Medicine Man Medicine Man

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

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

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...
26,114 views 529 replies
Reply #326 Top
If you google on "morton tax group:comp.os.os2.games" you'll find a request of mine from february '97 asking to type in numbers instead of using sliders for tax and trade bids. Hey it's been 6 years I figured it was time to nudge a little. LOL
Sorry, couldn't resist
Reply #327 Top
Just two things I'd like to see:

1. GAME SETTINGS:
Number of resources in galaxy.
I think it would make very different challenges wether you play on a map where a resource is in every 2nd sector, or on a map with only 3-4 resources at all.

2. DEFENSE SATELLITES:
I don't know if it is possible to code this, but when you could make ships which are not able to leave the orbit, it would be an easy way to implement some satelitte defense system. I think this would be cool. :)
[Message Edited]
Reply #328 Top
Fleet command ability. Allows you to combines a number of smaller ships into a fleet. How many ships are in a fleet and how well there might is combined will depend on how physically big the ships are and your skill in fleet commanding.

Like X amount of ships of X size could combine depending on your fleet handling ability. There attack/defense would be added together with a minus percentage out of the total combo which would also depend on your fleet handling ability. Certain technological advances would help you handle a larger fleet with less percentage taken from the total combo #. Like advances in communications.

Certain antifleet technology could also exist. Like radio scrambler and such.
[Message Edited]
Reply #330 Top
Good grief, Charlie Brown. This is a pot full of great ideas. In fact, they read like a (mostly) new game. I sincerely hope they get implemented, in an expansion set or GalCiv2.

Things I'd like to see (probably already mentioned):
1) More control over, or possibilities for, upgrading planets in the 10 to 14 range. Especially in early or mid-game.
2) More options in dialog between races, especially having the AI offer to trade or suggesting what he/she would like in return for what you want.
3) An easier way to edit the game (maps, civs, ships, etc.). The system in Civ3 comes to mind.
4) A couple of more techs for speeding up ship movement.
5) Almost all of the ideas listed above. :d :) :)
Reply #331 Top
My suggestions (many of them are modification of this thread, or just to say it in an integrated way)

1. Maximize WayPoint usage
a. If the start and end point is the same, it means looping forever
b. Production Relay, units produced from a planet will be automatically relayed to desalinated location, using waypoint; Auto-Retreat is set by default.
c. Trade route following the same path set by the Freighter (which is waypointed)

2. Wormhole:
a. Some Wormholes are sticky, some aren't
b. Some Wormhole destination is random, some aren't
c. Some Wormhole moves slowly, some fast
d. Wormholes' effect radiate unevenly outwards, 100% at the center, 30% near the center, 1% at around the 1 sector radius. Larger ship/TerrorStar has much higher % chance to be sucked away. This check is done every turn.
e. Each unit travelling inside a wormhole, has a low chance, say 2%, of being destroyed
f. Some New propulsion tech to allow safer wormhole passage, by decreasing % chance
g. Some expensive propulsion techs to create, remove a wormhole. Those equipment is attached to the Constructor/TerrorStar etc

3. Nebula
a. Cannot be traveled
b. Except with ships equipped with a special engine, say "AntiMatter Propulsion"
c. Those ships travel at half speed in normal space, normal speed in Nebula. They cost 50% more of the same ship. So you'd have 2 types of the same Corvette in the same mil production tree
d. scanner range do not extend outside the Nebula, when fleets are inside

4. StarBase
a. New Population Module: can be built to add 100,200,500,1000,2000 Mil Population Capacity to a starbase. These Pop module, can be researched after 'Improved Envir' and 'Adv. Interstellar Manufacturing'
b. Population growth is halved in SB; the initial PQ is a random 12-16
c. New Propulsion Module: SB should be able to move, but the new tech is only avail after 'HyperSpace' and 'Adv. Interstellar Manufacturing'; expensive, say 4000RP. SB speed is 25% normal.
d. New Terraforming Module: Requires Virus Elimination, Improved Envir Ctrl, Advanced Engineering; allows slowly improving PQ on Unoccupied planets. Ranges from max. PQ 14 to PQ 19 modules
e. SB can be built in any planet orbit, it enjoy all those Production/Social special the planet offers; Propulsion addon impossible
f. SB build on a populated planet, but only Defence/Attack related Module can be built, for sake of balance
g. Other then that, SB have all those Social & Mil production ability etc; just as the same as a normal Planet
h. Of course Terror Star is a SB

