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Things you would like to see in a Galactic Civilization expansion set

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Things you would like to see in a Galactic Civilization expansion set

from Stardock Forums
I know that there already is one suggestion thread up but I decided to start a second one anyhow. Post any and all ideas that are too outlandish or broad in scope to implement in a commercial patch. Let's see if we can give the developers some evil ideas and maybe, just maybe, improve the chances that there will be a GC expansion pack. I'll try to get this one started.

Things I'd like to see implemented in an expansion:

1) More good and evil technologies
2) Race specific units, technologies and events
3) More events of all types
4) Morality triggered events
5) A new (hard) victory condition only attainable by neutral civilizations
6) Larger than gigantic maps
7) More customization options for maps (more neutral races, better than abundant planets, extra star clusters, more/less anomolies, etc.)
8) A second scenario
9) Two-tiered maps
10) A simple fleet combat system
11) More permenant galactic features (astroid belts, gas giants, ancient junkyards and ruins, etc.)
12) Some additional empire building tools (cosmetic and meaningful)

More technologies and events:
Any expansion to Galactic Civilizations would have to include more of what has already made this game the true, spiritual sucsessor to the Orion series. The event library in particular could be easily expanded to make every game unpredictable and different. Granted, this is already one of the stated goals of the patching process, but what can be done in patches can be 'overdone' in a retail release. :) Adding more technologies for the good and evil civs would also be a likely addition, but would require some compensation for neutrals.

Race specific technologies, units and events:
A familiar idea to an RTS player. An ideal way to introduce race-specific items into GC would be to create 1-3 units and techs for each race, including the humans, and then allowing each player to chose one of each at the start of a campaign. Only techs and units that the player picked at the start could be eventially researched and built.

Not allowing the usage of every racial unit in every game would be a good way to ensure that one race is not automatically 'the best' at any one thing. If the Torians chose their heavy combat vessel they will be able to hold their own against the Drengins. The best part is that the human player will not know what choices the AI races made until later in the game. Did the Drengins decide to activate their Warlord-class battleships (for space superiority) or did they instead chose to use Mutagen bombs (for mutating other species into Drengin hybrids during planetary assaults)?

Neutral victory condition:
Create a United League of Planets and conquer or dominate the galaxy. The catch: The League of Planets cannot have any of the other major races in it -- only minor races (and Independant League) led by the human race. You need at least 4-6 minor races (depending on map size) on-board to win this victory condition. They all must be alive at the end of the game.

It could work like this: Once a minor race is convinced to join the League it becomes an ally of the lead race and every other member race. All member races get military access, shared exploration, trade and diplomatic bonuses with one another. All member races benefit from each others starbases. All minor races belonging to the League give a tribute to the founder but recieve a hefty scientic grant in exchange. League races cannot culture bomb one another.

This would be a very cool victory path. It would be murder build and protect a League of Planets, but it could be a very rewarding endevor. If neutral technologies were to be implemented, perhaps they could be intended to allow this style of victory? The first neutral tech could be League Alliance (allowing member states) and subsequent techs could improve economic and scientic ties between the member races. A full formed League would be an unstable but very wealthy ediface.

Under the right circuimstances, the Arcean Empire may even attempt this. Perhaps one or more of their racial units/techs could be designed with this victory path in mind?

More ahead...
24,802 views 529 replies
Reply #151 from Stardock Forums Top
An option to speed up or slow down tech. Slowing would make each one more 'significant'.
Reply #152 from Stardock Forums Top
I would like to see more control within the United Planets. The ability to propose bills and punish memebers would be an excellent benefit. Later in the game the ability to vote out powerful rivals would be a cool stratagy to employ by evil civs.
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Reply #153 from Stardock Forums Top
Thought of another feature I would like on the diplomacy screen:

A matrix showing who likes who, including all minor races. Make it hidden behind a 'More Detail' button on the whatever screen it is that shows the relationships between the major empires.

I'm remembering the matrix of 'who's at peace/war' from Warlords/Warlords II.

This would help with figuring out whether I should ally with or attack a minor civilisation. I don't really want (and don't like) to attack a minor race and find it drags my ally into the war against me. Or variations on that subject.

