What would you like to see in an expansion pack

[Atrocities]

I know that many of us have already said that we would gladly pay for an expansion pack, and for the most part, I think that is still true. But what would be in this expansion pack that would make it a "must have" for everyone. Well, I know what I would like too see in it:

1. More Components for ships
2. More facilities
3. Map Editor modifications that allowed for Random creation of sectors, planets, other at a click.
4. Internet play

Now these are just a few of the things I would like to see. What are some that you would like to see? Please keep in mind that the idea of this thread is for the benefit of an expansion pack and not a debate over what works and does not work with the current game. Just post what you would pay to have.


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"We've made too many compromises already, too many retreats! They invade our space and we fall back -- they assimilate entire worlds and we fall back! Not again! The line must be drawn here -- this far, no further! And I will make them pay for what they've done!" -- Patrick Stewart as Captain Picard
UCP/TCO Ship Yards

[Dragonswrd]

I would like to see better multiplay. Maybe some new treaties, like one that prevents blowing up stars and planets. Or one that allows two empires to join as one without surrendering. Like an alliance, both sides are friends.

[Marco]

My list is:
1) Detailed tactical ground combat.
2) Possibility to implement mines warfare in tactical combat, may be allowing to deploy satellites and mines in tactical combat using a "formation and launch units" menu, like the options used for fleet formations and fighter's launch.
3) A pirate MOD.
The other points may fit better for a future patch:
4) Retreat option from combat.
5) Option to save starting games settings (add manually each customized race and set the preferences every time is a bit annoyng).
Thanks and best regards.

[BeeDee10]

My main wish, and it's a pretty simple one, is for drones to be added. I understand that the code is all basically in there, it just doesn't work right yet. I want my tectonic-bomb and plague bomb drones!

Also, I'd like to be able to do something more with asteroids. Stealth space stations, massively armored space stations (how many kt of damage would a kilometer of nickel-iron absorb? , etc. would be good things to carve into asteroids.

[Trachmyr]

I don't want them to spend time on anything that can already be modded... I want hardcode changes to allow new stuff/ideas.

I have lots of things I want, but here are my top 13:

1) GET CUSTOM GROUPS WORKING!!!!

2) Allow us to add new atmospheres/planet types in a .txt file.. Plus be able to determine how often they occur when generated randomly and to charge/give back starting points for certain selections. Additionally, allow toggles to make certain planet types only habitable by those who picked it... all others have to live in domes, regardless of atmosphere (this is race specific NOT empire specific). Also make atmosphere able to be put into families, (i.e., Thin Oxygen/Standard Oxygen/Dense Oxygen/etc.)... and atmosphere converion use both values, the first for any converion the second for "same family"... where 0 means not possible.

3) Allow us to set in sectortype.txt the resources of a planet (i.e., Organics: None, Radioactives: High, Minerals: Any) and the planetary conditions.

4) Allow RESTRICTIONS to restrict a componet from being placed unless the ship has/does not have a certain Ability (i.e., No cloaks if their are active sensors), also get the restrictions in racialabilites.txt and facility.txt working.

5) Allow facility abilities to stack (using the 1 per planet restriction) between diffrent facility families... make a planet Version for all system abilities (i.e., Happiness, plague prevention, growth)

6) More stellar constructions, using the "empty" 2nd value to determine if the construction has to be around a star, a planet, an asteroid field, a storm or empty space. A ability that can move planets would also be nice!

7) Allow componets that generate intell/research/ and can allow populations to grow while in cargo! Also, allow us to determine how much cargo space 1M population takes in systems.txt

8) Allow the AI to use "multi-"componets/facilities properly... if you make a componet that has 2 abilities, and the ai is told to build things with those abilities it will build 2 of those componets, not just one.

9) Give fields in the AI facility creation file for EXTRA FACILITIES, here you would list a number of extra facilities for the AI to build if there is still room and all primary facilities that CAN be built have been... now when one of the primary facilites become available, the AI will scrap one of the extra facilities to make room for it!

10) Allow techs to be chosen in packages to be bought under advanced racial traits (i.e., Energy Branch= Physics 1, Shields 1, energy Stream and Energy pulse at 1 / Terran Branch = Chemistry 1, Armor 1, Projectile weapons 1, Missile Weapons 1 / etc.), thus allowing for races to have unique "tech-personalities" from game start... the first selection would be free, each extra selection would cost points

11) Get emmisive armor (the ability) working... make the emmissive "check" before damage is multiplied for the number of fighters/sats and before "carry-over" damage is added. Also add a second type of armor ability... "Hardened Armor", and a new damage type "Skips Normal Armor". OR better yet, add a Damage.txt file... it would list every armor type and shield type (you would add the type to each armor/shield/weapon/componet... it would be a number or name like "Projectile", "Explosive", "Phased")... and how weapons affect them... (i.e. 100% (normal damage), 50% (damage cut in half), 200% (double damage), Ignore (Is not affected by/does not harm), 0% (does no damge), -10% (is healed with 10% of the damage)... thus a shield depleter would have 100% to shields and 0% to all else, Engine Destroying weapons do 100% to ENGINES, Ignores armor and shields (or maybe just armor!)... the possibilities would be great, each weapon could be very unique)

12) New types of SUPPLIES, there would be Supplies (use by crew quarters, etc.)... they are either drained at the beginning of every turn for "always-on" componets (if no supplies, the componet is destroyed) or is used when-ever the componet is activated (i.e., for stellar manipluation or space yards)... then there is FUEL, used during movement just like now (allow min. speed when out of fuel to be set in settings.txt), also there would be ENERGY used at turn start or for each time a weapon fired, and finally AMMO, used each time a weapon fires. There must also be abilities to STORE and to GENERATE each type... solar generation/quantum reactor abilities would apply to ENERGY. All types of supplies should be able to be moved between ships just like cargo... and bases should not have ENDLESS, neither should fighters/Sats.

13) A simple one: allow Ships\FTR\SATS to be a legal target type

[dogscoff]

In no particular order...

1> I would like to see the best of the player mods / races "oficialised" into a mod pack or patch. (including new racial techs, crossover techs, more PDC options, pirates & nomads, improved AI files for default races...)

2> Asteroids: the ability to build space station-like structures on them would be nice.

3> I'd really like it if other species kept their racial abilities when they join your empire. The you'd have reasons to acquire alien populations other than what atmosphere they breathe.

4> The ability to decide how restricted or free your citizens are to move around within your empire. This would affect happiness, plagues (free movement= plagues spread more quickly) research (free movement= better sharing of ideas, better research), intel (free movement= harder to catch spies) and also numbers 5 & 9 on this list.

5> I really hope that automatic migration of species from planet to planet will be implemented. Non-domed planets should be able to hold a small domed population (maybe just 5 or 10 million for huge worlds, 1 or 2 million for tiny) without any of the current space penalties.

6> sort out damage for different armour types / shield types / skipping weapons etc. It's a real mess.

7> Tactical combat: "resolve combat peacefully" button.
Strategic combat: Better handling of ramming / boarding strategies.

8> "Wait" command for ships, where you can specify exactly how many turns you want it to wait.

9> Changing planet descriptions according to game events: for example I could colonise a planet that says "A huge gas planet known for it's swirling colours." After several years of mineral mining and weapons platform production it might change to "A well defended mining colony" or even just "A colonised world with some great restaurants." After taking damage in a battle it might change again to "A war-torn planet with ruined cities"



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