5. StarGate (SG)
a. Requires mid-to-high tech lvl of Propulsion, Industrial, and Communication to be researched
b. Available only in SB
c. New resource: StarGate. Any SB built at that resource gain the StarGate without require any tech
d. SG allows teleport to any (NON-AT-WAR nor Hostile) StarGate next round
e. SG has max range of 4 sectors, it's non functional if there is no friendly SG within range
f. Units travelling by SG have 2% chance of being destroyed

6. Resource does not move along with a mobile SB

7. Territory & Road Toll
a. Non-Allied units A travelling inside a sector not owned, is 'suggested' to pay to the sector owner B (i.e. highest cultural influence)
b. 'Suggested toll' means for player A, it has 1 % sliders for each major race. If player A pays the default 100%, it means s/he pays the entire 'suggested' toll to player B. The 'suggested' toll is calculated automatically, Capital ship cost a lot, while freighter cost practically nothing.
c. Pay less than 100% definitely means deteriorating diplomatic relationship
d. Toll doubled/tripled if the departing SG has wormhole/lots of nebula

8. Interstellar LandMines
a. % Chance to harm ANY trespasser, in that sector
b. Requires Drones, some basic Industry tech to be researched.
c. LandMines are built by Constructor
d. Eventually more powerful landmine, smarter landmines that are able to distinguish friend or foe can be developed
e. New MineSweeper class of ships will be available

9. Tech Trading
a. Pregame option to make it requires X2, X3, X10, X1000 cost to trade spell
b. Pregame option to disable certain tech to certain player
- Very useful as there'd be more tech in future and make player cope with the situation by using new strategy

10. More varied Start for advanced players
a. Powerful & game changing tech like SG, TerraForming, Wormhole Control, SB Population Module etc MAYBE given to Human at game start, as an expensive Attribute
b. SB ONLY race: are not able to live on any Planet. Must live in SB. It's implemented as an expensive Attribute.
c. Control the abundance of SG Resource, Nebula, Wormhole of the Map

11. Varied Start Year
a. Just add a New Year Slider to the RMG
b. Starting at a later year will give All races more tech, more occupied planets, less space junk, less minor race etc.
c. Each races' starting power at that 'later' year depends on its intelligence level. 'Incredible' races have huge starting pop, great tech, lots of occupied planet etc. But if the Terran is a Fool at year 5000, it still starts with 1 Colony, 1 Survey, 1 Planet, no tech.
d. In essence, a low Intelligence Terran start at year 5000 is very tough, because the universe is full

12. UP and Event
a. In the 1st round of UP, there are 3 choices of possible Event. Every race bid for the Event it wants most to be voted on. The highest bidder pays the Influence Point before the actual voting starts.
b. In the 2nd round, the normal voting process continues.

13. Stored Seed for RMG
14. MapEditor <- well, for Next version
a. Map design may become more relevant, if there is nebula and more variety of wormhole & SG.
15. Multiplayer/PBEM <- well, for Next version
Reply #332 Top
My suggestions (many of them are modification of this thread, or just to say it in an integrated way)

1. Maximize WayPoint usage
a. If the start and end point is the same, it means looping forever
b. Production Relay, units produced from a planet will be automatically relayed to desalinated location, using waypoint; Auto-Retreat is set by default.
c. Trade route following the same path set by the Freighter (which is waypointed)

2. Wormhole:
a. Some Wormholes are sticky, some aren't
b. Some Wormhole destination is random, some aren't
c. Some Wormhole moves slowly, some fast
d. Wormholes' effect radiate unevenly outwards, 100% at the center, 30% near the center, 1% at around the 1 sector radius. Larger ship/TerrorStar has much higher % chance to be sucked away. This check is done every turn.
e. Each unit travelling inside a wormhole, has a low chance, say 2%, of being destroyed
f. Some New propulsion tech to allow safer wormhole passage, by decreasing % chance
g. Some expensive propulsion techs to create, remove a wormhole. Those equipment is attached to the Constructor/TerrorStar etc

3. Nebula
a. Cannot be traveled
b. Except with ships equipped with a special engine, say "AntiMatter Propulsion"
c. Those ships travel at 75% speed in normal space, normal speed in Nebula. They cost 50% more of the same ship. So you'd have 2 types of the same Corvette in the same mil production tree
d. scanner range do not extend outside the Nebula, when fleets are inside

