Game Improvements - TA and Futre GalCiv3

from GalCiv2 Forums
Yep I agree with you there, 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 ti 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.
ideas
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Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
As I stated in the other thread I like these ideas and think they should be given serious consideration. However it is to late for additional features for TA. Let hope they are added toe the GC3 list.
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I have a bunch of ideas that I have for Galciv III. I know I am a little long winded, but please read these! These are from my old posts:

New Idea for farming:
In DA, it has become a major pain for players to use that big 300% farming tile, because the morale on that planet plumets. If you do build a farm there you soon realise that building a factory over that pristine land would be the best move. Now, to the idea:

I think farming should be a minable resource, like asteroids. Like any real resource, they need to be stored and distributed to other worlds. Instead of making a farm destroy your morale, the morale would go up because they are not in famine and food is cheap. You could also give it to other race to use if they are on hard times, for money ofcourse. Thus giving you a new way to make needed money.(Or anything else you want from another race). Galciv2 even has a random event where your planet has a famine, but it's mostly an alignment event sadly. Since spies are in the game, you could steal food and use it for yourself. (hehe, laugh at your enemies starving). If food were a stockable resource it has much more potential than being just a morale tradeoff for population.
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BIG Idea For Planets
To me planets in Galciv2 also don't have the thrill of adventure. The colony rush for many is a very annoying part of the game. Getting beat to a planet by Lord Konna by one turn can be a bit of a doozy.

They also don't have depth to them. They might have a production tile and a morale, but they don't have a personality. For example, a radioactive planet doesn't have any penalties to the population growth or have any way to defend against the radiation. (Ofcourse, I don't know that entirely as "Advanced Radioactive Colonization" is a little vague)

I suggest that planets have multiple layers. planets in Galciv2 seem to have only one layer, the top soil where you build your empire. The lower layers seem to be discarded for some reason. For example Europa looks icy and cold on it's top layer, but it may harbor a living, habitable ocean underneath it's surface. In Galciv2 you would most likely see this as a class 0 planet. Which to me is a poor description of a rare object in the universe.

Perhaps Galciv2 could have scanners to scan the lower layers of a planet and colonize the inner levels. In fact, that would add a new twist to the colony rush.

"You find a class 10 planet that looks good on the top, but you also see a class 0 planet that could possibly be a class 20 underneath its surface. You dismiss the class 0. So, you take no risks and go to the pretty class 10 and land on it's surface immediately. Soon after, you find out that the planet has an unstable core and has frequent earthquakes, making it almost immpossible for civilized living. You pack up and head towards the class 0 planet and scan under its pockmarked surface to find out if it is has a suitable atmosphere under its surface. After three weeks of intensive scanning, you find out that it has a paradise deep underneath its surface that is kept warm by the upper mantle. Since the colony ship does not have the proper tools, you must reverse engineer some of your equipment to get underneath, not a big step. Once you get there you find that the world is very much alive and you colonize the planet. The planet is is much better than any class 10 planet."

A little story I cooked up, but this does not apply to the colony rush either. In times of war the enemy would have to scan every planet to find you, and when they did it would be hard to get you.(Depending how deep you are) The planets could have alot of underground terrains that could be utilized, such as: lava, toxic, acidic, and water. Thus making it harder to invade and find you. Espionage would also gain from this, as you could spy on the enemy while they are unaware. Planet hopping could be used too, the enemy would have to scan the same planet multiple times to make sure you didn't come back to the same place. Basically, this would benefit nearly all the elements of Galciv2.(Plus give it a little thril of exploration)

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Enemy Technology Tree: *(My all time favorite)*


In Galciv2 (and DA), you can get all of the enemy technology information. You can see what techs they have. But they have a huge confusing list to list the techs. Will there be any tech tree to show what techs they have? That would be a big help to my spying and to keep tabs on the enemy's plans.

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A thought of 'special' races: (My second all time favorite)

The Borg, the Flood(from Halo), and Species 8472...what do they have in common? They have no need for money.

So, in dark avatar, I thought of making these guys a custom race in the future, but that one thing was bugging me. I think you should be able to take these guys a step further in dark avatar by replacing money with resources and getting extra revenue(resources), but would have no trade or UP votes. A major choice with a big advantage and draw back.

It just seems unrealistic to have races that have no need for money to have it and trade it.


Retrospect:^Weren't the Yor suppose to have no morale?
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For all of those who read all of this, I salute you! :CONGRAT: 
Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
i have a couple small ideas for galciv3 (obviously since TA is already out)

well one is since i like to think of my custom race going through a hudge story i think instead of just "megaevents" they should add like someting called "microevents" (stardock should prob come up with a better name lol) where it only effects your civilization so your race we be like in a civil war because of things like ethical allignements (which is already kind of in TA) or between poilitical parties if you they only have like 1-6% off from yours or they have the majority. but the other races of the galaxy understand your in a civil war and the ones who dont like your reign will support the "rebels" i guess you could call them. i dunno im pretty sure brad and the team could come up with a lot of other events probably way better ones im just gonna try to skim through my explinations though.

another idea is when i make a race you should have the option of making them synthetic, humanoid, insectoid or wtv cuz i remember playing with the thalan tech tree with the super hive ability and i thought that if im a bug race that should affect my government what, ppl think of me, and maybe i should have like organic ships instead of metal ones. each category should have strengths and weaknesses like insectoids have weaker ships but can produce them faster and my soldiers are better hand to hand since bugs evolve faster than humans or many other species.

i dunno im kind of tired of typing lol so those are just a couple of ideas i havent read about yet