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Community Games > Alex_Brunius' Game
Setup suggestions and ideas.
alex_brunius:
I'm currently aiming for 4 nation Earth start (all nations with several additional players as ministers and other roles recruited), and tech somewhere between Conventional and TN start but closer to conventional.
This means most research fields except some techs in construction/production, Logistics/Ground combat and geo survey sensors will be unavailable at start.
To try to speed up unlocking of further fields nations can make credit investments into specific fields ( Roleplay: hiring private industries and universities to construct theoretical TN labs), or wait until the fields are automatically unlocked as further TN technology spreads (somewhat randomly).
The scenario will be a post apocalyptic scenario and there will also be investment opportunity to expand inwards on Earth by diplomatic/relief aid means.
To speed up the start most of the industry will still be conventional but some will already be upgraded, I'm thinking a base 100 mines + 100 factories per nation, but is open to suggestions for a different amount.
The main thing is it should be balanced with the amount of labs / pop/wealth to provide for an interesting start. I'm thinking perhaps around 400mil pop and 6-10 labs each.
To enforce a peaceful safezone around Earth there will be a UN style organization that will control peacekeeping ground forces as well as be in control of all defensive satellites and silos that will be built (regard them as collectively owned and controlled). Defensive use is automatic (AMM/PD), offensive use authorized only by a majority vote in the council. Overpowering them may be possible but should not be easy and should probably require cooperation of several nations as well as the element of surprise.
Anything outside the safezone (approx 10mil km) will be free for all to explore, claim protect and fight over (This means the moon is included in the safezone).
There will be espionage incentives to build up both shipyards and labs on other bodies later on, as well as the very natural resource incentive.
Each nation will be a bit unique. Either set by me or by chosen perks.
Perks could be for example starting with one extra lab, one extra Ground Training Facility, one extra academy and so on.
Pretty much everything the SM powers allow for will be possible to trade between nations. With this + investment of credits into important areas I hope to make credits an important commodity early game too.
To clarify what I intend to do is an RPG, a role playing game.
You will take the role of ONE character and write stories about this character to give life to the decisions taken and experiences in the universe. Your characters will collaborate with the other characters in the faction that holds other important key positions like admiral, minister of production, head of state and so on, both to provide different insights into the world/story we are building together, and to try to maneuver the nation to a good position among a competition of other nations and unknown threats.
This is a community game, this means everyone being part of it is expected to contribute with stories and internal debate, to as large degree as possible in character.
To allow for internal debate Erik Luken has offered to help with setting up private subforums that only members of each nation will have access to.
I hope it's possible to make in character debates on these forums public after a certain amount of ingame years have passed (so that it's no longer relevant to the current events taking place).
This game hopefully will go on for months and the initial speed I aim for is one ingame year per week of real time.
Mission: Survive, explore and find out what the main goal/scenario is about later on... (if there is one).
I am NOT taking any signups yet. This thread is mostly to brainstorm ideas and get some feedback on if experienced Aurora community members think the setup and starting installations are balanced (100mines+100factories+600CI+400mil pop+8labs per nation).
Cripes Amighty:
Few questions:
* Will the UN be an actual playable empire that the SM (you) controls? If that's true, are they able to construct mobile ships?
* Any general idea on how close to conventional you want it to be (ie. roughly how much RP you're going to give each empire? 0-50k, 50k-100k, etc)?
* Will the players be able to determine the setup of the empire, or are you writing up the different nations by yourself and then letting people pick? By setup, I mean the smaller things like the perks you mentioned, the government type, commander nationality, etc. I understand that the installations would be predetermined. Just getting some clarification on this.
* Do you have any idea of the kind/number of ministers that you would have? Are you aiming for a general number of people per empire?
* Will the mineral content of Earth be magnified to support four empires? Or will the provide incentive to get out of the cradle as soon as possible?
As for setup suggestions, I would vote for the highest number of research labs possible (10 from your writeup). Even with technology dissipation, it'll still take a good amount of time before anything major happens in game. 10 research labs won't accelerate the game beyond control. I think it's a relatively nice number to start off with.