4. StarBase
a. New Population Module: can be built to add 100,200,500,1000,2000 Mil Population Capacity to a starbase. These Pop module, can be researched after 'Improved Envir' and 'Adv. Interstellar Manufacturing'
b. Population growth is halved in SB; the initial PQ is a random 12-16
c. New Propulsion Module: SB should be able to move, but the new tech is only avail after 'HyperSpace' and 'Adv. Interstellar Manufacturing'; expensive, say 4000RP. SB speed is 25% normal.
d. New Terraforming Module: Requires Virus Elimination, Improved Envir Ctrl, Advanced Engineering; allows slowly improving PQ on Unoccupied planets. Ranges from max. PQ 14 to PQ 19 modules
e. SB can be built in any planet orbit as long as there is no one lives on the planet (for balance reason), it enjoy all those Production/Social special the planet offers; Propulsion addon impossible
f. Other then that, SB have all those Social & Mil production ability etc; just as the same as a normal Planet
g. Of course Terror Star is a SB

5. StarGate (SG)
a. Requires mid-to-high tech lvl of Propulsion, Industrial, and Communication to be researched
b. Available only in SB
c. New resource: StarGate. Any SB built at that resource gain the StarGate without require any tech
d. SG allows teleport to any (NON-AT-WAR nor Hostile) StarGate next round
e. SG has max range of 4 sectors, it's non functional if there is no friendly SG within range
f. Units travelling by SG have 2% chance of being destroyed

6. Resource does not move along with a mobile SB

7. Territory & Road Toll
a. Non-Allied race A is travelling inside a sector not owned, is 'suggested' to pay to the sector owner B (i.e. highest cultural influence)
b. The 'Suggested toll' is charged to race A. If race A pays the default 100%, it means s/he pays the entire 'suggested' toll to Race B. The 'suggested' toll is calculated automatically, Capital ship cost a lot, while freighter cost practically nothing.
c. Race B has another slider call "Toll Discount" for each major race. 100% means no discount of the "suggested toll" for race A. 200% means Race B wants Race A pays double when travelling the sector B owns
d. Pay less than 100% definitely means deteriorating AI diplomatic relationship
e. Suggested Toll doubled/tripled if the departing SG has wormhole/lots of nebula, due to the strategic nature.

8. Interstellar LandMines
a. % Chance to harm ANY trespasser, in that sector
b. Requires Drones, some basic Industry tech to be researched.
c. LandMines are built by Constructor
d. Eventually more powerful landmine, smarter landmines that are able to distinguish friend or foe can be developed
e. New MineSweeper class of ships will be available

9. Tech Trading
a. Pregame option to make it requires X2, X3, X10, X1000 cost to trade spell
b. Pregame option to disable certain tech to certain player
- Very useful as there'd be more tech in future and make player cope with the situation by using new strategy

10. More varied Start for advanced players
a. Powerful & game changing tech like SG, TerraForming, Wormhole Control, SB Population Module etc MAYBE given to Human at game start, as an expensive Attribute
b. SB ONLY race: are not able to live on any Planet. Must live in SB. It's implemented as an expensive Attribute.
c. Control the abundance of SG Resource, Nebula, Wormhole of the Map

11. Varied Start Year
a. Just add a New Year Slider to the RMG
b. Starting at a later year will give All races more tech, more occupied planets, less space junk, less minor race etc.
c. Each races' starting power at that 'later' year depends on its intelligence level. 'Incredible' races have huge starting pop, great tech, lots of occupied planet etc. But if the Terran is a Fool at year 5000, it still starts with 1 Colony, 1 Survey, 1 Planet, no tech.
d. In essence, a low Intelligence Terran start at year 5000 is very tough, because the universe is full

12. UP and Event
a. In the 1st round of UP, there are 3 choices of possible Event. Every race bid for the Event it wants most to be voted on. The highest bidder pays the Influence Point before the actual voting starts.
b. In the 2nd round, the normal voting process continues.

