[q]2) Fleet management: how about creating fleets in a slightly different way. You create a fleet in a governor-type screen by selecting created templates and limited by your logistics score. When you're done the planets will automatically begin to produce the ships to build the fleet. As your fleet fights, losses are compensated by planets re-building those ships on their own.[/q]

- Very nice idea, it can make all those new fleet bonus techs actually useful.

[q]5) Have starbases being built in the same manner as mining bases. Adding dozens of modules (and thus building just as many constructors) can get tedious. Just add a few turns to each module being built and you basically get the same time-effort on the strategic field without bothering the player with directing his armada of constructors.[/q]

- Good idea, the problem with that is having one constructor creating oodles of bases... I was actually thinking that constructors should be converted into a "factory" on a starbase... between 1 to 3 are allowed. Generating 1 to 3 points of construction, which are used to slowly build up the various modules of the starbase. (say, each module has a cost in construction points, and points are generated per factory on the starbase). Or maybe only ONE factory allowed per star base, but extra constructors may be consumed to instantly build an additional module (or ideally, provide a set amount of construction points which roll over towards the next construction item).

That way a base naturally builds over X turns... but you can rush production by "wasting" extra constructors. Specific modules can always require a constructor (ex: modules that cost money now). While evil races and the like could have them build automatically...

An option to set priorities for module construction (on both a global and per starbase) would be really nice

Someone else said this, and I agree so I'll express my agreement:

Have an option for ships on auto survey to not explore black holes.

Also, I'd like to see two things:

- Raise the limit on length for ship names and especially starbase names.
- Now that we have a larger galaxy size, it would be nice if we could increase the number of races we can put into it.

I'd like to see a starbase module that adds hitpoints or an increase in the strength of the attack and defense modules available.

Guarding a starbase with a fleet of ships should not be the only viable option for starbase defense.

If you research Starbase Fortification, you can fortificate starbases with weps, hulls, shields and so on, but a module that increase HP would be cool.

I would really like a slower tech speed option like extremely slow(like 1/10 * very slow).

I think they should add some more races. I have ideas.

The Nardani Internet.
Alignment- Evil

Description
The Nardani got lost in Cyberspace a long time, so lost in fact they now universally consider reality to be Cyberspace and the real world to be simply a computer game. While this may sound funny, it makes the Nardani as utterly evil as the Drengin since they do not recognise the suffering of other beings to be real, nor their deaths to have any moral significance. They are here to win, at any cost.

Strong Loyalty+ (since they are unlikely to defect to people they don't consider real).
Weak Soldiering- (since they don't believe they actually die).

Unique base techs-

Virtual History- Lots of stuff related to the Internet and Virtual Reality.
Recreational Society- All productive buildings slightly improve morale.


The Sylithane Commune
Alignment- Good

Description
The Sylithane are everthing the Korx are not. They are the living embodyment of every utopian socialist dream, a society in which operates in a manner that puts the good of all above the profit of any particular individual or group. Their utopian society however, makes them somewhat naive when dealing with other societies, but they are equally horrified of them.

Strong Morale+ (Since they live in utopia)
Weak Trade- (For obvious reasons)

Unique base techs-

Utopian History- Lots of stuff related to increasing influence and loyalty.
Industrial Revolution- Same as normal.
Specialised Research- Same as normal.

Yes, I know about SB Fortification, but the current modules available are useless in the mid and late game when ships have substantial firepower.

Yay we need more starbase weapon modules. Their cost should change too... why do the bad battlestations cost money, if +30 attacks are "for free" ?
its also odd that i can upgrade +30 first, when i didnt build those +5 and +10 weapons...


