Stuff I would like to see in GalCiv

Just thought of one other really, really needed item -> right now when you direct more ships to a planet than it's starport can support they seem to just disappear. no warning, no nothing. how about a warning saying that ships on course to planet X would make this exceed the limit (or better yet, just don't have them go into orbit but bounce instead like transports or constructors or miners do when they can not get to their respective destinations?

Wow, I never noticed that before. I rarely fill up starports though. I would agree that implementation of your idea would be a good thing.

That would be called a bug, and you should report it so that it can be fixed .

EDIT: Though i myself can't seem to replicate this.

actually, sorry, that one I think happened in my first couple cakewalk games with the Yor... in DA not in TA.

another item (gameplay)... on the research screen show the actual numbers (base) like in the shipyard design screen for each item made available by the research - ie weapon class show the damage and size defense class show the defense and size - and same for buildings which are made avail by research items show what the building actually does like what you see in the planet screens - if this is a storyline thing where you do not want to reveal it (somewhat absurd since you _can_ see the whole tech tree - hmmm fog of war tech tree now that is an interesting idea if you throw in some random twists and turns) then maybe you could at least do it for just the items that are next up on the research tree?

another item... in the spirit of the race designs on the game start screen where picking AI how 'bout showing what the AI levels actually mean (bonuses, ai features, etc like indicated on the wiki page)? might be extended to some of the other selections.

I'd throw in this one:

Allow the lists of items to be traded (i.e. Technologies, ships, planets) to be expanded (using an expand window button) temporarily.

The issue here is that I often find I want to trade something, but that finding the specific item I want to trade in the list is very annoying to do (particularly if I want to do various trades in succession, where the lists re-set to the top).

This functionality would allow players to click a button, at which point the list of technologies, ships etc. would temporarily (until a minimise button was clicked) expand to fill the entire vertical area of the players side of the screen, to facilitate finding items without extensive scrolling.

Personally, I'd love to see this in the TA expansion (then again, I have no idea how long it would take to code - I'd guess not long since it could re-use code for similar functionality already in other areas of the game, then again, it might not

Any thoughts?

Franbo

actually, I can see I am a bit of a noob at this. previously i commented about the military ai however that was in a small map game against mostly the iconians who never for some reason bothered researching enough weapon techs. now i am playing on the biggest map late into the game and man, those ai ships and fleets are tough.

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one thing i am noting is that my few large ships just do not seem to stack up against the hordes of tiny ships the ai uses.

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if anyone has noticed in TA on the higher missile techs you at least can attack a gazillion times with one ship against a large fleet of small ships, however i clearly do not understand something about the attack and defense and how it works in a fleet context.

Alpha Centauri had a lot of good features and keyboard short cuts that GC2 would benefit from, particularly the "go to" destination.

There are few improvements i`d like to see in the interface and the game play, but i doubt we will see them in the TA update. Would be nice to see some of the non - agressive game play options beefed up, as it can get a little too Invade & conquer oriented.

1. Would be nice to see which "tech & remaining weeks to discovery" you are currently researching when in the "Colony Management" view screen for each planet... this way you can cycle through your planets whilst altering the "military, social and research" spending and get instant feedback on how this will effect the "discovery" speed of thecurrent tech. Also include the "current tech" being researched in the "Civilisation Manager - Colonies" screen... so that you get quick feed back on how your "spending" decisions, effect the research time to the next "discovery".

2. Ship Experience: Would be nice to see this included with the other ship information when you click on a ship(appears on the right in the main galaxy window). Otherwise you have to double click on each ship to get a separate "pop-up" window to fins the info.

3. Espionage: All though this has been improved under DA, there is still plenty of scope for improved game play options as in Alpha Centauri. Some of these options would only appear if you have "researched" further up a spy-espionage tree. Thus, when you place your spy on an enemy planet, you would have a choice of options, dependant on your "spy tech level".
Options could include:
Sabotage - Military / Social / Research / Economic (with an option to destroy, delay, disrupt, assasinate scientists etc.

Steal: Techs, Money, Research Points, Influence points

Blame another "race": set up another race for your deeds.

Reduce Morale or take over planet: Have to be big credit cost, low % chance of success, require highest "spy tech level" to attempt. Option of an Espionage Module for "Influence SS", would improve % chance of Espionage if fitted and enemy planet was within sphere of influence.

The more damaging choices would have a lower % of success or higher chance of capture etc. The higher your "spy tech" level the higher the chance of you succeeding. You could add a financial cost fee against some of the options and / or pay a fee to recover your spy after "an operation". If you choose not to, you loose your spy if you are successful or not. Should be an option to make a clean getaway (for a fee) or try to blame another race (% chance of being caught doing this etc.. for which there should be serious consequences for the "Spies race" ie: Fines, Loss of influence, loss of treaties, Diplomatic loss, WAR.

Not sure how the AI would play the "Spy options", but it would make fun gameplay for the human player. The "Spy - sub tree" levels would have to be quite expencive to research, so both AI & human player would have to consider how much they want to expend on gaining espionage options.

