Suggestion for 1.3

Hi!
A good place to put my suggestion.

What I'd like to see is an ability to randomize which AI will be assigned to which civ, and randomizing preffered alignments. Like: Drengin would get the AI from Arceans, and an allignment of good.

This way I'd never know what approach should I chose with any civ I'd meet, until I'd invest quite some work on diplomatic window, and on observing their behaviour.

Br, Iztok

alrighty i'll place my thingy's in here than.

1: being able to call in allies during war, same way we do right at the start of a war were your ally automaticly declares on your enemy. (enemy should also be able to ask my during a war, if i ignore he'll break the alliance).

2: don't have allies automaticly declare on your enemy's in your defens at the start of the war, i want to have the choice of having allies help me or crush the enemy myself.

3: being able to create teams to have custom situtations like 3 vs 3 or 4 vs 5 or whatever you want. or 2 vs 2 vs 3 vs 2.
were you cannot ally with people from another team, everything is done by your team. so in this mode the research victory should be off (unless the techtree is somewhat modified that it takes 3 alliances to research 1 tech and still takes 50 weeks to research so that its still a team victory).
influence victory should be off and diplomatic victory to.

4: one thing, but it might not be possible, is that the game will continou after you win.
so that people that were your ally, will also be your ally in the next game and your enemy's still don't like you if you declared war on them.
if you defeated somebody that declared on you relations shouldn't be hurt to much.
so if you were very strong in the first game but are weak in the second you better watch out and hope you didn't abuse your power in the first game to much.
kinda like a custom campain but with no preset scenario's.
this can be combined with option 3, cause this could result in having to fight several coalition battles over and over again .
oh yea, being able to form coalitions would be nice, ofcourse the IA should counter this and form its own coalition

what do you all think, and what are the changes mods will even see this post and the changes that it might actually implented?

thank you

Good ideas for both. It irritates the hell out of me when I'm spending stupid amounts on social trying to get my empire up to scratch, and on one glorious day (weeK) it's all finished, no more pop-up messages saying it's done, and I can finally get to work on getting the armour tech I need.

Some little sod surrenders to me and I have to do it all again? Gah, just give it to the bloody Altarians already. I HATE having to redo everything because my heavy manufacturing border planets are now in the midst of my empire, and ships from there will never see action. And the AI never has the planets the way I like. The empire can fragment into a minor that acts like a major, but I've never ever seen this, and only heard of it from one of Frogboy's AARs. If it can still do that, it would be fun if it did it more often.

And for Iztok's idea, I think there is a scenario where alignments are flipped, and the Drengin act nice and influence based, and the Altarians are vicious warmongers (no change there then). But you have to be the Terrans. Wouldn't it be good when you realise that the Drengin are making deals like the Drath, and the Thalans are being the galactic mercenaries?

Oh, and someone please, please, please beef up the Korx AI. Poor little merchants die so soon, and I haven't heard of them on the forums for a long time. The idea of galactic merchant bankers is good, but they tend to be rather weak. Maybe if they had some special bartering code like the Drath? Or maybe let them make full use of whatever diplomacy tricks you have coming in the expansion? Ah come on, give the little grey grandmother sellers a hand

I really like the first post ... i dont like that part of the game, the surrendering race should then become several minors (same picture as the original race but with different colours???)

anyways, i hope they change this

As 1.2 is almost upon us, (and respect guys, fantastic support for the game) it's extermely unlikely that any more features/changes will be made before 1.3

I don't like the idea of a galactic encyclopedia for 1.3 It sounds like something that would be nice to work on, but not used enough in practical terms to make the investment in it worthwhile.

I love the suggestion about the random 'AI traits option' so that the opponents weren't so predictable in global terms.

A galactic map screen option might be nice too. A full screen map with toggles for everything so that we budding galactic supremo's can plan grand strategic campaigns against the hideous Antarans.... well, something like that anyhow. The mini-map is all but useless playing "huge/gigantic" maps.. and its not possible to zoom out enough in the play screen.

