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Scenarios > Aurora
Multiplayer Scenario Ideas
sublight:
I'm trying to think of a scenario setup that would make a good multiplayer game.
Ideas so Far:
Ruins in the Middle
Essentially, King of The Hill. Players start in opposite corners of a premade galaxy, with ruins on one planet of the center star system. First player to hold the ruins for say, 10 construction brigade years (5 years with 2 construction units, 0.5 years with 20 construction units, etc) gains the uber advanced ancient technology and wins the scenario.
Escape Sol
The players either all start on Earth, or on Earth/Venus/Mars. First player to establish a 25-million population outside of the Sol-system complete with industry/labs/shipyards wins.
Inherit the Stars
Same as Escape Sol, but to achieve victory you also must destroy/capture all enemy shipyards so they can't follow you off planet.
Monster in the Middle
An asymmetric twist on standard conquest, an advanced empire must find a way to defeat two lower tech populations each with equal population/industry. No technology trading.
Thoughts anyone?
Any ideas on what would be the most fun to play in, the most fun to observe, and/or the most fun to SM?
Anyone have any other scenario ideas?
Theodidactus:
I think it's hard to GM a scenario. So hard that it's only "worth it" if there's a lot of RPing involved. Your Ruins in the middle scenario is the only one that I would really play with any enthusiasm, because it's the only one that would make a good story, at least, I think so.
sublight:
I've found in my experience with GMing multiplayer Aurora games that it isn't so much 'hard' as 'time consuming.' By year 38 in the longest running game I was spending ~8 hours to run through a 6-month increment as the SM plus another ~3 hours to type a proper RP report (I'm a slow writer).
Yes, that 38-year sandbox game did generate a fairly memorable story, but being a slow writer creating a 'good story' is kind of low on my objective list. See, I'm an engineer. I love world building, enjoy war-gaming, and had almost as much fun watching the players use unexpected tactics to explore the universe generated as If I had been a player myself. The RPing and story-writing was just documentation to better interact with the players and share our results with the community, not the reason I was GM.
One of my discoveries was that, usually, players in a sandbox game react cautiously and avoid risk when dealing with each other, and instead explore outward and focus on diplomatically competing to build the biggest sand castle as it were. So, whereas a multifaction game run by a single person will usually RP tension and strife from the start, a true multiplayer game will often see the factions immediately negotiate diplomatic treaties before settling into quiet outward expansion with minimal apparent drama or conflict until a mineral crunch or aliens happen.
This gives rise to the following formate for every multiplayer game I've been a part of so far:
1) A few early years of persuasive RP diplomacy.
2) Many middle years with persistent exploration, research, and background trading that generally resemble the same exploration, research, and quiet trading of the year before.
3) A few late years of uncertain pressure as one or more factions go to war with an NPR or frantically try to overcome a mineral crunch.
4) A premature game ending when the GM runs out of time leaving an uncertain future of What Might Have Come.
By using a set of Scenario rules rather than default Sandbox rules I hope to break the above formate and create a game that:
a) Directs the players into uneasy shifting alliances or direct competition from the start.
b) Keeps the universe and number of player and non-player factions small enough that time advancement by the SM doesn't bog down too much.
c) Ensures that the game will reach the closure of an official ending within a reasonable period of time (less than 20 game years?)
d) Is interesting enough to attract players.
e) Is simple enough and fast enough that multiple players will be willing to act as GM/SM.
alex_brunius:
It seems to be that the main problem here is that there is to much risk and to little reward involved in hostile action when your share same home-world.
This can also be seen since all your 4 suggested scenarios involve either forced conflict or different stating planets.
A few ideas to mitigate this even if you want to go with a same planet start:
- Everyone start with strong defensive ground forces and PDCs that ensure if the conflict escalates back to Earth neither can inflict much damage.
- A universal and generally accepted alliance (NATO) that is in place before scenario start working like NATO, if any one nations holdings on Earth is attacked all other others automatically ally to hunt down the perpetrator.
