A few humble supplications to MM

chumbly · #1 January 30th, 2001, 11:28 PM

Oh Wise, Oh Magnificent Developers, Keepers and Modifiers of the Source Code..
We humbly beseech thee to entertain our humble supplications....
<grovel><grovel><bootlick><bootlick>

Now that is down with, I have a few ideas, tht might make for better mods, and some more interesting game play..

1. Make the [%SystemName] [%EmpireName]
[%RaceName] [%PlanetName} substitution strings available to the name strings in facilities.txt,components.txt, vehiclesizes.txt and designnames.txt.
This will allow the above names to be
be included in the facility/unit name wihen it is created. Example "Terran Confederation Dreadnought"

2.Add a line in the vehiclesize.txt entries for design name default. If it is blank, it goes to the current design files, otherwise it uses the design names string in the vehicle entry. The reason I am asking about this is for troops, where I would like to be able to have the troop design name default to something like "Terran Regiment", or
"Abdaii VII Fusiliers" instead of "Michigan". The present scheme works fine for ships, but is limiting for troops.

3. As some other poster mentioned earlier, when planets rebel, the troops on planet go over automatically. It would be nice to have ships and units, remember which planet/system created them, so if a planet/system rebels,
the unit will engage units created on planets not in rebellion, and vice versa, non-local(and non-rebellious) troops on a planet would stay loyal and attempt to supress the rebellion, fighting the rebel troops.(This would give more reason to ground troops)
In addition, ships from rebel planets, would desert their fleets and attempt to come home to join the rebeliion, with race agressiveness determining how much damage they do on the way home(if they make it).

4.I would suggest allowing the creation of multi-system political subunits(suggested name cluster) within the empires.(This could be implemented as all systems in an empire falling within an x1-x2,y1-y2 boundry on the map.(the x an y widths of the clusters could be defined in settings.txt). Then allow
Users to have race-specific cluster names files, so if one race wants to call those systems the "Grand Duchy of Bootlick" and the other "House Mollari Holdings", they can add theRP feel of the geograpy. Also If you allow the cluster to rebel, you have the possiblity of creation of a much stronger rebel empire, than just a world/system seceeding.(More enjoyable and threatening civil wars).(you could also have the rebel cluster government attempting to crush
member worlds that did not join the rebellion).

5.In line with item 3. It would be nice, if units and ships could also have an owning government other than just the empire.
This way, if a system rebels, units created in it that are owned by the system governement would rebel, units created in the system and owned by the empire may rebel, and non-local empire units would not rebel. (I know this proposal is unlikely, but I threw it out anyway.

6. Allow the creation of unique dummy no-op
abilities. The AI facilites construction file build on the basis of abilities. This precludes the AI building Fluff Role Playing
facilities. It would be nice to be able to have my troops conquer/destroy the
"Imperial Palace", "Congress of Worlds Building" or "World Governor's Mansion"
Another option(which would avoid using valuable facility space on a world), would be to allow a basic unit type such as building to be added to the basic vehicle types list. It whould be treated as simply cargo, but would allow the creation of "color" fuff buildings. Imagine your bloodthirsty pleasure when you minion troops just destroyed your adversaries "World Museum of Culture"

Well, my few modest proposals are done now...
Its been fun. Great Game

Instar · #2 January 30th, 2001, 11:39 PM

"3. As some other poster mentioned earlier, when planets rebel, the troops on planet go over automatically. It would be nice to have ships and units, remember which planet/system created them, so if a planet/system rebels,
the unit will engage units created on planets not in rebellion, and vice versa, non-local(and non-rebellious) troops on a planet would stay loyal and attempt to supress the rebellion, fighting the rebel troops.(This would give more reason to ground troops)
In addition, ships from rebel planets, would desert their fleets and attempt to come home to join the rebeliion, with race agressiveness determining how much damage they do on the way home(if they make it)."
Sounds interesting, but you have to consider:
a. If the ship(s) or troop(s) have been away a while, and are out of sync with the planet, they might not rebel. Consider the Civil War. Just because someone was from the North didn't mean they were an abolitionist.
b. If a ship or troop that was in the system (not from that planet that rebels), they might go along because they know the planet's woes well, esp. if they have spent some time there.
Just pointing things out

