22 replies to this topic

[EternusIV]

In my opinion, the overall design is really beginning to gel. This game is becoming more enjoyable with each turn. Looking back, all the development it takes up to the point of interesting and meaningful contact, is well worth it.

Kudos to the GMs for a good design thus far

[PhaseDragon]

The only thing that I can say about the galaxy while not really knowing anything is that without some amazing gate technology advancement the path to your most hated enemy may be through several unimportant neighbors. While I believe this may be somewhat realistic in our concept of time/space I would hate to never be able to go directly to the homeworld of the guy I really want to fight.

The old co-ordinate system was probably too much information since location 15,87,4 was the exact position for everyone in the game and anyone with a great spy network could essentially map enemy space without ever going there himself. With the warp tunnel system there are limited places which you may travel to.

Hopefully, after better engines are discovered we could open up more warp tunnels which lead to further distances. And of course there is the rumour of gates....a direct connection from point A to B. Not really a rumour per say but just so far off technologically as to make it virtually conjecture. I have had explore finds regarding planetary cargo gates and the like so I know that they will someday exist....just what to research to get there is the mystery. When someone does actually find the research path it will be more monumental than the Transwarp drive.

The moral...patience is required to play this game. Don't worry be mappy!

[octagon999]

Doesnt it depend on what you consider slow or fast, or which aspect?

I think research is fine, its just the turnaround I would like to see speeded up.

I think the game is fine as is.

[The Boo Consulate]

The game is meant to be long term. I think we will soon see an explosion of activity as folks solidify local alliances and then start demanding rather than offering concessions from those they meet. This is of course uncivilized, but such is the life of spacefarers.

I think there may be tech down the road that allows us to go directly to another person's home system. For the time being, the warp system creates natural conduits of trade and promotes diplomacy and raiding. It makes for good player interaction I think. The game is balanced in that long term cooperation is better for all, but short term theft is even better for a few. How like life.

Shane

[Ixitixl]

The Boo Consulate, on May 25 2004, 09:04 AM, said:

The game is meant to be long term. I think we will soon see an explosion of activity as folks solidify local alliances and then start demanding rather than offering concessions from those they meet. This is of course uncivilized, but such is the life of spacefarers.

I think there may be tech down the road that allows us to go directly to another person's home system. For the time being, the warp system creates natural conduits of trade and promotes diplomacy and raiding. It makes for good player interaction I think. The game is balanced in that long term cooperation is better for all, but short term theft is even better for a few. How like life.

Shane

I agree with the Boo Consulate. I also believe that there is tech that will allow use to create faster routes to other systems. My explorers discovered Stable Wormhole Construction technology on an EXPL mission, now I just have to discover the prerequisites for that...

[SargonKingOfSlith]

I'm not sure what you mean by this.

If you are asking about the 2 week turn around time:
I spend about 4 evenings per turn working on this, and that's really a little too much. I won't devote any more time to playing a game.

If you are asking about the pace of research and empire expansion:
It seems a little slow to me. But on the other hand I am a patient person, and I can wait for things to develope. I enjoy the level of detailed control, especially in the production process. A faster pace would probably make my head explode from the added work required to keep up.


The conclusion is that I like the pace the way it is. I don't want a faster turn around time, because that would take time away from NFL season , weekends at the lake , house and yardwork , the Sopranos and Deadwood , movies ...
I don't want a slower turn around time because that would make progress in research and expansion of my empire even slower. Faster progress in research would only be acceptible if production were simplified.

So just leave things the way they are. That suits me.

[Ur Lord Tedric]

On the other subject, I'd be a bit sad if there were sudden changes to the movement system. I don't really see the problem with the way it is.....

I've fully explored the possible effects of Transwarp Drives and the advent of higher thrust engines.

Even at the present levels of technology reached by a race with no SRP (ie Turn 40 for the Star League), it is now possible to reach even a neighbour's HW (assuming 8-10 systems) for trade purposes within just a single turn. With a trading post between you, you get a complete round trip within one turn and this makes regular turn by turn trade exchange easy to organise.