Finally, this forum is excellent, great suggestions, and constructive feedback on almost every thread. That's what comes with a well supported game like this and conciensious and loving designers I guess.

There is so much right with this game.

Regards as always,

AOD-Bradford

I would love to have the option to reject a race surrenduring to me, resulting in the creation of multiple minor races, with 2-3 planets each. Then again I'd rather no races surrendered to anyone, it's wreaking havok with my current game, as there have been 5 surrenders so far (only one to me), including one race who surrendered to the Drengin soon after another race surrendered to them to avoid being taken over by the Drengin. Funnily enough, I currently own the Drengin home system and another formerly Drengin system due to flips, but they despise me for my use of influence and I am thinking I need to gear up for war with the only power left that can challenge me at all.

i start to think not many people share my view on the game and my suggestions

Hi Mystic,

I imagine that a lot of your suggestions might already be possible once the multiplayer function is introduced. I guess we will have to wait and see what's available after 1.2

I'm not sure about being able to 'control' other races bit though.

Part of this games immersive appeal to me, and I'm sure many, many others, is that the 'AI' actually draws you into the game. The unpredictability, and, come to think of it, predictability of a race, once you "get to know them during a game" is excellent.

Ordering them to help / not help, might kinda take away the 'independence' feel to races. Why be allied if you don't want help? Simply breaking the alliance might be an option there. Besides, a race would probably feel insulted that you think yourself so superior to not need/want their help, and whilst it could be introduced as an optional "send message" I think there should be consequences.

I have given more thought to the "Empire Surrender" situation too.

Maybe, and I'm just spit-balling here.. The race about to surrender could ask for sanctuary/protection. They would be in a state of "annexation" (if there is such a term)

Maybe it could work exactly as it is, but the protecting empire would not have access to the planets themselves. A portion of revenue could be diverted to the protecting empire whilst that race attempted to rebuild. Maybe it could last for say 5 years, with the annexed race deciding to stay annexed or not, depending on how they are treated etc. During annexation they might request ships/technology etc.

Of course, any further declarations of war on the annexed race would immediatly be a declaration of war on the protecting empire, so there would (and should) be some risk,. The odd planet may decide to go it alone, spawning a new Minor, and a host of other things might be possible... but it would certainly, to me at least, make a more natural progression through the game than simply beeing handed a virtual "win by default" after a lot of hard (enjoyable) work to get to a certain point.

Maybe the odd planet might 'like' being annexed and want to stay with the protecting empire... the possible options are endless.

I just think on this single issue It's a little like (and this is just a though) like... well a lack of 'end-game.' It's like, "ok you played long enough, time to wrap it up" It all changes so drasticly, and suddenly, that (at the risk of repeating myself) it's a whole different game.

Anyway, enough ranting... I have the "hideous Antarans to crush... oh and that ugly race, you know... the other hideous ones...errr... oh yeah! The Terrans !

Regards as always,
AOD-Bradford

I would love for an option of Unknown Research or Random Research. This way you would have to build your forces and Society based upon what you've just discovered instead of tossing all your money into everything Defensive or Govt. Etc. and simply going all the way down a tech string. I can picture a screen that pops up saying " Due to a bizarre Poppy Epidemic on Planet Erotica 3 Defensive Shields has been Discovered" This would make for a really cool gameplay since the same is going on for the other races as well.

Another thing that would be interesting is for a Random Time amount for Each Tech. This way lets say it could take you from 5 weeks to 50 weeks per tech regardless how much money you throw into it. Luck and Creativity would be able to shave up to 2 weeks each off of Research at most. This would make it a bit more realistic since it gives you that unknown factor of how long it will be before you get what your after but it's still attainable in a reasonable amount of time. But really lets think about this your slider is set to 100% funding for Research and practically everything is 1 to 3 weeks it seems. I would prefer the unknown element more with something like Funding Breakthru costing like 50,000BC for an Immediate Tech breakthru. Naturally nobody would be able to afford too many of these without putting a severe crimp in their warfleets or planet defenses etc.