chumbly · #3 January 31st, 2001, 12:08 AM

InStar, valid points, but I think the probablites of siding with the rebellion increase with the attachment to the rebel
population. The model I was thinking of was
more the Yugoslav wars at the beginning of the 1990's. When Croatia rebelled, most croat troops in the JNA(yugoslav army) quickly deserted and went home. Yugoslav loyal troops(i.e Serb) in Croatia didn't go over to the Croatian government. They shelled the daylights out of the local population. Those troops in eventual untenable positions like the Zagreb JNA garrison government, shelled the locals for a while, then formed flying columns and ran for safer grounds, shooting up everything as they rode through the countryside.

I don't think it is an unsual model for civil
wars

apache · #4 January 31st, 2001, 02:51 AM

I generally like those ideas. I don't know that it would be a great idea for ships to randomly join rebellions though. Maybe if another component or facility or something were added to the game that kept ships and planets loyal, this might be reasonable. What if your primary, most experienced fleet joined the rebellion of a small moon? Would that really make sense?
And what about negotiating with the rebels? Why is that not even an option?
However, I would also like the ability for entire systems to rebel, rather than just single planets.
I would also like to be able rename individiual systems and planets. In single player games, this should be no problem. In multiplayer games, this should be based on which human player owns the system, and should not even be allowed for contested systems, unless some form of system could be designed where each player can name the same system whatever he wants without the other player having to go by that name too. Kind of like its United States to English speaking peoples, and Etats-unis to French speaking peoples.
And this is off topic, but the civil war was not about slavery. Just because some person was a northerner/union soldier did not mean they were anti-slavery. And just because someone joined the confederate side did not mean that they were pro-slavery. They were completely different and independant things.

Instar · #5 January 31st, 2001, 03:34 AM

Apache: about the civil war, I was trying to use the more common explanation about the war, I mean, does the school system work at all anymore??
Anyway, I just demand their surrender, or I land troops. Easy enough.

Puke · #6 January 31st, 2001, 04:22 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Instar:
Apache: about the civil war, I was trying to use the more common explanation about the war, I mean, does the school system work at all anymore??

man, and I always thought it was about froo-froo aristocrats getting down on the working man and eliminating the middle class while forcing the vast majority of the population far below the poverty level.

or are you talking about some other war? sorry, i was too busy eating cake.

quote:
Originally posted by Instar:
Anyway, I just demand their surrender, or I land troops. Easy enough.

I land troops to. Trillions of little microscopic ones. their overall kill ratios are not the best, but man do they get the job done. and its so much more terrifying and demoralizing than wimpy little neutron bombs.

***the author of this post has absolutely no affiliation with France nor their little civil war (even if you doctor it up and call it a revolution).

apache · #7 January 31st, 2001, 06:09 AM

Well, apparently the school system does not work if slavery is ever taught as the reason for the Civil War.
But as for in game rebellions, I simply make sure the population is always happy so that they never happen. I have never had an AI use PPP on me, so I really don't have a rebellion problem.

Puke · #8 January 31st, 2001, 08:15 AM

quote:
Originally posted by apache:
Well, apparently the school system does not work if slavery is ever taught as the reason for the Civil War.
But as for in game rebellions, I simply make sure the population is always happy so that they never happen. I have never had an AI use PPP on me, so I really don't have a rebellion problem.

you know, I was taught that up until the 4th grade. I would have to say that the public school system is not quite as effective as it should be. On the other hand, when I was learning fencing at UT from an olympic medalist, I was first taught techniques that were incorrect simply because they were easier to teach and learn. once we were capable of appreciating the RIGHT way of doing things, we were shown why the way we were first taught was wrong. likewise, I would not expect second graders to comprehend the true socio-economic causes of the war, nor would I try to teach them anything but good patriotic propaganda. nor would I expect anyone outside of the states to give two ****s about this conversation. turn down the flames dudes, this is a friendly forum. (despite my wise-assed-self)