Regards
Damian

~SDC~
Reply #154 from Stardock Forums Top
Thought of another one:

When you get your spying up to supreme levels (you know, where you know as much or more about their government and civilisation than they do, or perhaps even at slightly lesser levels), it would be both fun and interesting to get messages like 'Empire X is thinking of declaring war against Empire Y. They figure that they've the military power to do this and it will be in place in X turns'. 'The people of Empire X are clamouring for war/peace, and their government is/isn't listening.' 'The government of Empire X wants to declare peace with Empire Y but are too yellow and cowardly to go against the will of their people.' 'The rulers of Empire X have decided they're going to sue for peace/declare war, no matter what their population thinks because they don't matter. As far as Empire X is concerned, they need to get rid of a few drones anyway, and the complaining ones will be at the front lines of the war.'

And more messages of the ilk :)

Damian

~SDC~
Reply #155 from Stardock Forums Top
Oh, and if you've got supreme intelligence levels, you'll know what technologies they've got, when they got them, what they're paying in tribute (down to the cent, ship and technology) to others and what they're receiving. Logic behind this is: You know more about their empire than they know/You know as much about their empire as they know.

As far as knowing what tribute is paid/received, or what trades are going on, it would range from the rumours that are currently received at low/non-existent intelligence gathering levels, through varying levels of detail and accuracy up to the supreme intelligence gathering level.

You would also be able to learn of their trade routes, and be able to display those on your trade routes screen at will. You will of course know and be able to display those routes that connect directly with your empire anyway.

Hehe. More diplomacy. More spying. More hijinks full stop >:-)

Damian

~SDC~
Reply #156 from Stardock Forums Top
I'd like more mechanics to go into things like StarBase modules, United Planets issues, etc. I'd like to be able to do things like have StarBases add PQ or morale to a sector, or make an anomoly have a different result depending on your alignment. This game is already extremely moddable, but I think it could be sooo much more.

~SDC~
Reply #157 from Stardock Forums Top
I like the idea of anomalies/space junk having different properties/results depending on alignment. Make the evil suffer! LOL I mean, don't they get enough breaks already when they colonise? Hehe.

Damian



~SDC~
Reply #159 from Stardock Forums Top
I say the same thing I said about Space Empires IV (a super games too, very far from GalCiv, but cool in other ways):

Make event that can depent on almost anything, and in any combination, and preferrably change anything in the game too. This way it will be possible to write actual SF stories in GalCiv to participate in!!!

4x games are great for being so open, but it would be really nice to have the option to hardcode a storyline that is going on, forcing you to participate or just bringing the universe to life and letting you not take actions if you like.

An other way to use it is like the current random events, but let those expand into a mini-story in the game, for afew turns for example. A small story in an otherwise open game.

I would love to wriote such "stories", and participate in those written by others, perhaps based on SF books or a certain TV show!

Events could depend on: date, a certain level reached in trade, an other events has happened and 5 years have passed, a certain ship/planet i killed, etc, etc.

Most important is the possibility of linking the events, to be able to form a storyline that you experience during your game.

If event X has happened and > 2 years have passed and TRADE is > + 30% then trigger this event.

Also, the events should be able to affect things like: breaking a treaty, adding a star, adding a ship, moving a ship, etc.

This all could be done by an array of logic parameters (an extension of the current randon events), but maby better by a very simple event programming language...

Best rgds
/P M

Reply #160 from Stardock Forums Top
oI would like to see a setting ot the setup screen where you set map size and all that other stuff how a selector for annomlies from rare to regenitive :d
Reply #161 from Stardock Forums Top
Hi,
This was propbably already mentioned, but:

A way to filter the ship list? Maybe In Otbit/Not Orbitting, or by ship type. Would be nice to remove all my defenders from the list.

ap
Reply #162 from Stardock Forums Top
It would be great to add a Filter to the Tactical Screen so that we can filtor out the various items that screen displays. This way we could use it to quickly locate specfic types ships, resources, and starbases. Using the filter we could select to only show Colony ships or only show Constructors, or only show starbases, or only show our planets or only show Military recources. This would be a great addition to an already great game. Thanks for listening! :)
Reply #163 from Stardock Forums Top
2 things:

