Game needs some Ur-Quan (or something similar)

from GalCiv2 Forums
Others have commented on how much the plot in GalCiv is like the classic game Starcon2. I do find the similarities rather humerous. One analogy between the two games is the role that the Drengin and Korath play in comparison to Ur-Quan and Kor-Ah in Starcon2. This got me wondering if I was supposed to think that the Drengin were kind of like the Ur-Quan and whether I was supposed to be scared of them. The problem is that the Drengin really are not that scary. They seem rather humanoid and somewhat on equal ground with the other races. It just turns out they are war-mongering. The Ur-Quan were very alien and caterpiller-like (not the pretty ones, but giant fearsome ones). They were very advanced and did not even think of other races as near their equals (which is why they used the talking-pets to talk to lower creatures) -remember the awesome music accompanying them?. Also, they didn't just conquer other races; they often made them fight for them?. The Drengin are more like Klingons, the Dread Lords on the other hand are too God-like and too inherently evil. The Ur-Quan weren't so much evil; they just live in fear of ever being conquered and enslaved again and therefore conquer everyone else.

I think it would be pretty cool if there was some race analgous to the Ur-Quan in GalCiv 2. The race could be blantantly unbalanced (perhaps counting as two opponents). It could be on the other end of the universe from you and enslaving other races to fight for them. They don't trade, they don't negotiate; they research, manufacture ships and enslave others to fight for them.

Just some wild thoughts
7,477 views 11 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Awww yeah.

YES!!! You are correct, it does need Ur-Quan! And especially Spathi!
lol

I did notice the Drengin/Korath similarity, first thing I thought of was Ur-Quan! Toys for Bob lawyers need to sue Stardock!!! j/k lol

And their music was frikkin great and terrifying. Oh man, they would SOOOO kick the Dread Lord's asses. hehehe :p (Or maybe the Kor-Ah, since they are more evil.)

Great ideas - I'd love to see new diplomatic options, and this is an idea for one -- getting the race to "surrender", but instead of blatantly joining the other race, they become a battle thrall slave race, like a vassal. They could later break off if they get too strong, or if their masters get too weak.

Another option to "have their homeworlds locked into a planetary shield" is cool too, but that might be too much of a ripoff. hehe
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
It'd be cool if their 'master race' could control what the battle thrall races can or can't do as well.

Ex. whether they can invade enemy planets, or even communicate with other races at all, or build starbases, etc.

It'd also be cool if the 'master' race could assign orders or 'missions' to their battle thralls. Do such and such action, and get X award... or get Y penalty. (or both)

Comeon Stardock, that'd be fun to implement, too! Slave races woohoo!
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Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
That's exactly the sort of thing I was thinking of. You could kind of do that in the game Alpha Centauri, but it was more just a matter of using standard diplomacy screen and the other race/faction doing what you say without you offering them anything. What would be neat is if you could also free races from their enslavement (maybe by liberating their home planet and kicking enough of the oppressors out of their turf). Perhaps the race is enslaved by having its homeworld taken over and remains enslaved until it is liberated. All other worlds would still belong to the conquered race, but they would take orders from the masters.

The whole world in a slave shield thing is already in TA isn't it? I thought earth was in a sheild meanwhile you play the expedition team was not part of this who want to try and fix everything. That is pretty much what happened in Starcon2.

It would be funny to have Spathi in the game, though I am not sure how you would work their cowardice in. I already see the Alteran as a bit like the Androsynth. The Thalan are a little like the Arilou -even with their interest in the humans (except they come from the future instead of another dimension).
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
You guys should probably just replayStar Control 2. ;) I end up doing that every couple years.

The Ur-Quan music was amazing, though. First thing I thought of about the Ur-Quan was the song.

However, this is a 4x game... unless the game is unbalanced, you aren't going to have any race that truly strikes fear into the player. The Ur-Quan ships could crush any ships the human player had in the first half of a StarCon game. Venturing into the middle section of the map was suicide.

Similarly, so was the cloud nebula in Star Flight 2, due to the Umanu. I always thought it was interesting that in both of my favorite space trader games I had to sneak around the outside of the maps.
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
lol Yeah yeah.. I've done it alot though.

I never did this game's campaign mode so maybe there is a 'planetary shield', that's interesting.

Cool thing about Starcon was that the "best" ships weren't always the best in all cases! I had alot of fun taking out UQ dreadnaughts (even Kohr Ah) using Spathi, and especially those little Thraddash ships. hehe

Starflight 2 was too hard and scary so I lost interest. lol.. Basically StarCon2 without the humor and other forms of entertainment.

Anyway, not to get too much off topic... Stardock add slave races to the diplomacy options!!!! If not in this game, at least in GC3!! w00t

Stuff like that and sophisticated United Planet options could really set the next installation of this game apart from competitors.
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
And is it just me, or are the Ilwrath in the wrong place on that map? Too high up, should be left of Earthling on the edge eh? And technically the two races (don't want to type their crazy names) in that area didn't exist during SC2! :p
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Another reason why i'd really want GC2.1 to be at least full 3D if not with just three layers (above, center, below) for two simple reasons;

1) to be able to spin around the neighborhood such as i could in SC3 (or Ascendency, btw) and
2) more importantly, to finally allow me to see planets & ships from under while being shot at like thunder on live but highly complex maps.
3) And, don't give me the false "orientation" argument - cuz, it won't stand the nearly upcoming test of modern PC gears. Intel or not.
:)

Look, SD i'll pay you good money for IT.
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Don't think it can happen in 2.1, sounds like too big of a change. Besides, wouldn't you rather have agents fixed, or new diplomacy options, or a better United Planets? OR SLAVE RACES!!! ^_^ I sure would.
Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Not even in a 2.5 version, somehow?
SD devs and designers can decide whatever they must and it's obvious some stuff has higher priorities (in *their* mind, though) - and since, i'm sure 99% of all active players do have a wish or two for that wonderful game as it is, mine might as well be posted right here for them to consider or not.

I'd say it is time to either announced a potential GC3 (with all new features - possibly mine included!) or simply, stick to the formal engine and concepts while addressing people's *easy to fix* concerns.

But, i'm no SD owner. Based on my relatively wide experience of gaming and current overall trends in 4X rare titles - i'd go as far as to insist modern hardware WILL nevertheless support extensive 3D renderings in real-time very soon, if not that some are already.

Triple-CPU-Core-Layers me a heck_of_a_ride in real space (ala, SinsofEmpire, btw) -- please and into GC_2.09999 or eventually *THE* third version.
;)
Reply #10 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Anyone know how hard would it be to create an Ur-Quan mod, substituting the current race animations/pics for UQM animations or pics?
Reply #11 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
And is it just me, or are the Ilwrath in the wrong place on that map? Too high up, should be left of Earthling on the edge eh? And technically the two races (don't want to type their crazy names) in that area didn't exist during SC2!
End of quote


I think that the map shown is from the paper one that came with the game and was needed for copy protection. I admit that when I did not have the map, I played the game so much that I could occassionally guess which star system the copy protection was asking about -I know it's pretty sad. Anyhow, the paper map was supposed to represent territories etc at the time of Starcon1 before the Ur-Quan won the war, and was therefore intentionally out of date with how things actually turn out in the game. Once the Mrnnmnrmenrn and Chenjesu were put into slave shield the Ilwrath took over their space and were attacking the Pkunk (the race at the far bottom left (listed as 'unknown'.) Why do I remember this but not my phone number!!??