13. Stored Seed for RMG
14. MapEditor [Message Edited]
[Message Edited]
Reply #333 Top
This is what i'd really like1. PRE GAME FREQUENCY SETTING FOR RANDOM EVENTS.2. PRE GAME FREQUENCY/BETTER ODDS SETTING FOR SPACE MONSTERS.3. MINOR ALIENS USING LOGOS 10-16 instead of the default image. (Good for when you make little alien race mods in place of the logos)4. TRADE EMBARGO5. HISTORY SUMMARY OF YOUR RACE much like in Civilization 1 -the end print out6. MAKE DESTABILIZATION and ESPECIALLY ESPIONAGE more flavorful. Have exciting things happen with advanced espionage! 7. HAVE 2 MORE MAJOR CIVS -Thus bringing the total to 7and you pick the 5 you want to use in the game.
End of quote


and

8. A list of all the trade goods we reap benefits from...
not just ones we can trade, would be nice.

for example- if we trade our gravity accelerators for
someone's ultra spices..it would be nice to go somewhere
where it says

Trade Goods Owned
____________________
Gravity Accelerators (our patent..available to trade)
Ultra Spices (obtained from other race-not available to trade)

and

9. Also may be a list of what techs we have too

Reply #334 Top


I wouldn't mind seeing some treaty options. Research treaties (perhaps only applicable if you research the same thing?), refueling rights (treat bases/planets as supply bases), non-intercourse (avoid each other's sectors; if you have no colonies/bases there and the other's leading in influence, don't go there), maybe a mutual-defense treaty (limited form of alliance; currently, alliances also kick in when your ally starts a war). This would complicate things further, though, and make the AI's job harder, perhaps too much so.
End of quote


Hmm. What if they gave us (and the AI's) the option, but let the downloads from Megaverse 'introduce' the concepts to the AI? Would that work?



~SDC~
Reply #335 Top
I hate adding my suggestion to the bottom of this... Will it ever be seen...??

Trade. Very under utilised in my games. I just don't know what things are worth, particularly star systems, and I dislike the iterative process of trying to find out (I dislike getting ripped off even more :) ).

What about on the trade screen if every item (trade good, system, tech, peace, war etc) has a 'value' number assigned to it. Of course you wouldn't want to make it easy so the numbers would be something like the actual value modified by some sort of opposed diplomacy check (I'm thinking along the lines of diplomacy vs bluff for the 3eD&D nerds out there).

This way your 'trade advisor' (ie the relative numbers) could be telling you your getting a good deal when your being taken to the cleaners (the modifiers could vary from something like -80 to 500%). Similarly you may 'talk' them down. At least we would have a place to start though.

Wouldn't mind seeing the AI initiate trade more often - major and minor civs.

Great game btw. Just keeps on giving...
Reply #336 Top
Hi !

I'd like to see a slightly different layout regarding the minimap. You see when another race gives you a planet or it flips or whatever . . . I'd like to see where it is. I know I can do this manualy but on a big map with dozens of planets under your control it's all too confussing (I'm easily confussed).

Also in the trade screen a minimap with a highlight system or resource wand would be awsome! Once again its just a big map issue . . . Because you can't always back out and then resume a haggling session with another race . . . its realatively easy to fluffy up and trade them something that you didn't mean too (on big maps offcourse).

Like, I had this crazy 52 quality planet which I totally accidently gave to a Minor race in an effort to help em out a bit . . . opps. ;p At least they were stoked! :D

There some great ideas up there . . . what about a new starbase module (or set of modules) which causes the station to spin in the opposite direction and rewind events (i.e. anti time warp type of thingo) bc per turn cost and an activation method would be required . . . but it would suite a pacifist like myself, crazy idea though.

For all the research one does on star, planet and galaxy creation . . . I hope that we could one day actually make things out of it (mabye making use of those low quality white dwafs perhaps).

The obvious one that I'm not sure if anyone has metioned is the addition of a singularity (black hole). Either naturally occuring or researchable (especially as a variation to stellar creation/destruction). It could be a cool mouse trap for those fool hard science vessels .. . wicked idea.
[Message Edited]
Reply #338 Top
Enchanced diplomacy, so you could:
1. ask for stuff, not only demand or trade. Also, it'd be nice to be able to ask for (undefined) help against someone, and to ask the AI to break an alliance. (Although, some AI development might be necessary too, since the AI'd have to realize if giving you a few military techs would be a good idea or if he'd be better of in an alliance with you..... ? )
2. ask the AI to make offers for things you choose.
3. ask the AI to attack some specific target, possibly with the player.
4. some things I can't remember anymore. :notsure:

Overall : More complex diplomacy.