1. POST WIN PLAY(for single player only): option to continue playing after win condition(s) are met. you know, so you can bask in your own glory and enjoy the benefits of your efforts... maybe even create events that occur for these post-winning people only... (new aliens come by and stir things up, or a mass monster invasion to test our defenses). maybe the game never ends! we've built this empire that is supposedly the best, let us play with it now and test ourselves. game becomes more sim-like at this point, but that's fun too. maybe you get the option to take game into "the next phase". that would be nice. we can stop on our own when we feel like we've had enough. don't stop it for us.

2. GALACTIC VOTING: who proposes these laws to vote on? why can't i propose laws? there could be restrictions or conditions that must be met in order to be able to propose these laws (or bills at this point), but if you're going to place these "events" or "conditions" under the guise of some sort of democration system, let's go all the way and give us a part to play as well. ;)
Reply #164 from Stardock Forums Top
oops, and one more thing.

why must we be human? i'm already human in the real world. i'm playing a game and want to be something other. can't we be one of the other races and play against humans?
Reply #165 from Stardock Forums Top
First, I was just like to say that Galactic Civ is one of the best games I have played in a long time. I am hooked. :D

Now... I would like to see real borders. I don't know how hard that would be to add in. I really liked the option in MOO2 of telling other races to get the hell out of my space or else. YOU really need to add that it! ;p
Reply #166 from Stardock Forums Top
Relating to my own suggestion on events:

I realise that a full-blown event system like that, with an event "language" etc is a lot of work, but until that happens, it would probably not be a lot of work to make events be able to depend on SOME parameters, like year, an other event + time. That alone would make for some great background stories!

What do the rest of you think of how this should be done with minimum effort and maximum effect?

(Or perhaps I am alone to think extended story-based events should be high in priority?)

/P M
Reply #167 from Stardock Forums Top
Here's a GREAT idea! Enhancement of the experience system:

Now instead of experience being tied to ships, it is tied to ship commanders. When a ship is decommissioned or traded to another race, and that ship's commander has more than 0 experience, he is retained on staff awaiting deployment on the next new ship to be built.

If a new ship is built but there are no commanders on staff with experience, then that ship is given a new 'green' commander.

Instead of numeric levels, ship commanders will now have military ranks that correspond to the old numeric levels. More experience yields higher rank.

Ship commanders will also have names. It will be really cool to have your new battleship commanded by 'Admiral Ulysses Grant' or whatever. The names would just be random names from a (user-modifiable) database until they gain experience, at which point their careers would be tracked as explained above. At the beginning of a new game, all ship commanders start with 0 experience. Perhaps the Drengin could start with some higher-ranked commanders though. ;)

If a ship is destroyed and the commander has more than 0 experience, there is a small chance that he escapes in an escape pod and can be rescued, if there are friendly ships close by.

To keep the interface simple, commanders cannot be removed or swapped from ships without decommissioning the ship or trading it.
Reply #168 from Stardock Forums Top
more races.

Select 5 for the game from a choice of 7-10?

Doug
Reply #169 from Stardock Forums Top
What I'd like? I KNOW!! I KNOW!!

1- The possibility (optional or not) to customize our society more: type of government, repression, difference between rich/poor, whattever Brad thinks it adds depth.

2- Something that would have the same function as MOO3's ethos (which may change with time). Customization of CULTURE, somewhat. It is soooo important in mankind's history... Some game has to permit this someday!!
Reply #170 from Stardock Forums Top
Note: I havent read every post on the thread, so forgive me if I repeat ideas.

My suggestion would be to make the game events have more long term effects; for example, lets say you colonize a planet and put the indigenous people into slavery. Perhaps a few years later a slave revolt happens on that planet, shutting down all production and possibly ruining a few buildings. Alternatively, perhaps if you were kind and worked around the natives at planetfall, it would be neat if they helped your civilization by introducing some medicines that would help your colonies growth rate or something.

Other suggestions: well, I would hate to see the game become legalistic through diplomacy, but I would love if you could insert a "nonsharing" clause into tech trades. I would love to help out minor races by giving them battleship tech, but I dont want them to give it to anyone else.