I like the numbers of 100 for CFs or mines, although I think that there should be slightly more mines than CFs. Otherwise it just seems like annoying mineral shortages come up a lot more often then they have to. So maybe something like 100 CFs and 125 mines or 75 CFs and 100 mines. 600 conventional industry also seems like a nice number.
I like the idea of perks. However, I think with the listed options (research lab, GFTC, academy), everyone is going to choose the research lab. If the perks are predetermined, whoever gets the GFTC is going to lag behind the rest of the empires, especially because ground forces won't matter on Earth with the UN's watchful eye.
Some good perks might be an additional free tech right off the bat that determines that nation's playstyle. Specifically I would focus on the Construction/Production tech line. There could be three options of either Research Rate 240 (5000 RP), Expand Civilian Economy 20% level 1 (5000 RP), or both Mining and Construction 12 (combined 6000 RP). They're relatively equal and they create rather unique empires. One is heavily industrial, one is focused on scientific advancement, and the other promotes private industry (which would normally not be that great, but with your talk of an enhanced wealth system, it could make a huge difference).
Just some ideas.
3_14159:
--- Quote from: alex_brunius on February 14, 2014, 06:12:07 PM ---I'm currently aiming for 4 nation Earth start (all nations with several additional players as ministers and other roles recruited), and tech somewhere between Conventional and TN start but closer to conventional.
--- End quote ---
Sounds great!
--- Quote ---To speed up the start most of the industry will still be conventional but some will already be upgraded, I'm thinking a base 100 mines + 100 factories per nation, but is open to suggestions for a different amount.
The main thing is it should be balanced with the amount of labs / pop/wealth to provide for an interesting start. I'm thinking perhaps around 400mil pop and 6-10 labs each.
--- End quote ---
The question of labs will be interesting, and we can set the labs depending on how fast you want advancement to be. Disregarding the possible unavailability of tech, the RP needed to get off Sol will be around ten to twenty thousand RPs. Each lab will produce 240RPs per annum in the beginning. So, fourty years minimum for one lab, and four for ten labs, not counting scientist boni. Warships will probably need around the same number of RPs before becoming useful. Depending on the speed you want, 8-12 labs per faction might be best.
--- Quote ---Each nation will be a bit unique. Either set by me or by chosen perks.
Perks could be for example starting with one extra lab, one extra Ground Training Facility, one extra academy and so on.
--- End quote ---
I'm going to agree with Cripes, here. The extra lab would probably be the most powerful bonus. It depends on whether your goal is to differentiate the starting conditions, or differentiate the factions later on. The former could be done by assigning them additional BP they can spend on whatever they want (for example, 2400BP = 20CF = 1 lab, and so on) and a few RP with them being exchangable 1:1 [1].
The latter could be done by including advantages or disadvantages for a longer time, quasi in-built traits for the empires. Sadly, I do not have ideas there for the moment.
--- Quote ---I hope it's possible to make in character debates on these forums public after a certain amount of ingame years have passed (so that it's no longer relevant to the current events taking place).
--- End quote ---
This should be possible. If you make one forum per faction, you can then just move the thread where something was discussed to the public forum.
So, your total list of house-rules is as follows, correctly?
* Unlocking of TN techs (through credits or randomly)
* Relief/Diplomatic aid for earth expansion
* Espionage
* UN
* Trade/Diplomacy
[1] This is the exchange suggested by the build points needed: 1 CP per annum costs 10 CP investment; 1RP per annum costs 10CP investment.
Stardust:
Looking forward to this.
I think something like an interstellar news network type of subforum, where nations can make public announcements and field questions, would be fun.
With regards to diplomacy, allow nations to request private subforums with other nations to discuss mutual interests.
Thanks for taking the initiative to give this a try.
alex_brunius:
--- Quote from: Cripes Amighty on February 14, 2014, 11:56:47 PM ---
* Will the UN be an actual playable empire that the SM (you) controls? If that's true, are they able to construct mobile ships?
--- End quote ---
The idea in my game is that SM will control everything based on orders and rules of engagement sent each ingame year (or shorter if war / other evens require so). The focus will be on role playing.