+50 + 100 Weapon, and some defense needed .
It's a starBASE, shouldnt get crushed by some few ships...



how about a range upgrade for immense/gigantic maps?

this thread, Drath Unique Buildings, has evolved into a discussion for a new type of governor. several of us would very much like to see a governor that'd allow players to replace planet improvements in one fell swoop. so for example, you could use this governor to replace all your discovery spheres with stock markets.

i would also like a means to turn the planetary auto-upgrade option on and off throughout the whole empire at once.

one more suggestion. in the civ manager (F6) planet table (the first tab), you can currently tell what planets are defended by the little gray shield at the end of their name. i would love it if there could be a second icon added to show spy status: red if there is a spy on the planet, green if there is a counter espionage center, perhaps yellow if there is both (or two icons), and obviously blank if there is neither a CEC nor a spy on the planet. being able to tell if there's a spy is less important though -- i'd really like to be able to tell if my planets have CECs without clicking on each one and searching for it. perhaps the same icon could be added around the planet on the main screen (though, they're already getting somewhat crowded with mini-icons).

thanks,
dystopic

May I put in a last minute request for an option to 'forget' ship designs not put in templates when you start a new game. I get annoyed when old and for all my intents and purposes pointless ship designs of mine clog up the shipyard in another game and I have to delete each one individually.

I understand that some people like to use their old ships, which is why I'm suggesting it as a game option.

If there already is such an option which I've missed, feel free to pay this post absolutely no attention whatsoever.

right now we have the choice of ship designs at the beginning of the game. and yes i have said this before. we need to be able to choose ship yards. meaning if i have ships designed off of startrek and another set designed off of star wars i can choose which ones i want to use for that game or make a new ship yard.

There is a option (not sure how long it has been there) not to save ship designs.

I'd really like an XML tag (or even be the default setting) that makes Techs that can't be traded to be able to be traded with other races that have the same Tech in their tech tree.

For instance, if you have are using a Custom Race using the Yor Tech Tree, and the Yor are also in the game... you could trade (or trade for) Charging Stalks, Efficiency Studies, etc, etc to them.

Just seems to be a logical addition to the Racial tech trees to me.

Also, I'd still really, really like to have "Earth-like" planets (ie: habitable by all) to have a little green "Earth-like" icon next to them, just so that all (eventually) habitable planets will have an icon next to them, while completely uninhabitable planets don't.

Interesting race ideas. While I doubt they will add new races to the game at this point, I really like the idea of a race of beings that don't believe the universe is real/is just a game for some reason.

Also, thanks for reminding me about Cliffracers, I thought I had finally forgotten about them...

This is about ship creation in TA:

Its about the ship creation whith the cube hull. What itches me, is that I´m not able to mount something on the frontside of the cube or mount the cube inside so that he becomes invisible. I think it would be great if you could select a part as starting point.
It would also be great if you could move parts by using relative cordinates to the mountpoint.
It would also be useful if you could express the partsize as a % number near the bar where you can adjust it.

Symmetrical parts should also have symetrical Mount points. For example i cant mount someting at the back on the center of this three-spoked wheel what you can see in the standard Yor design.

And of course we need more parts .

You have done a great job so far!
Greetings from Germany.

An option to make worlds that are uninhabitable dissapear when zoomed out into icon mode. Really, it's just to lose some of the clutter when you've zoomed way out so you can focus on the things that matter rather then always seeing empty circles everywhere.

It could be a simple 'on/off' switch near the minimap like all the minimap buttons.

--------------------

I also wouldn't mind seeing a special module for space stations that would let them house ships to guard them. Much like how you have ships guarding a planet in orbit. A "docking ring" of sorts. This way you can defend your starbases late game because their stats aren't really sufficient to protect them that far in.

a couple suggestions for the mini-map:

add the ability to toggle the grid on and off. it gets in the way on the larger galaxy sizes.

also, with the "show planets" button, i'd like it if that were a 3-stage button: all planets, habited planets, no planets.

thanks,
dystopic

I would like to see a personal scoreboard that keeps track of various statistics for each finished game (On the hard drive, for player review, not part of the Metaverse)

Once a human player becomes the most powerful race there is no stopping him. It would be nice to get knocked off that pedestal... hard. Be it the other races ganging up on me, a super tech, or whatever. Also - I'd like to be able to view 'replays' of some of the games on the metaverse. I want to know how other players are achieving some of their wins/scores.

