Ideas for improving
from
GalCiv2 Forums
Ok I know the game is good already but we all agree that it isn't quite squeezy perfect yet. I just want to list a few ideas and observations I have had during my time playing GC2.
1. Colonisation
Well what can be said that hasn't already been said? Its a mad mad dash at the beginning and a slow slow expand via invasion later on. I really feel that some sort of limiting mechanics factor should be put into place to slow mass colonisation. I have heard of a few very good ideas. The best one being a colony logistics factor, a new line of technology that reduces having a massive empire in early game by adding a maintenance cost to colonies outside the logistics range, for example, beginning empires start off with colony logistics of 3 so they can colonise 3 planets no problem. After the 3rd they start getting heavily taxed, for each planet after that the overall cost for maintenance all outer colonises increases.
Example:
Colony Logistics of 3
Colonies 1-3 - 0 Cost
Colony 4 - 25BCs
Colonies 4-5 - 100BCs
25BCs * 2 for additional support
Colonies 4-6 - 225BCs 3*25BCs * 3 for additional support
This way a beginning empire can affort to have 1 planet beyond their logistics cost, but trying anything above that will very quick consume their economic budget just to maintain. Of cause these values are changable I think 25BCs a colony is pretty high personally but its a rough figure to demonstrate the principle.
2. Invasion / Bombardment
Now this really bothers me a lot, especially in the current system of gameplay, after 6 months in a game you can almost certainly guarantee that the galaxy is going to be rammed full of colonies. With no way of expanding other than invasion or flipping a planet (which takes a lot) you quickly run out of options. So then you need to go and take over the planets belonging to other races. Now thats ok but why on Earth do you need to slaughter the entire population to do it? Come on I know they might not be happy to see you but would I land 1billion troops which is a silly number, to fight 8 billion population something doesn't quite add up.
Surely having a set number of the population as troops and having a smaller number of troops in the module makes more sense? I mean sending 10 million troops in a ship is more in line with my thinking, and having 8 billion / 100 to get 80 million defending troops is acceptable, this way you could invade a planet and KEEP the population instead of commiting countless acts of unnecessary genocide. Which I personally feel is actually quite a bad concept in the game. Doesn't exactly teach people the value of life does it? LOL!
Although I'd like to see an option to do exactly that those and have that affect the relationship of you against several other races.
Example:
You send 3 troop ships to Altaria and invade using 30 million troops, Altaria's population is 10 billion, so you meet resistance of 100 million, you kick the fizzy haired puckers behinds and occupy the planet, reducing its population by 100million but adding your troops to the number. That way you get a instantly usable planet but at 50% of maximum capacity since its a conquered world and obviously the population as unhappy, but this should fade in time. But say you were playing as an evil race and wanted to be EVIL, after you win you have a option saying GENOCIDE, you use it and clear the population from the planet, instantly you're relationshp with the Altairans nose dives and other races beginning to show their disgust at your behaviour, but the EVIL races love you to bit for it.
Now would that be just a lot cooler than the current system of invasion? Also after the inital genocide you would have an planet population bonus to boost the troop numbers on the planet to colony levels, this would be explained by saying the planet is being migrated to be other planets citizens. So if you only had say 5 million troops left on the planet after the genocide by the turn after it would by 50 million, then 65 etc...
Another thing I'd like to see is an non-invasion option like planetary bombardment, instead of having to deal with the population with ground forces, wouldn't it be nice to have ships (normal ships) be able to attack planets directly and bombard the planets surfaces targetting their population and industry centres. That way you can soften up planet prior to transport arrival. I see NO reason what so ever why ships can't attack planets, this is just silly, even the most pathetic ship could hurt the surface. I'd like to see some options for this in the future. The amount of times I've seen a undefended planet and wanted to bomb it is unreal.
Anyway I'll post some other ideas in a bit.
J
1. Colonisation
Well what can be said that hasn't already been said? Its a mad mad dash at the beginning and a slow slow expand via invasion later on. I really feel that some sort of limiting mechanics factor should be put into place to slow mass colonisation. I have heard of a few very good ideas. The best one being a colony logistics factor, a new line of technology that reduces having a massive empire in early game by adding a maintenance cost to colonies outside the logistics range, for example, beginning empires start off with colony logistics of 3 so they can colonise 3 planets no problem. After the 3rd they start getting heavily taxed, for each planet after that the overall cost for maintenance all outer colonises increases.
Example:
Colony Logistics of 3
Colonies 1-3 - 0 Cost
Colony 4 - 25BCs
Colonies 4-5 - 100BCs
Colonies 4-6 - 225BCs 3*25BCs * 3 for additional support
This way a beginning empire can affort to have 1 planet beyond their logistics cost, but trying anything above that will very quick consume their economic budget just to maintain. Of cause these values are changable I think 25BCs a colony is pretty high personally but its a rough figure to demonstrate the principle.
2. Invasion / Bombardment
Now this really bothers me a lot, especially in the current system of gameplay, after 6 months in a game you can almost certainly guarantee that the galaxy is going to be rammed full of colonies. With no way of expanding other than invasion or flipping a planet (which takes a lot) you quickly run out of options. So then you need to go and take over the planets belonging to other races. Now thats ok but why on Earth do you need to slaughter the entire population to do it? Come on I know they might not be happy to see you but would I land 1billion troops which is a silly number, to fight 8 billion population something doesn't quite add up.
Surely having a set number of the population as troops and having a smaller number of troops in the module makes more sense? I mean sending 10 million troops in a ship is more in line with my thinking, and having 8 billion / 100 to get 80 million defending troops is acceptable, this way you could invade a planet and KEEP the population instead of commiting countless acts of unnecessary genocide. Which I personally feel is actually quite a bad concept in the game. Doesn't exactly teach people the value of life does it? LOL!
Although I'd like to see an option to do exactly that those and have that affect the relationship of you against several other races.
Example:
You send 3 troop ships to Altaria and invade using 30 million troops, Altaria's population is 10 billion, so you meet resistance of 100 million, you kick the fizzy haired puckers behinds and occupy the planet, reducing its population by 100million but adding your troops to the number. That way you get a instantly usable planet but at 50% of maximum capacity since its a conquered world and obviously the population as unhappy, but this should fade in time. But say you were playing as an evil race and wanted to be EVIL, after you win you have a option saying GENOCIDE, you use it and clear the population from the planet, instantly you're relationshp with the Altairans nose dives and other races beginning to show their disgust at your behaviour, but the EVIL races love you to bit for it.
Now would that be just a lot cooler than the current system of invasion? Also after the inital genocide you would have an planet population bonus to boost the troop numbers on the planet to colony levels, this would be explained by saying the planet is being migrated to be other planets citizens. So if you only had say 5 million troops left on the planet after the genocide by the turn after it would by 50 million, then 65 etc...
Another thing I'd like to see is an non-invasion option like planetary bombardment, instead of having to deal with the population with ground forces, wouldn't it be nice to have ships (normal ships) be able to attack planets directly and bombard the planets surfaces targetting their population and industry centres. That way you can soften up planet prior to transport arrival. I see NO reason what so ever why ships can't attack planets, this is just silly, even the most pathetic ship could hurt the surface. I'd like to see some options for this in the future. The amount of times I've seen a undefended planet and wanted to bomb it is unreal.

Anyway I'll post some other ideas in a bit.
J
