RTGRuss Posted August 13, 2003 Report Share Posted August 13, 2003 Hello All, We are going to be taking a close look at trade mechanics. Specifically, the current ability to set up a trading colony on another empire's homeworld by bringing in a colonial beacon and then having that empire transfer population into that pop group (thereby making them your population and giving you the ability to construct items from your tech base at that colony). This is not the only way to trade although this method is the easiest mechanic for doing so. The ability to trade is a basic design goal of the game and that will not be changing. Trading with your neighbors will always be an option that you should consider. Is is possible, however, that this particular mechanic makes things too easy and it may well open a pandora's box of abuse and game imbalance. Accordingly, we are going to put it under the microscope. There has already been some discussion of this topic and I don't want to see this degenerate into an argument here on the boards. If you have any comments you'd like to add to the process, pro or con, please send them in an email to me (Russ) and we'll take those comments into account. Pete and I will look at the mechanic in detail, crunching the numbers and taking into account information that we have on this end, and make a decision for the next turn cycle (Aug 27th). Our decision will be based on what it good for the game, both now and in the long run. Take care & good gaming! Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ur Lord Tedric Posted August 13, 2003 Report Share Posted August 13, 2003 In that case, dear, wonderful, everso friendly GMs of ours As the Research system is so closely allied to the concept of trading - your design.... Could I, pretty please, on behalf of several others, ask that, with a year's experience, you also look at the mathematics of Research Centres? Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RTGRuss Posted August 13, 2003 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2003 One thing at a time please They are related but there are a lot of other factors at work as well. Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SargonKingOfSlith Posted August 14, 2003 Report Share Posted August 14, 2003 I wouldn't want to see this degenerate into an argument either, in fact I think there has already been plenty of discussion on this topic. I have confidence that you will do what's best. My two bits: I think game balance is more important than any sort of simulated realism in this matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Locklyn Posted August 14, 2003 Report Share Posted August 14, 2003 Yes of course balance is important but there should be more incentive to wanting to trade than to giving or receiving ship components most of which are offensive or defensive in nature!? /Locklyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadowKitsune Posted August 14, 2003 Report Share Posted August 14, 2003 Does this mean the Player-to-Player Diplomacy Order is going to available after this turn cycle? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EternusIV Posted August 14, 2003 Report Share Posted August 14, 2003 Russ- As long as I know the population ID# on the target world, I can have full access to the stockpiles therein via OC and LC, right? I hope thats how it works. Taht would make trading very easy and even open up the concept of Plunder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadowKitsune Posted August 14, 2003 Report Share Posted August 14, 2003 Arr! Plunder! Now the Piraty races have something to Pirate ... Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Rum ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ur Lord Tedric Posted August 14, 2003 Report Share Posted August 14, 2003 Eternus, As long as you know the Pop Gp ID# you can OC or TR to it, but you cannot LC from it, unless it's yours. I prayed to the gods and they answered! I'm also afraid that I think I was one of the early ones to work out how easy trading could have been if you trusted one another and just popped down Colonial Beacon and let the HW owner do all the work........... But I'm glad it's being fixed. If I get really disgruntled I might give up and start again as a Pirate, just to see what happens. Perhaps a pirate funded and supplied by others! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EternusIV Posted August 14, 2003 Report Share Posted August 14, 2003 "you cannot LC from it, unless it's yours" SHUCKS! You mean I have to go in there with ground troops after all? :lol: Nah makes perfect sense So - how if I'm orbiting your homeworld and I sned you an email saying..."ok I wont blast you to smithereens if you give me all of your Black Market Goods" Do I have to land A COLB to pick up the goods? Or can they transfer tem directly to my fleet? It just seems like there should be an easy way to transfer itmes from a fleet to another player's pop group and vice versa. I'm all for less orders....but I suppose its just 1 COLB order diff? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lugal Posted August 14, 2003 Report Share Posted August 14, 2003 I'm not to confy about lettting somebody put a CB on my homeworld. Maybe a colony would work for me. What about an order that is sort of an escrow. IE: player x orders that 1000 trucks be traded to player y when player y has 1000 barb wire to trade to player x when pop group z has the 1000 barb wire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EternusIV Posted August 14, 2003 Report Share Posted August 14, 2003 Hehe I can see it now, Lugal: 1) Player A allows Player B to land a COLB on Player A's homeworld because player B and A have agreed to trade 10,000 Imrpoved Goods of a different variety; 2) On the next turn after the COLB, Player B Offloads his Improved goods......and..........10-20 Ground Units! Followed by a GATK! Some trade, eh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadowKitsune Posted August 15, 2003 Report Share Posted August 15, 2003 Personally, I would prefer it if you actually have to ship things from world to world. It actually makes being a Pirate nation worth something more than whatever nebulous bonuses you get for that government choice. Not to mention it makes trade a larger investment than a colony beacon and a ship to carry it, you'll have to invest resources into Merchant ships instead of Warships. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurassier Posted August 15, 2003 Report Share Posted August 15, 2003 Hey, I'm all for trade, and as for piracy, I guess if you sent in some Rum first....., well at least I wouldn't care as much about the lost cargo ship. The CB on the HW maybe just a player preference, as for me, NOBODY, would be allowed to drop a CB on my HW, as I would consider that a Declaration of War. Kinda like the Poles/Germans and the airmail bag incident..... I'm for game balance as well as variety. I'm not tooo worried about the realism thing, after all, I'm a bunch of spacefaring sea otters!! How realistic is that! I trust Pete and Russ will make a decision that is best for the Game as a whole, and if that changes my plans/designs, oh well! Actually, I'll probably jump up and down and complain and moan about it for awhile, then realize there is nada I can do, and except it and move on. I'll then work on finding a way around it. Sabeli Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clan Elder 'Keen Posted August 15, 2003 Report Share Posted August 15, 2003 I am inclined to approach the issue in two ways: 1) Population units should not be freely given to another empire. I am all for inter-empire trade, but lets do it with colony fleets (to create co-homesystem colonies), cargo fleets (to cross-deliver goods), or advanced tech to replace either or both of the above. Investment. 2) To compensate for the counter tactic of setting up a large colony and then allowing a trade partner to invade it, I would like to see a fleshed-out political system. The political stance with other empires would have real consequences, such as automatic fleet engagement triggers or the ability/inability to transfer cargo to alien colonies. A hostile act such as subjagating a colony would impact the political stance negatively, and then hinder the trade process. Consequence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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