Plus: make better use of alliances ! :sniff!:
Reply #339 Top
It would be nice if the ship and fleet graphics were improved, and if fleets could hold more than 16 units. I realize the first request might be a bit too time-intensive to commit to, though, so its more of a pipe-dream wish than anything. ;)

~SDC~
Reply #340 Top
Oh, I forgot something -

Orbital bombardment would be nice to include in some fashion other than simply destroying the entire star. It makes sense that ships in orbit would be able to bomb the surface with nukes for as long as they wanted before invasion. Heck, even include different KINDS of orbital bombardment with various costs and advantages/disadvantages - have it work like invasion, only its bombardment. ;)

~SDC~
Reply #341 Top
Technically, according to the backstory everybody -- including the humans -- should start with the technology to build stargates. After all, Terran scientists received the stargate plans, understood them, and from there worked out hyperdrive.

Ergo => no additional tech requirement. On the other hand, they would need to be very expensive to build, use, and probably to maintain as well. It might still be useful on large galaxies to send high-quality capital ships to systems closer to where they're needed, given that some of the ship-improvement facilities are considerably expensive and, in some cases, galactic achievements.
Reply #343 Top
1. Map annotation: Be able to click a square and then have a little icon appear on the map (and, optionally, the mini-map). You can then enter as much as you like.

2. More minors, ships, techs, etc.

3. An AI difficulty level between "sub-normal" and "normal." I can't beat normal and I always beat sub-normal.

4. Be able to disable races at the start and choose how many minors there are at the start of the game.

5. Have some events where the "good" choice gives you a benefit and the "evil" choice gives you a negative. Or some where the "neutral" choice gives you a negative and the other two give you a bonus. Or one where all three choices give you a different bonus.

6. An even smaller galaxy type than "Tiny." >:) "One world per race." Also a size larger than gigantic like "OH MY GOD."

7. I heard GalCiv is actually 3D (including ships!), but it looks 2D because of fixed camera angles. If this is true, allow us to tilt/rotate camera.

8. Main map zoom in/out.

9. Map bookmarks.

10. Have a "find..." option that lets us type in the name of a system/starship/starbase and instantly jump to that. It hard on gigantic to find things sometimes...
Reply #344 Top
Technically, according to the backstory everybody -- including the humans -- should start with the technology to build stargates. After all, Terran scientists received the stargate plans, understood them, and from there worked out hyperdrive.
End of quote


Yes, definitely.

8. Main map zoom in/out.9. Map bookmarks.10. Have a "find..." option that lets us type in the name of a system/starship/starbase and instantly jump to that. It hard on gigantic to find things sometimes...
End of quote


All of these, too! Especially that last one...

~SDC~
Reply #345 Top
A Request:

I had a prison established on my homeworld (by vote of the council)

The prisoners escaped and stole ships.

The stolen ships now appear next to my homeworld. The problem is these ships are far more advanced than anything I can build. (Stated differetly, the technology needed to build these ships is far in advance of my current technology).

My request would be that for this event only ships of a currently available technology be used.

Thanks for your continued support of this game.
Reply #346 Top
The stolen ships now appear next to my homeworld. The problem is these ships are far more advanced than anything I can build. (Stated differetly, the technology needed to build these ships is far in advance of my current technology).
End of quote


I usually vote to put it on someone else's homeworld, knowing that the prisoners will demolish their military. Guess it's all a matter of perspective.

I played a game tonight, and was one turn short of a Final Frontier victory -- I won by cultural conquest instead! Grr. How about an in-game option to *not* end the game when you reach a victory condition?

~SDC~
Reply #347 Top
I think it would be nice to have a research governor. Even better would be to be able to select a future tech you want and let the governor figure out how to get there. Or be able to tell the governor that you want X military, social, or starbase module...now research what you need to get us there.
Reply #348 Top
Can all the settings of galaxy size also include the how many stars? (like huge map with tiny star counts...) well.. there is a setting that controls habitable planets, but i really would like to feel vastness of galaxy size while not worrying about playing huge map with too many stars to manage.
Reply #349 Top
Don't know if it's been mentioned before, but I would REALLY like to see a way to move ships as a fleet.

I just had a late game (August 2208) Precursor Corvette event, and now I have a stack of 100 (Yes, One Hundred) Corvettes to deal with.

I'll perobably have to set them to guard, because I don't think they can all fit into Star System they were found in (which is odd in and of itself. :)
~SDC~
[Message Edited]
Reply #350 Top
If the individual planetary mil/soc sliders are too hard too implement, just a simple 'wealth' type option for the social build queue would suffice.
It could provide an inefficient bc/turn rate.
Perhaps a 'military' social build queue option also that would redirect spending for that planet to its military queue.
Constructors are virtually always a valid build when military allocation is present so the military queue probably doesn't need a sympatric option.