Strategia_In_Ultima]

(Sorry about not editing, but for some strange reason every time I edit a post I turn up at the last page of the thread - and that means a LOT of navigating to get back here)

The ability to specify racial animosities and likings for races when modding/at startup. For example, you might create a race with an abundant backstory that involves their near annihilation at the hands of the Amon'krie and their rescue by support from the Xiati, but if the AI controlling this race strikes a Partnership treaty with the Amon'krie and declares total all-out war on the Xiati, this does not reflect your intentions..... So you need to specify that they really hate the Amon'Krie and love the Xiati.

Galactic Councils.
Councils would be formed by one or more players within an alliance or even in a war, Council Chairbeings would be elected every now and then, and you can join and leave Councils freely according to their rules. Council Chairbeings could posess the power to mediate in a war between two Councillors (i.e. members) or even to start a joint war on a non-Councillor's race. This to simulate the UN/Galactic Senate/Republic or whatever. Councils could be saved separately and utilized many times, like saving a race. Also, Councils would greatly add to the Roleplaying factor of the game. It would be perfectly suited to simulate, say, the following situation:

A galactic empire/republic/whatever is in decline. Its many races have started to act more independently. The old Council still retains all its members, but the Council World is essentially powerless. All the Council Head can do is use diplomatic channels, intrigue, blackmailing etc. to achieve his goals.
The Council World system would have no WP access and a System Shield would be in place on the planet to prevent races from attacking and destroying the powerless Council world. The races are each fully independent, but the Council can still achieve goals like the UN. If two or more races have been at war for decades, the Council can be used as a channel to negotiate a treaty between the races, if an uneasy one. No race can withdraw from the council and the Chairbeing does not change.

Essentially, the Council would be a combination of a large alliance of sorts, a massive center for excessive use of intel and a large diplomatic arena.
Council Chairbeings would be the most powerful and influential leaders in the galaxy, as they can utilize the widest variety of means to achieve their goals - they have the largest diplomatic power, they know a lot about the member races and so can use blackmail (think along the lines of "I know you're massing your fleets there-and-there to attack this ally with whom you have a Trade treaty. You would be in big trouble if that ally knew of your plans. If you do this-and-this for me, I will not reveal your plans to your ally."), and they can also utilize deep-level high-effect intel, they can gather information much easier, their sabotage would be more powerful and they could possibly even use a project that would give them total control over the other empire.

I know, I'm ranting. It's just that I love this idea personally - and that's not just because I thought it up.

[Timstone]

You know I don't think that Galactic Council stuff will work. The game has a bit too high pace for that kind of depth. This kind of councils would only work in real life. I don't think it would be possible to succesfully merge the complex political system and preserve the game as an empire building game.
I also think this would resemble MOO too much. I never liked having an unmbrella organisation around.

[Fyron]

Strategia_In_Ultima said:
Yes, but an ORBITAL strip miner will be hard. Remote Resource Generation only deducts 1% per turn per comp IIRC...

It is 1% per resource type mined, regardless of how many mining components are present on the ship/base (or set of 3 satellites, one for each resource).

If you want strip mining, you can play a limited resources game. All mining slowly strips planets and asteroids of their value.