The Dark Side

It was probably your alignment. You have to be deep into Evil-ness to research The Dark Side (morality less than or equal to 10).

You should feel guilty about trading for it, you goody-two shoes. LOL

Personally, I'd rather see tech alignment requirements also prevent trading, not just researching. But I might be in the minority on this.

~SDC~

"Personally, I'd rather see tech alignment requirements also prevent trading, not just researching. But I might be in the minority on this. "

No, I support your motion.

It's not just trading, it's getting it through planetary conquest or espionage as well. Basically a race should only make use of (ie receive bonus and build improvements or ships) of those techs that match current alignment.

*nods* Yes, I agree with Alf. If you aren't Evil, you should not be able to use The Dark Side, under any circumstances.

What's the point of alignment specific techs if they aren't alignment specific?

~SDC~

For gameplay purposes, I would agree on the exclusivity.

Just a thought that it is not unthinkable for evil to subvert good techs for their own diabolical use. Good would not be able to do likewise for evil techs though, that's the down side for being good

This however would probably be unbalancing.

You mean, I shouldn't be able to steal HyperWarp? What's the point of defeating a 'saintly' race, then?



~SDC~

No, you should be able to steal Hyperwarp, but if you're a decent sort of fellow you shouldn't be able to utilize an evil technology. It should be harder to be good, _arguably_ as it is in real life. However, maybe acquiring an evil tech should reveal a counter-technology for good-aligned civilizations?

End transmission.

~SDC~

how do you build the life force??? i have had the dark side for a while now and don't have that option to build it in my social list. am i doing something wrong?

any help would be appreciated!

The Life Force is a galactic wonder (only 1 allowed in the galaxy). Could it be that one of the other civs already has built it?

~SDC~

gee i don't know. how would i check to see which one built it? and what is the property of it?

To be honest, I don't really know. Usually you get a pop-up message when another civ has completed a wonder or trade good, but apart from that I don't know how to tell (other than accidentally invading the planet it's on).

It boosts your economy by 25% by the way. Not just the planet, but your entire economy AFAIK.

~SDC~

I dont think evil races should be able to use ALL the good techs. Expecialy the trade and Diplo ones.
Benevolence for instance.

I also think alignment-restricted techs should be restricted by the alignment, not only at research-time. Matter of fact, I would also like that you can't buy a tech if you don't have or buy the prerequisites too (think: how can I build battleships if I don't know what a deflector, phaser or shield is).
Not that these are big issues.

I agree with RayChua post #5 with one small reservation. Not all good techs should be available to an evil race because there are some things a truly evil race would not do. Some should be available for use in a deceitful way.

I'd like to see Smuggling tech change (is it an official tech in 1.0.4 now?). Instead of another trade route, I'd like to see it retain one trade route when you're at war. Now that's evil.

What about forms of goverment? I find it rather odd that my Evil race has a "star federation." Going by human history it would show that 99% of the evil empires were dictatorships. I believe there should be evil forms of goverments.
[Message Edited]

Buying techs ahead of your research abilities should not be an issue... (buying Dreadnought plans before you have frigates...or what have you) but actually producing Dreadnoughts should not be a possibility until you research/acquire the pre-requisites to Dreadnoughts...

I don't know. 'Good' has used weapons in our own history that would be considered evil. Shouldn't it be the applications that modify your standing vs. your standing preventing you from attempting? That sounds more exciting (how it is) as you are constantly tempted to develop/use evil technologies.

Just a thought!

Oron; I agree with you.

For what its worth, I think both sides should be able to trade for each other's techs.

However, the applications could be slightly different; for example, the life force wonder could provide less benefit for good civilizations, reflecting that for the good civilization, going into it is voluntary, not compulsory.

Evil civs should be able to use Benevolence -and I really don't think it should be handicapped for them, either...-. I mean, there are tons and tons of charismatic evil people who pretend to be benevolent. They are not innately so, but they CAN *learn* how to act that way to reach their own diabolical ends.

Really though, you could rationalize for all of the techs;

For the good civilization using the life force wonder, you could say that society has progressed enough that people care about the common good to the point where they are willing to sacrifice their lifes in the generator rather than simply rotting away in the ground.

P.S. Where is your name from?

P.P.S: What exactly do those random event 'artifacts' do? The ones that grant the fortunate AI *but never the player, not even if he conquers the AI, d'oh,* 'ever increasing power'.

I often play neutral, but sometimes I have no choice but to build terror stars and wipe out my stronger foes.

I think building a terror star should drop your alignment a bit. USING a terror star should drop you to instant evil!

Having the tech is one thing, using it, quite another!

TFM

~SDC~

Nothing wrong with being an Evil Federation. Plenty of evil federations out there.

~SDC~