4. Survey: Currently, anomalies and space junk provide the human player a big boost in the game. Would be nice to tone the "bonuses" down a little or make the bonuses better but harder to gain IE: Introduce a "Survey" subtree off the Sensor Tech tree, which you have to research to unlock / discover some of the Anomalies/SpaceJunk in the game. Prior to research the anomalies/space junk carnt be surveyed/unlocked or may be even seen on the screen? But once researched (improved/advanced survey module fitted) they can be surveyed/unlocked with a bigger/better bonus/tech discovery etc.
This could also apply to "pre-cursor" tiles on planets. (A bit like the "terraforming" tiles options).
If you research to the highest level in the "survey sub tree" you could have access to a "Planetary/Galaxy tech building" that once built, unlocks/discovers/provides bonus "pre-cursor" tile/s and/or technology or space ship etc or major pre-cursor "Galactic Achievement" that could reshape the game if you or your enemy discover it on their planet.
As with the espionage, the "survey tech tree" would be expencive to research, but might prove a worthwhile option, depending on your game play. It stops the game becoming mainly an invade / conquer strategy.
I wouldnt think this would be too hard to code into the game

5. Planetary Resources: This is an option i would like added to the game.
At the moment, we colonise or conquer new planets, improve their PQ, terraform, build up populations and construct ships, buildings, research techs. Apart from planetary moral, there is no impact on the planet.
I would like to see the planets resources dwindle, or polution or production decrease over time unless you research a sub tree of "Planetary Improvements". This would have a big impact on the game, as you would be left with the choice of "stripping" a planet bare of its resources as quickly as possible, before it decreases in PQ or "resources" or you choose to reduce "production- research" to increase the longevity of the planet etc. By introducing planetary resources into the game, players could use various options of play ( this could involve Race Modifiers, as some races are less industrial, militaristic or destructive). You would be left with the option of husbanding your planets existing resources or researching "ECO-techs" to increase/improve/recycle or extend your planets PQ/resources or conquering more planets in order to maintain your Races expansion.
Each planet could have a variable amount of resources (choice in game options)which the player may or may not know about (might have to research tech to have an accurate idea of PR (planetary resources)). The PR would then decline dependant on some of the variables i have outlined above. Eventually, without any action on the players part, the planet would exhaust its PR or become too polluted or toxic to produce any thing as well as support/feed/water the population etc.
So it could come as a shock that your PQ 18 Planet that you have built up suddenly starts turning into a toxic dustbin! (And looks like it from space etc).
Alternatively, the "Survey" tech tree outined in Para 4 "Survey" might unlock or discover "pre-cursor" technology or a pre-cursor building tile that can reverse/halt or improve your planet's "PR" state. So if your spies find out that another race has discovered or has built/building a "PR" project/tech/building you may wish to intervene, invade, steal, sabotage etc..


Like i said above, all the ideas included from para 1 through 5 are ideas for improving
and extending gameplay. Some might not be practical or achievable, but I would like to think that there is scope for some of the ideas to be considered or improved upon. For those that havent played Alpha Centauri, take a look, its still a very good game and a lot of the game play in GC2 can be traced back to it.

Would like to see some cute scene "bells & whistles" when you invent-discover-build major galactic or planatery achievements. They had them in Alpha Centauri and they added a great deal of polish to the game. With the power of todays PCs, im sure a few cut scenes wouldnt be too difficult to "render", but would add a sense of achievement when it "plays".

Careful. Some people insist that large maps with lots of planets is 'teh EZmodez' You'll disillusion them.

To be perfectly honest, most of these things can already be done with the current espionage system.

Want to hurt them economically? Hit their Markets (or Influence Buildings if your map is small enough for Tourism to matter). Want to "assassinate" their researchers? Place agents on buildings that Produce research. You get the idea.

It would be nice, however, if there was someway hamper relations via Agents.


No thanks, all Anomalies need is for the AI to build more survey ships to take better advantage of them. Same with the bonus tiles.



Both would be nice. Something you might want to bring up again for the 2.0 patch.

Well, if we are talking wishlist, then here we go:

Planetary Invasion. I really dont like the idea that I can take a Transport that is 1 mile long and 1 mile wide and cram 1 Billion People on it and invade another planet. Not to mention the idea of taking 1/10 of the population of an entire planet, giving them a gun and telling them to kill the entire population of another planet.

I would like to see conquering instead. The idea is that you build troops on a planet. Your planet would also have a militia. Still you could reinforce your planet with more troops. I like the idea of MOO2 having the planetary troops upgrade with time. First it was simple soldiers then tanks then BattleMech style units. Invasion battle would be resolved before hand like it does now.

IF the invader wins he would inherit the full population, (minus orbital bombardment penalties) and have to station troops to win the peace and have convert these people over to his empire. I also like the idea of invading a planet that used to belong to an alliance member and liberating the world.

MOO2 Population modifiers were interesting too. The fact that you could have a world with different population types and these different populations gave you different bonuses on that planet.


Still that is a LOT of overhead, most likely something saved for GalCiv 3