In general, make the comp players as hesitant to give techs to each other as they are to me. One thing I loved was that everyone worked on their own (as opposed to civ-style everyone vs the human player) toward victory. But since the new patch, the computer players are just ridiculously sharing tech with each other, to the point where I simply can't keep up.

My last major idea, make espionage more powerful. Maybe it has just been the circumstances I have played under, but usually it doesnt seem to do much of ANYTHING to destabilize a race. In fact, I usually see approval ratings go up when I have tried it! Also, it is too hard to steal tech off of alien races. The least they could do would be to make it so that my government and a minor race whom I actually talk to work together to steal technology. Sometimes it happens where me and the scottlingas work to steal the Drengin tech, only I have never spoken to the Scottlingas cause I dont know where they are!

My other minor suggestion, fix the grammar. It really makes a solid game look crappy.

Well, hope even some of these ideas make it into the finished product.
Reply #171 from Stardock Forums Top
Euhmmm when i previously 'begged' (;p) for a 'break alliance' button. Actually I didn't mean a butten where you could break your own alliance, but more a trade 'thingy' where you could 'motivate' an AI player to break his alliance with an other AI player.

This is because when an alliance between two AI players is being formed, there is nothing you can do about it anymore. It would be nice if you could somehow disrupt relations between the AI players. In the existing setup, this is only possible if two races are already in a not too friendly state with each other (when you ask one race to declare war).

It would be nice if you could disrupt relations when two AI players are friendly (or better) towards each other. Maybe this could be done with 'espionage', which is useless imho.

It should however not be TOO easy to disrupt these relations, because that could damage gameplay.
Reply #173 from Stardock Forums Top
Don't know if this has been suggested before. But I would like to be able to adjust AI intelligence and economic (dis)advantages independently. So I could make a Genius AI but still have economic advantages, or play a Fool that gets a huge economic bonus.
Reply #174 from Stardock Forums Top
Something I'd like to see is fixed scenarios with separate metaverse pages. These scenarios would have the universe fixed (possibly with more advanced starts) or strange setups (large fleet but no ability to build any more ships), or something that would make the scenarios different from a "regular" GC game, and then when you started the game, your score would be posted to the metaverse, and as you completed it, (say every 5 years) you'd have to let the game update your score, and you couldn't save the game and then go back, every year it would autosave, and only the autosave could be used to continue the game, and you could only play each scenario once (for metaverse scoring) and then you could play again, but it wouldn't score.

So there could be a dozen scenarios up for bragging rights with separate metaverse pages.

And of course, Shipyards -- 'nuff said.
Reply #175 from Stardock Forums Top
There are many situations in the UI where I have to rely on remembering information, or making notes. Like "hmmm, this system that the ask me to give to them, where is is positioned, how hany planets does it have, how good is it" and "hmm.. this ship here in the list, is that part of that huge fleet that I am sending out to war, or is it somewhere else, etc". Naming tha planets with coordinates etc helps a bit, but I AM using a computer, that knows all this... perhaps always allow an "info click" on planets that will show the system, and a mini-map a la Space Empires IV. This woud be great for the ships list too. Along with naming of stacks of ships = fleets. SE IV is generally a good place to look at how you can micromanage long lists of planets and ships without going crazy!

Some visual things: fog of war is barely visible. Colours in the mini-map for population etc are not correct for the race, and Torian looks axactly like Altarian on my screen. Influence colours are barely visible too.

Colonize should be possible to to from a planet list, that can be sorted on different parameters.

Possibility to zoom out the main map.

Tech trees shown as an option when researching and trading.

Bug? Sometimes when I click a ship, it seems like a new turn is done automatically (I have turned off all auto stuff).

Info needed in manual/website: When can you form an alliance, and how to do it. And info about if research/build "points" are saved when shifting research/production, and how.

Show discovered anomalies in mini-map.

And again: many of the suggestions mentioned here about events could be solved by making events able to depend on a bunch of parameters, including time and other events, etc.

And: Keep up the good work. Its already a very good game!

/P M