influence starbases

the boiled frog...

from GalCiv2 Forums
Influence starbases should have double edge. They're there for the aliens to amuse themselves, and fall in line, but in yet they give no bonuses to the alien worlds. In the real world culural influence exertion generally brings wealth/ consumerism.

It would be much more interesting if the starbases helped morale and gave an economy boost to ALL the worlds in the influence. That way you may not mind so much getting influenced, as long as you can ride it out. It also would make them much less threatening.

Also it would make counter-influence stations more interesting. (they also benefit your planets) The bonuses would be fairly small, but significant such that you generally wouldn't build them just for your own planets.
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Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
In line with a more complex diplomacy system, there is great scope for improving influence bases. As you say, they are basically propaganda/entertainment centers: you should be able to use them to 'educate' both your people and the enemy, provide a point for trade (seriously, they go to the cultural center but don't buy any souveniers?). It'd be nice if they could be used (perhaps switchable) for both exploitation and propaganda and cooperative trade and mutual understanding.
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Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Someone could mod in some modules... or mod the existing modules......
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Can we mod the UI yet? If we could mod a big 'conquest' or 'cooperation' button for influence bases, then you could really make them interesting. Like B5 or DS9, you could use them as cultural and economic centers, useful in more ways than 'push influence back a bit'.
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Start it small. Just give the SB a core benefit of +5% economy radius effect. That's all you get from it. And see how the AI deals with it. (provided you can edit the SB in the first place)
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
That's true - many attempts to mod hulls etc haven't worked, so perhaps it won't work. Still, it's worth trying.

EDIT - Hmmm... I thought about the forgein nature of the trade, and I wonder if you can make it x% econ bonus, like it's coming from the enemy worlds inside the area. So if there's rich worlds, you get more money, if there are poorer worlds, you don't make as much.
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
So if there's rich worlds, you get more money, if there are poorer worlds, you don't make as much.


That would dependent on your custom modules. If you installed the J.C.Penny's and Sears modules then yes. But if you installed the Walmart and McDonalds modules those poor planets would (ok, laughing too hard to finish).

Oh the possibilities.
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top


Er...influence DOES bring in revenue. If you check the domestic policy screen there's a weekly income from "Tourism" which is directly linked to your overall galactic influence. Expanding your borders via starbases etc brings in additional revenue due to aliens coming over and buying postcards...or whatever.

As for cultural domination...i suppose you already have passive/aggressive use of influence...ie containing an alien planet in the middle of a massive influence sphere is dominating it's culture whereas having slight influence over or near another world is merely providing a holiday destination or integration with their culture.

To give an example...Hong Kong in china was originally British...but was "culturally dominated" by the chinese and converted to a chinese city...it was in the middle of a massive amount of chinese influence...populated by the chinese...the influence from the UK wasn't sufficient so the governing body was changed...this is massively over simplifying but kind of makes the point.

In contrast, the UK is bombarded continually with American media and politics yet we don't feel the need to hang our Prime Minister and defect...but their culture evokes a massive influence on our own. Cultural integration due to an influence that is physically quite far away but affects the UK nevertheless.

GalCiv II's influence system can be seen as a simplified version of real world politics...use your imagination...
Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I don't know about you, but I generally have the occasional influence starbase within my own borders, it saves me having to waste land on influence-generating planetary installations.

"The universe is a big place, perhaps the biggest" - Kurt Vonnegut

P.S.: Donteatmyface, I recommend you read up on the history of Hong Kong. Not just the recent history, but all of it, going back to before British colonialism.