Oh and just outta curiostity has anyone else figured out how to Break an Alliance with a Minor Race? There is a check box for Trade embargo like on the major races but theirs no Break Alliance with the Minor Races. ( and they have 2 measly little useless Planets that I want to take over er um bring into my wonderful federation of Planets or whatever.. )

I imagine that a lot of your suggestions might already be possible once the multiplayer function is introduced. I guess we will have to wait and see what's available after 1.2

GC2 won't have a multiplayer and likely never get it i thought?
but it would be great to have those options included (they are just single player options)

What if you could simply pay some money to upgrade a starbase without having to senda new constructor every time you want a new module?
I dont like that unnecassary micro if i want to upgrade my 5+ bases with a new module after i reearched the tech for it.

Why not make it like one of the folowing ideas:
1) you have to pay 150 bc for a new module
then a little freighter would start from the nearest planet
once it reaches the base, it will get upgraded


2) You pay the money and the starbase will be upgraded like a ship
set to 1hp and after 1-4 weeks the new module will be functional

3) you can add more than one constructor module on a ship

4) constructors are no more "shoot and forget".
constructors work like in space empires 4
so they work like a moveable spaceyard.
they can use lets say 10bc/ round/ number of constructors to build new bases ( a bases would then cost lets say 200bc)

I m sure there are many other intersting ways make uprgading many bases more comfortable.
When reponding to this idea plz keep in mind that these numbers are numbers i just came up with and would mostly likly have to be changed

And:
A button to hide all obsolute weapons, engines, etc in the ship designer

Er.....excuse me for butting in but.......did I miss something.....like 1.2?

The details on 1.2 and possible inclusions for 1.3 are on the Home page of this site. Comments on multiplayer issues can be found in many posts. You can already play multi-player, but the mechanics for doing this are not user friendly.

Brad (frogboy) is probably weighing up what to concentrate on for 1.3 and I would imagine that if multi-player isn't top of the agenda, the team will at least make a simple interface to launch a multi-player game as opposed to the cumbersome method you need to use now.

1.2 will be released any time soon (May 2006.)

Regards as always,
AOD-Bradford

I'd love to see actual descriptions for techs when researched. Making them race based would be even better.

Also, race specific ship hulls are a must.

What I really don't understand about people complaining about a race surrendering to you is... if you really don't want the planets, why not just sell them? Spread the planets amoung the other races so that no single one gets a massive advantage. Mix star systems between civs (to increase tensions between the other races). I'd imagine that you could end up with every single researched tech, not to mention a good deal of cash. You could also just give some of the planets away to make them like you more.

Or just give them all to a minor to throw a massive spanner in the works...

No118 is right. I won't look a gift horse in the mouth. Selling them seems like a good move, although it can be hard to override that good old human greed.

There are many suggestions I could make for 1.3, but I'll keep it as reasonable as possible. These are my top wants in the game. Some of them are simple interface tweaks:

1. Allow us to switch off the feature (?) that carries ship designs over to other games. Many of us enjoy redesigning every game.

2. Allow us to disable the "Tech Researched" report window. A simple pop up would be a nicer alternative.

3. Allow us to upgrade ships in stacks/fleets, without having to seperate them.

4. Allow us to rename stars.

5. Allow us to change the brightness of the "area of effect" circle around constructors.

Um... that's it.

I like the randomised personalities idea, as it would make for a more interesting game, I think. There is the parallel universe option, but when you play that you know exactly what you'll be getting (good drengin, evil altarians etc.). Not knowing in advance how everyone is going to act would be part of the appeal. e.g., you meet the Terrans in game, but are they regular reliable terrans, or are they cuddly Federation-like Terrans spreading peace and love, or are they bloodthirsty take over the galaxy and enslave everyone to the mighty and superior human master race Terrans? Only careful studying of intelligence reports and observation will determine that.

The details on 1.2 and possible inclusions for 1.3 are on the Home page of this site

i'm sorry, but i looked and i really can't find them anywere.

other than that thank you for the information
and may release of 1.2 already, sweet

lol i am so blind i think.
i finally found it after i searched for it in google

thanks