Post by jackofools on Feb 24, 2011 0:42:54 GMT -5
I think it would be cool to let your captain forge alliances. For example, if your captain is "Hero" ranked with two factions you have the option of "Propose Alliance" at the Palace, and you can propose an alliance with another faction, and then you go to that faction and propose the same Alliance and then it happens. Then you could work towards an "Allied Syndicates" "Houses Alliance" where all three Syndicates/Clans are allied with each other, then possibly a "Quadrant Alliance" where the individual factions are allowed some leeway (like more spy battles and embargos, but no wars since everyone is supposed to get along, even though there will still be squabbles) but are allied to better manage the scarce resources in the Quadrant, and better fight the growing alien menace. This would ultimately result in more resources to be found (due, ostensibly, to the greater cooperative efforts to discover resources) but also fewer shortages and surpluses, meaning that while things are more plentiful, its also harder to make a buck since everyone is getting their needs met. So the gameplay turns to more domestic (or subtle) interactions, and there is little room for piracy since with the alliance, any action against one faction is against them all now. You could even expand the number of green space squares as more frequent trade between factions results in safer spacing lanes.
Along a similar line, it would be cool if you could control more than one ship. You could limit the number of the ships based on some metric; say for every point of Charisma or Strength you can command ships equaling ten hull points, or twenty crew, over as many ships as you like. So at the start of the game, if you have 10 Charisma and Strength, you can command 200 hull points worth of ship, or 400 total crew. Then you pick whether to command a handful of smaller attack vessels, or one or two large battleships/merchant vessels. Battle could be largely the same but on a grid instead of just linear, hell I could draw you pictures of what the interface could look like. In my head it looks almost the same, but instead of seeing the ships stats always at the bottom, the buttons are at the bottom and the rest of the screen is a grid, like the galaxy map. If you want to see a specific ship's stats, click on it like a planet on the galaxy map, and they will pop up. Cargo could be handled in aggregate, instead of on a ship-by-ship basis, and while each ship would have its individual stats, repairs and crew recruiting would be done in aggregate as well, spread evenly among ships in need. So if you have four ships, and two need sails, you have to buy solar sails in pairs until both are repaired, or only one needs repairs. Also, while you have the option of controlling more ships, there are more crews to keep morale up for, so entertainments and spice cost more, as will ordinary expenses like fuel and repairs. So there would still be a reason to stick with one ship, since its really hard to intimidate people on another ship, and you could even risk losing whole ships if morale drops low enough, making the concept of many ships one to consider carefully.
Lastly I think it would be cool to have some upgrades tied into artifacts. For example, if you bring X number of artifacts into play (via discovery or taking from ships, whatever) at one location, you can get special upgrades/ship designs based on research done on these advanced alien technologies; similar to the Titan Engines or Advanced Reactors. And if you bring enough artifacts to one faction, the repairs on these adapted technologies become cheaper and easier to obtain, making it worth your while to only deal with one or two factions when selling off your artifacts. On the flip side, since nobody likes to share, other factions could actually charge MORE (or not repair at all) since the newer technology is harder to get than even alien artifacts as only one faction has them, and they aren't just lying around to be found by anyone.
Kind of a big dump of ideas, I know. I've been mulling this over while I play, trying to be really complete in the ideas I present, and have in-game reasons for them. You actually incorporate ideas that people request a lot, so I wanted to be specific. Plus you seem to like having a counterpoint to powerful bonuses (either achievement requirements or availability problems or faction related consequences) so I tried to think along those lines and suggest things. If I had to pick just one, though, it would be the multiple ships idea. Thats my favorite. You should really put that one in. *hands and knees*
Along a similar line, it would be cool if you could control more than one ship. You could limit the number of the ships based on some metric; say for every point of Charisma or Strength you can command ships equaling ten hull points, or twenty crew, over as many ships as you like. So at the start of the game, if you have 10 Charisma and Strength, you can command 200 hull points worth of ship, or 400 total crew. Then you pick whether to command a handful of smaller attack vessels, or one or two large battleships/merchant vessels. Battle could be largely the same but on a grid instead of just linear, hell I could draw you pictures of what the interface could look like. In my head it looks almost the same, but instead of seeing the ships stats always at the bottom, the buttons are at the bottom and the rest of the screen is a grid, like the galaxy map. If you want to see a specific ship's stats, click on it like a planet on the galaxy map, and they will pop up. Cargo could be handled in aggregate, instead of on a ship-by-ship basis, and while each ship would have its individual stats, repairs and crew recruiting would be done in aggregate as well, spread evenly among ships in need. So if you have four ships, and two need sails, you have to buy solar sails in pairs until both are repaired, or only one needs repairs. Also, while you have the option of controlling more ships, there are more crews to keep morale up for, so entertainments and spice cost more, as will ordinary expenses like fuel and repairs. So there would still be a reason to stick with one ship, since its really hard to intimidate people on another ship, and you could even risk losing whole ships if morale drops low enough, making the concept of many ships one to consider carefully.
Lastly I think it would be cool to have some upgrades tied into artifacts. For example, if you bring X number of artifacts into play (via discovery or taking from ships, whatever) at one location, you can get special upgrades/ship designs based on research done on these advanced alien technologies; similar to the Titan Engines or Advanced Reactors. And if you bring enough artifacts to one faction, the repairs on these adapted technologies become cheaper and easier to obtain, making it worth your while to only deal with one or two factions when selling off your artifacts. On the flip side, since nobody likes to share, other factions could actually charge MORE (or not repair at all) since the newer technology is harder to get than even alien artifacts as only one faction has them, and they aren't just lying around to be found by anyone.
Kind of a big dump of ideas, I know. I've been mulling this over while I play, trying to be really complete in the ideas I present, and have in-game reasons for them. You actually incorporate ideas that people request a lot, so I wanted to be specific. Plus you seem to like having a counterpoint to powerful bonuses (either achievement requirements or availability problems or faction related consequences) so I tried to think along those lines and suggest things. If I had to pick just one, though, it would be the multiple ships idea. Thats my favorite. You should really put that one in. *hands and knees*
