Diplo-Bug (Beta 1A)

It's the Altarian's Super Ability. All friendly races of the same ethical alignment will declare war on enemies that declare war on them.

I had not come across that one - interesting.

I am starting to get a bad feeling about a number of these Super Abilities. They need to have a credible ring of truth even if it takes a long pull at science fiction to engender that credibility. The best science fiction movies are always the ones that ensure the background ethos and activities still have a "well maybe, yup could happen I guess" ring about them.

This one is not credible, its beyond remotest belief that a State would be required to declare war just because they have the same ethical alignment. A key factor in any successful game is how deeply the Player can become 'immersed' in the whole background story ie start to live the fantasy. For that to happen, every little aspect of a game needs to retain an element or shread of believeability to achieve the much sort after 'immersion factor'. Difference between a good game and a Great game is attention to detail at design stage.

Zap a planet with poison gas etc, fine, unlimited range, great stuff, those have a credible ring about them. How about "the recce crews minds were read on first contact and gave away "X" technologies" as an example of a possible Super Ability, wacky but just on the edge of credibility.

When that remote credibility factor starts to slide away, the game enters dangerous territory as it starts to degrade the 'Immersion Factor'. Each of the Super Abilities will have been introduced with a particular game mechanic/effect/balancing need in mind. I think some need redrafting, difficult to say what to, as we dont know the balancing need of each individual Super Ability.

Regards
Zy

Honestly, I say just axe them, except as a Mega Event.

I really don't like the way this is going- and I'd almost consider it gamebreaking

I like the super abilities.

I like this super-ability but it seems that the text could be better so that the player understands that it's because of Altarian's super-ability that he has to go to war.

You could probably just sue for peace the next turn like you can with alliances, which would be kinda cheesy or does it force you to stay in the war as long as the Altarians do?

This is another super ability that I rather like. It ads another something different to the game and actually makes you feel that each race is somewhat distinct. Not everything has to have some beleivable backstory to it. There is so much stuff in the game already that is unbeleivable if you actually sat down to think about it you come up with tons of inconsistancies. Its a game, suspend your disbeleif or make something up in your head if you have to but just have fun.

It seems to be the intention of the Devs that this expansion will be all about shaking up the usual GalCiv2 gameplay and I am 100% behind that - you simply will not be able to pull off the same crap as in the standard game. The rules are changing, adapt or die humans.

I'm not sure if I like super abilities or not. Sure, a lot of balancing is needed, but they can be pretty fun sometimes. They also make it easier to create a unique custom opponent.

i think the superabilities is a good idea, but they havnt got it quite right yet

i agree with everything in zy's post above

Thanks for the replies!

My bad! I'd forgotten about the Altarian super-ability. I like the idea of the super-abilities and don't really have a problem with this one, but I think the text could do with a little tweaking, and the "Yes/No" buttons should go, eliminating any suggestion that I have a choice in the matter. I don't actually think its that unrealistic a proposition, apart from the time-frame involved (for a plausible account of how this might happen, albeit over a longer time-frame, see Jack McDevitt's "A Talent For War" - afraid I can't think of any real world examples, though) As for the text, I'd change it to something like:

SUPER-ORGANISER ABILITY

"The EMPIRENAME1 have declared war on the EMPIRENAME2. Since then, representatives of the EMPIRENAME2 government and people have used their unique talent for organisation to tour our worlds, inflame our media, and lobby our politicians, producing a groundswell of public support in favour of their cause. Due to our shared ethical alignment, feelings are running high and in an emergency session, the Senate has bowed to public pressure to intervene. A formal declaration of war on the EMPIRENAME1 has therefore been presented to their government and consequently a state of war exists between our two empires with immediate effect."

This avoids giving the player the incorrect impression that he has any say in what's happening, rells him/her that its down to a super-ability and gives some semi-plausible rationale as to how the latter actually worked.

best

vince

Hinriad

Nice alternate text, that might move it into "mini-event" territory, but the general drift behind it is exactly what I was trying to illustrate. A Great game - as opposed to "just" a good game - fosters the Immersion Factor, and things need to be on the edge of believeability. They dont have to be anywhere near reality of course - but they have to have a believeable perception about it.

In fantasy movies, expectation is that events and happenings will be totally wacky, and really as long as the charactors can be identified with, everything else is "open season" (eg Lord of the Rings). In Science fiction movies, charactories still need to be identified with, but the expectation of surrounding abilities and events, means they need to be reigned in a bit compared to fantasy movies (eg Star Wars)

I emphasise again, I am all for super abilities, they add depth and breadth to the game, but they need revisiting to target the "Immersion Factor", at present they are more towards the Fantasy genre, not Science Fiction genre and the Immersion Factor is suffering.

Regards
Zy