My "Ally" did nothing to help me during a war...assuming they declared war on the other position, shouldn't there be some attacking back and forth between the two AI positions? Maybe a bug.

In the context of this thread, there should probably be some kind of ability for allied positions to coordinate activities; eg request that they attack a fleet, invade a particular planet or guard a certain station or star system. Let the AI request the same activities of the human player. Not sure what the penalties, if any should be for not complying, but if your ally doesn't do anything to help you then what is the point.

Attacking AI is not particulary clever (maybe some setting), as it pretty much ignores most of my resource and astroid mining...a ship/fleet could be detailed to do a search & destroy for those kind of targets automatically and attempt to avoid combat with other ships/fleets. The AI will attack freighters once in awhile, but again doesn't really go after them unless they happen to be in very close proximity. The AI does seem to like going after Constructors though as it will send a fleet half-way across the map after one.

Speaking of the Civ Manager planets screen, how about adding the population cap to the population column, EG: 10m(16m) so you can see at a glance which planets have room to grow.

Upgrading a ship wherever it happens to be located seems kind of weird...new weapons, engines and capabilities magically are available the next turn. Perhaps the "idea" is that the ship has some kind of maintenance/construction ability (eg the self-repair ability), but an upgrade to a completely different ship seems beyond that kind of ability.

How about adding a ship repair/upgrade module for a Starbase? For repairs, this would significantly speed up the process. Upgrading a ship should require the ship to dock at a starbase with the module or go to a world with a Starport. If you want to retain the upgrade wherever ability, then the module could reduce the cost...or in-space upgrades take time relative to the cost, but the module could also reduce that time.

this is currently in the game. the further you are from home the longer it takes. i have seen it take up to 150 turns.

When reading the Drath building thread, I realized that macromanagement on planetary buildings one of the things this fantastic game still misses. In large empires, what I'd actually wish for is a kind of development plan (I know this sounds MOO3, but that's no reason Stardock can't do it better) where I can design a planetary development blueprint. For example Krynn: farm, consulate, order, counter esp, 5 factories, starport, power plant, remaining tiles econ buildings as a shipyard world. Obviously, this plan would only be appliable to planets with upgraded PQ of 12 up. After designing at least one such plan, it should be possible to assign it to all planets that fullfill certain criteria (like upgraded PQ, or location (by rally point). Even being able to manually assign dev plans to planets would save time compared to queueing every single improvement.

As it is now, planetary development of large empires is a serious PITA and regularly takes me hours. Even the above voiced proposal of being able to automatically replace non-consective buildings like research buildings with economy ones would be an improvement. I'd prefer something similar to what I outlined though, since this would solve the original planet development too, not just redevelopment.

Great work on ToTA so far, please keep it up

Wow this is great and that is all I have to say on the new beta...

But I do want to put my opinion in. Now the Thalans manufacturing center and research centers. Now They are great but when you get to level 2 and 3 for both of them... well its great they get cheaper to run but shouldn't they get a little better. I know they have crazy military and socal production but when you have 1 manufacturing center level 1 it says it boosts the production up by 12. Now how about at level 2 up to 14 and for level 3 up to 16... and the same for the research (cant remember the research bonus is). They are getting better with each new level and of course making a lot easier to run. And this would seem a little better cause the describtion for level 3 being the best manufacturing or research building in the game well with only one of them doesnt feel like it...

Also well if you play a game with very slow research well doesnt that really screw the Thalans over big time... Even ajusting all the sliders and etc... what can you do... and if your playing with only evil races well kiss your ass good bye.

One last thing the new penalties are really nice to mix things up... Now another opinion. Korath should also have a diplomatic penalty like 30% cause all they want is to kill everyone off. The Thalans should be 20% not 25% cause they are not evil... well not evil yet depending on your future choices... Ya they are new to this universe and as you said not the creative but still dont make it that bad...

I will come back later to give you more.