- A powerful Peacekeeping force present on Earth (doesn't have to even be modeled until need arises which hopefully never should happen).
- Espionage that has close to 100% control over how much and what quality ground forces and PDCs all your rivals have on Earth, this means you can attack without fear of them steamrolling you.
Basically this idea is built on Earth being a safe haven but any colony or body outside is no-mans land which should encourage colonial conflicts.
Another solution is to force conflict as a GM, for example make sure that "tense" situations escalate as individual Captains open fire even if they have orders not to.
Or have powerful "neutral" corporations or businessmen interest approach nations with big rewards in credits, installations or resources they lack for attacking their opposition (and their civilian shipping!).
You can also introduce espionage/military reports that sow suspicion and make players not trust each other. With intelligence organizations that are convinced they will be attacked within a year or two you may be able to trigger an interesting conflict or two since this is self reinforcing. Player A gets intel report player B is preparing to attack a mutual colony -> Player A sends more troops and ships -> Player B is convinced player A is going to take it for himself -> War.
To promote war the element of surprise must also pay off, both sides need to know that if I don't shoot first I will probably lose.
Another compleatly different scenario idea would be a mighty over powerful GM controlled alien race attacking in which case it is intended and required that the players cooperate if Earth is to survive at all. That scenario also has a clear ending in that either earth is defeated or whoever manages to defeat the alien home world wins. Much epic storytelling possible here either in a desperate last defense against alien troop dropships or a glorious victory marsh.
Maltay:
1. Make the evil enemy (e.g., aliens, robots, or whatever). They are technologically advanced and gunning for the Humans. They do not like Humans. Earth is five jumps away. The prize solar system is 10 jumps away and five jumps from Earth. The evil enemy knows Earth is five jumps away. The evil enemy knows the prize solar system is 10 jumps away. This makes searching faster.
2. Make Earth a multi-faction start with mineral boost. Make it a TN start. The evil enemy is five jumps away. The prize solar system is the opposite way and also five jumps away. The Earth factions have snapshots of the evil enemy and prize solar system as intel.
3. Make a prize solar system. Give it a prize planet or two, good ruins, massive mineral resources, some reasonably tough Precursors, and stock it with enough technology an Earth faction could match the evil enemy. It is five jumps from Earth. It is 10 jumps from the evil enemy. Make sure there are fewer prize planets than Earth factions.
Primary Win Condition: Make it to the prize solar system and defeat the evil enemy's attack. Be in control of a prize planet when the last of the evil enemy is destroyed or leaves the prize solar system. Evil enemy will launch one large attack. Evil enemy will probably scout the prize solar system first if the GM remembers to RP.
Secondary Win Condition: Avoid getting destroyed by the evil enemy for 30 years. This assumes you failed to make it to the prize solar system or the Earth factions that made it were defeated in the large attack. Killed means you lack the ability to expand. For example, mineral or fuel locked, out of Industry, etc.
GM Win Condition: Kill the Earth factions in less than 30 years. You only get one large attack against the prize system. You need to RP and be fair as you have full knowledge of what is happening. Can write the AARs from either the evil enemy or Earth faction perspectives.
Restrictions: Earth factions not allowed to settle the same body (e.g., moon, planet, or asteroid). Earth factions can take bodies from each other through war. Do not tell anyone the technology level of the evil enemy. Can flex the evil enemy's technology advantage, number of prize planets in the prize solar system, time restriction (i.e., 30 years), and distances between the three solar system to make it different each time. Make sure to tell everyone how far away the prize solar system is so they can find it more easily. Do not tell them how far away the evil enemy is, that is part of the fun. You can let the intermediary solar systems randomly generate or pre-define them. Maybe drop interesting stuff in between the three solar systems like nebulae, black holes, star swarms, etc. Basically, things that make the Earth factions work together to get away from the evil enemy in time to put up a fight. Makes it even better for when the Earth factions are forced to betray each other toward the end to try and claim the primary victory. Especially as they all knew from the beginning how many prize planets exist.
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