Starbase combination types / expanded influences

from Stardock Forums
Hiya. Just a couple of suggestions:

First: it might be nice if you could eventually create dual type starbases, eg military/economic, particularly if earlier suggestions regarding introducing more starbase types (morale, research, construction) were to be included. I acknowledge that programming the AI and working around balance issues might be a bit of a problem.

A second suggestion: allow modules for expanding the starbases' field of influence, so that the planet that's *just* outside my economy starbase can eventually be included in the fun rather than have to build its very own (and expensive) starbase to be part of the "in crowd". This might allow for fewer starbases, and thus less clutter... or, yes, just as many and a great deal of additional complexity.

Just some ideas :).
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Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
This sounds like a nice idea... but I doubt we'll see it in TA... maybe the next expansion.
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
First: it might be nice if you could eventually create dual type starbases, eg military/economic, particularly if earlier suggestions regarding introducing more starbase types (morale, research, construction) were to be included. I acknowledge that programming the AI and working around balance issues might be a bit of a problem.
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This is actually a flashback to GalCiv 1, where you built 1 kind of starbase and started putting any kind of module you wanted on it. That in itself cut down on the # of bases on the map. If you put one on the border of another factions influence, they were OK with it as long as you were putting on Economic modules. When you started sneaking influence modules on it, then relations could drop fast....

Elemental: Reforged
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Starbase modules of type "Defense" (type only affects what Starbases the module can be installed on, not the actual effects it can have) can be put on any starbase, so it would certainly be possible to create a mod that creates Dual Type Starbases.

There is an ability in the game that increases the range of Starbase's influence too, but it isn't used in any module currently.
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

First: it might be nice if you could eventually create dual type starbases, eg military/economic, particularly if earlier suggestions regarding introducing more starbase types (morale, research, construction) were to be included. I acknowledge that programming the AI and working around balance issues might be a bit of a problem.
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Through modding you could make modules with a kind of bonus and put it on another starbase. for example: influence modules on an economy starbase- this can be done quite easily by modding the "StarbaseModules.xml" file.

-Dsep
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
Hi all. Thanks for your thoughts, though unfortunately these are things I have tried previously with modding... It does indeed appear like it would be possible to add module effects from one starbase type to another - but in practice the program does not process them. For example, giving "productionassist" ability to a mod on a military starbase yields no benefits - the Details tab on the colony pages lists no outside bonus affecting the colonies covered, and the actual production values do not appear to change either. It is much harder to test the functionality of other module types, eg trade modules, culture, however I can't see why they would fare any better.

re: influence expansion - I didn't know there was already a function in the game to do this. Could you tell me more?

Thanks all.
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
It does indeed appear like it would be possible to add module effects from one starbase type to another - but in practice the program does not process them. For example, giving "productionassist" ability to a mod on a military starbase yields no benefits - the Details tab on the colony pages lists no outside bonus affecting the colonies covered, and the actual production values do not appear to change either. It is much harder to test the functionality of other module types, eg trade modules, culture, however I can't see why they would fare any better.
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Well crap. I thought it did work. Saw the ability listed on the Starbase Report, but never bothered to think to actually check if they worked. There goes one idea out the window. Oh well, we can still hope that maybe the devs will be kind enough to throw modders a bone on this matter. :)

re: influence expansion - I didn't know there was already a function in the game to do this. Could you tell me more?
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This lists a StarbaseRange ability, although I can't seem to get it to work. Also, I just realized the description of the ability seems to indicate it increases ship range, but I swore I saw a mod that had a module that increases Starbase range... have to dig around and see if I can't find it again.

Edit: Found it.
TOV's Starbase and United Planets Mod
Forum Thread
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I think starbases would get way too powerful that way. In the late-game, you can already spam starbases all over the place. Making them even more powerful might make the game inbalanced.
Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top
Thanks for the link, HandofZarquon - I never knew the extending starbase influence was already built in, as you said, it's not used in the original setup at all.

As to the balance of adding in a secondary starbase type... this is definitely something to consider, but as you said, BrennanNL, you can already spam them in the endgame anyway... it just seems neater to be able to combine them together.
Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
If you are a modder, couldn't you design components in the tech tree that have lesser effects than their regular counterparts? For example, have an economy module for a military base that gives +5% trade bonus instead of the usual +10%?
Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top
Umm, ahem. If you will notice our earlier discussion, whilst this does indeed seem an ideal solution, sadly the game does not seem to process abilities arising from a starbase type other than that which typically provides them. So, military starbase modules with economic effects, for example, do not seem to function. I do agree that it would be the nicest solution, but at the moment the game does not seem coded for it.