Multiplayer games

[aegisx]

I've only played a couple of PBW games, but it seems that the expand as fast as possible and build loads of research is a bit too effective of a tactic.

I was thinking that increasing the maintenance cost of colonies might be a way to slow things down. They would force a player to build extraction facilities, rather than colony ships and research labs.

[Suicide Junkie]

At the moment, GGmod is a bit too far on the other side of that I think... I'm planning to boost resource production.

The nifty thing is that the maintenance costs are unrelated to the build cost, but rather match the descriptions. They're quite high too.

For example, you have a cheap hydrocarbon power plant, which takes up 500 space, and burns 500 organics to produce 500-1000 energy (depending on tech level)

Mineral mines soak up organics for the workers pretty fast.

And greenhouses use up lots of energy (offset by the number of stars)

The more efficient resource extraction facilities like fusion power plants cost a lot of time to build.

[aegisx]

It seems populations really don't use much in the way of resources. Upping these values seems like it would make resources be a part of the game. Right now, they don't seem to be much of a limiting factor.

[aegisx]

In fact, populations do not use minerals or radioactives.

[GuyOfDoom]

I believe resources are only not limiting in Large, long-term games and in short games, with the small amount of planets at least 30-50% of your resources are going to maintaining your facilities and defense.

[aegisx]

It doesn't seem to really matter though, as players are able to to get 80 colonies in 30 turns and a few hundred thousand rp's. Resources don't seem to limit rushing tactics.

[aegisx]

Does GG prevent that type of massive expansion?

[Suicide Junkie]

It dosen't *prevent* it, but it does limit the usefulness of such a tactic.

For example, it does take a while to build up infrastructure on your colonies. The quick and cheap facilities are pretty weak.
You also don't really have a problem with build rate, since if build rate is an issue, you just notch down the size of the ships you're building to take advantage of the "Build Time = size squared".

In short, your homeworld can pretty much do most of everything on its own if nessesary. Colonies are an investment, not a license to print money.

[aegisx]

I'll have to try out the rushing tactics on it. I am really looking for a slower multiplayer game that doesn't require a mad rush to win.

[aegisx]

I made a small mod to BM 1.04, which increases the amount of minerals/org/radio that the populations use. I tried soem rush tactics:

Space yard and Emergency Build's. New colonies produced research and yards. Another homeworld went into emergency build too. Around turn 13 I had 5 colonies, 2 colony ships in other systems, 1 space yard and I was pretty much bankrupt of minerals. 2 planets and the space yard we also now in slow-build.

I'll have to play a regular growth game to make sure the costs don't get too out of hand midgame.

[capnq]

Another option would be to play a "roleplaying" game rather than a competitive one. Rather than trying to win, you just do what your race and culture would do, not necessarily the optimal course of action. The main goal is to make your empire interesting.

The chief problem with multiplayer roleplaying games is that there's usually somebody roleplaying a race that wants to conquer the galaxy, who will probably steamroller the non-aggressive races if they stay "in character".

For most of the races that I've created for my solo games, I wouldn't even try to play them in a competitve multiplayer game.

[aegisx]

That is exactly the kind of game I am looking for http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif Hopefully the Slow mod will help foster that as well.

[GuyOfDoom]

Ooo a roleplaying style game would be fun.

[aegisx]

I am planning on putting one together using the Slow Balanced Mod 1.4 (just 3 modified lines of Kwok's, barely worth a new name).

[GuyOfDoom]

I can't say I agree with the "slow" modifications, but I look forward to it.

[aegisx]

Well, all it does is make populations consume minerals and radioactives, currently they do not.

[aegisx]

For an RP game...

We could require that players make a Empire bio. If the bio is approved (meaning it cant just say they want to conquer the galaxy) they can join the game. Now the bio only really has to be a paragraph, not a book. It might help to encourage a RP game.

[GuyOfDoom]

That sounds good.

[Baron Munchausen]

capnq said:
Another option would be to play a "roleplaying" game rather than a competitive one. Rather than trying to win, you just do what your race and culture would do, not necessarily the optimal course of action. The main goal is to make your empire interesting.

The chief problem with multiplayer roleplaying games is that there's usually somebody roleplaying a race that wants to conquer the galaxy, who will probably steamroller the non-aggressive races if they stay "in character".

For most of the races that I've created for my solo games, I wouldn't even try to play them in a competitive multiplayer game.



I've suggested to Aaron more than once that he copy the chat program called 'The Palace' and use it as a diplomatic module in SE. It's essentially a role-playing environment. In single player mode you can pause the game for combat, and enjoy managing the fight yourself, but in multiplayer you can't because everyone's turns have to be processed together. Well, imagine if you could pause the game for diplomacy and pop into a simulated environment with 'avatars' of your ambassadors. This could be done with TCP mode. Negotations could be 'real time' instead of messaged. This could add a great deal of interest to the game at relatively little programming cost compared to all the graphics and AI.

[aegisx]

Interesting idea. This game would probably be PBW, so email is our best bet.

So expansion inline with your race (no borg types)... Any other guidelines, like 1 new colony every 4 turns or something like that?

[Suicide Junkie]

You could always increase the cost of a colony component by 20x if you want to slow down expansion.

[Tnargversion2]

I would be interested in a good RP game. I even RP my single player games to make them more interesting. If you need a player, I'm your guy.

[aegisx]

Here is some of the setup I am thinking:

Kwok's Balance mod 1.4
3 homeworld start
No Ancient race
No tech trades

I'll leave it up to a vote whether we increase population consumption of resources.

If we don't, High tech cost. If we do use it, Medium tech cost.

Thoughts?

[GuyOfDoom]

3 HWs just meant to give people a jump start?

Any preference on Galaxy shape or size?

[aegisx]

I like the 3 world start, gives people some territory.

I guess it depends on the amount of people. We want some colonizing, but if there is too much space, might be too much.

[aegisx]

Too bad there is no GM feature where events could be caused and such.

I will probably make a new post for this game and I'll post the bio for my empire. I had a thought for another empire using the religious technology tree. Could be fun potential there.