The next level of engines is even within sight (albeit 40 turns away!) and has been reached by some players! This would double the 'speed' once again. At that rate the galaxy becomes ever smaller.

In game - it rather concerns me that people are assuming they have an enemy they've never met and want some easy way of attacking them. That smacks of 'cheating' far more than almost anything else I've seen discussed......

What possible reason would an empire have to attack someone they've never met? More, this would provide yet another potential mechanism for pre-game allies, good buddies and even your second/third/fourth empires to meet up....

Now, if Stable Wormhole Construction allows Planetary Gates to allow Transportation Centres to pass stuff to neighbouring systems, then that makes a little more logical and reasonable sense....IMHO Without disrupting the entire and rather pleasantly mature game movement mechanism.......

Regards

Chief Planner to Ur-Lord Tedric

[PhaseDragon]

Wanting to attack someone who you haven't met "in-game" is indeed slightly less than role-playing, but the reality is that there are going to be alliances formed and members will need to defend each other. In that regard it is not unrealistic that messages could be passed along through the alliance by the diplomats of those empires relating the position of the enemy. There is a message order in the game which is also unrealistic should you decide to pick a random empire number and send a message. In fact, there are a number of rules that are beyond the scope of accurate role-playing. That doesn't necessarily mean that people are always going to exploit them beyond their intended purpose. I will concede, however, that some will. That is a question of morality and not game mechanics. I have no moral high ground in this regard as I have cheated in games before and I am not preaching now. Suffice to say that I would just like to be able to attack the dreaded slime ball that attacked my buddy that joined the game with me for the glory of the Phoenix Alliance.

[Azuth]

Gentlemen, allow me to answer this. Here is a list the reasons why WE would attack someone we've never met.

1 - We are warriors and combat IS our way of life
2 - Every ship we encounter that is destroyed, is one less we have to worry about
3 - Every colony and HW we conquer make us more powerful
4 - Those that we know exist are always a threat and those threats need to be extinguished
5 - Those that we let live, we allow only because it serves our purpose
6 - It is the will of our goddess Lloth; and the main reason is
7 - WE ARE DROW!

I hope this clears things up and answers your question.

[MadMartinB]

Queen A -

It would require you getting out of your home system for these nefarious plans to be put into place. We prefer a friendlier way of just "chatting" with out neighbors. The Mindsphere have come to love our weekly fireside "chats".

[EternusIV]

LOL

With the Spawn I'm still trying to colonize all the great worlds I've found and look at trading with neighbors. Might as well maximize my species design.

With the BTC - I'm looking to trade with neighbors (I dont want to force pushups upon my oodles of whimpy humanoid merchants) Again - try to maximize empire design.

I'm looking forward to a new race of gigantic carnivorous telepathic worms heavily slanted toward ground combat for a possible third empire and I would enjoy playing them aggressively.

[Azuth]

Quote

Queen A -

It would require you getting out of your home system for these nefarious plans to be put into place.

Trust me...we are out there...and soon our plans will be put into place. < :lol: evil laughter>

[T'Aleen Empire]

Hmm as I watch the pounding surf on the beach, and watch a stone tossed up on the beach only to be pounded by the surf over time to be reduced to a pebble and further into sand itself. One has to wonder about the course of ones empire within this game and which choices to make.

There are so many choices, and with each one sets in motion many different events and developements that have long reaching effects to the future.

I guess all I can say is happy gaming!!!

[MadMartinB]

Lord T'Aleen -

We would propose that you have too much free time if you are watching rocks being ground into sand. Perhaps a "fireside chat" would be encouraging and help you focus on the greater Eyre good.

[T'Aleen Empire]

Dear Speaker of the Eyre beings,

The 'T'Aleen Citizens' known as the race called the FAE or aka...Snow Elves to be specific are a very long lived race. Now I the 'T'Aleen Empire's' spokesmen am know as First Citizen 'Tyean Corrella' and we view everything from the perspective of the ages of time and space. We take the time to examine the small things, I bet you'd be surprised at what you might find if you slowed down and took the time to re-examine some things more closely.