They won't build mobile ships, since this isn't required to enforce the peace on Earth.
--- Quote from: Cripes Amighty on February 14, 2014, 11:56:47 PM ---
* Any general idea on how close to conventional you want it to be (ie. roughly how much RP you're going to give each empire? 0-50k, 50k-100k, etc)?
...
Some good perks might be an additional free tech right off the bat that determines that nation's playstyle. Specifically I would focus on the Construction/Production tech line. There could be three options of either Research Rate 240 (5000 RP), Expand Civilian Economy 20% level 1 (5000 RP), or both Mining and Construction 12 (combined 6000 RP). They're relatively equal and they create rather unique empires.
--- End quote ---
TN tech will be researched at the start and some installations converted + more research labs then a conventional start normally has, but not much RP to distribute.
It is a good point that research would be the most interesting perk of those lined out, so perhaps nations will be made unique instead by starting with one extra branch of research unlocked and a few thousand RP in it. Or by extra Industry / Mining that are more desirable boosts.
Ill give it some more thought.
--- Quote from: Cripes Amighty on February 14, 2014, 11:56:47 PM ---
* Will the players be able to determine the setup of the empire, or are you writing up the different nations by yourself and then letting people pick? By setup, I mean the smaller things like the perks you mentioned, the government type, commander nationality, etc. I understand that the installations would be predetermined. Just getting some clarification on this.
--- End quote ---
Geographic areas controlled and main nationalities will be a set part of the story.
--- Quote from: Cripes Amighty on February 14, 2014, 11:56:47 PM ---
* Do you have any idea of the kind/number of ministers that you would have? Are you aiming for a general number of people per empire?
--- End quote ---
This should be up to the Head of state to chose. The first task is to set up a cabinet of open roles, recruit players and determine how much and what influence they should have.
Id probably say minimum amount of 3 players per nation, and recommend minister influence depending on how open the government type is.
It is also flexible so that we could recruit more players later on if there are more colonies or more fleets to control.
--- Quote from: Cripes Amighty on February 14, 2014, 11:56:47 PM ---
* Will the mineral content of Earth be magnified to support four empires? Or will the provide incentive to get out of the cradle as soon as possible?
--- End quote ---
Not by a huge amount. The starting amount and minimum accessibility has been raised by quite a bit the latest patches and to start exploring with primitive TN ships on Tech 1 or 2 not much minerals are needed. For example from the 6.4 mechanics "Homeworld minerals have been boosted. Minimum amount is now 50,000, minimum accessibility is 0.4 and there should be generally more minerals overall."
Id rather start with too little then too much, it's easier and more fair to RP and say that additional reserves have been found compared to removing some.
--- Quote from: 3_14159 on February 15, 2014, 07:42:12 AM ---Depending on the speed you want, 8-12 labs per faction might be best.
--- End quote ---
10 sounds like a good round number then.
--- Quote from: 3_14159 on February 15, 2014, 07:42:12 AM ---So, your total list of house-rules is as follows, correctly?
* Unlocking of TN techs (through credits and randomly)
* Relief/Diplomatic aid for earth expansion
* Espionage
* UN
* Trade/Diplomacy
--- End quote ---
I'm also thinking of adding multinational corporations that can develop some building/research capacity and take part in trade of mainly ship components. These would be based in open government types but have facilities throughout Earth and be able to buy/build/sell components they get their hands on to the highest bidders. Is that something that you guys think sounds interesting and could be worth the extra time & administration?
--- Quote from: Stardust on February 15, 2014, 11:34:33 AM ---I think something like an interstellar news network type of subforum, where nations can make public announcements and field questions, would be fun.
With regards to diplomacy, allow nations to request private subforums with other nations to discuss mutual interests.
--- End quote ---
Each sub forum has unlimited number of threads. One thread for announcement and questions each should be enough.
I think diplomacy between nations should be handled either directly between the Head of States (PMs) or if that responsibility is delegated to for example a minister of foreign relations (that could handle diplomacy and espionage).
Thanks for your Ideas.
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