Epic patience is required, that's a given!

The main problem with so big maps is that it's not centralized, there is no chokepoints in this game, thus it's really hard to take care of everything around the map. So there is no way to "defend" any planets on the largest maps, you only attack, no defense is possible because with hundreds of planets you don't know where they are going to attack. So in the end it's about who is more aggressive and takes all other's planets with massive invasions of hundreds of fleets.

I mostly play on medium, Large maps already take up too much time for each turn. Thus I can't go any bigger than Large.

I have found the larger the map the easier it is to defend your empire. At least on the tightly clustered star groups that I play with. Each star group turns into its own little island where various empires compete over the scraps. This leaves me in a good possition to consolidate my possition in my local star groups. It is then just a matter of moving in and cleaning house when my ambition outgrows my corner of the galaxy. >

One good thing about this game.

You can play whatever version you wish to play.

I am still only playing DL. But I have all the updates, from the beginning. So I can revert to any version, at any time I choose.

It is only sensible to save to the hard drive any version which you may want to go back to. Be it DL, DA, or beyond.

As to managing that many planets; it takes time, patience and perseverance - nothing more.

I play on large maps with abundant stars and planets, and even that is a little much for me. Medium is just a little to small. I love the colony rush too, which is why I set the way I do, but the thought of micromanaging 100 planets or more seems like a nightmare to me.

It might be easier if I understood the governors better. (As it is I made my own tech tree, mostly to keep from upgrading to industrial sectors...)

I would really love to see nuetral zones/areas of control where other races couldn't penetrate. Well they could, it just means they get war declared if they don't ask first. The ability to create fronts and borders would allow for a more refined strategic and diplomatic experience as opposed to dodgeball in space.

T

@Cypher:

I don't know about 'easier'... at least from the program perspective.

What you describe though is the real issue with the current set up...

Imagine if a race came into earth's solar system and start building an influence star base near earth, just outside the moon's orbit. Silliness. It's our solar system, we live here, what do they think they're doing? It's like coastal boundaries and international waters.Do you honestly think if we had the capability we would just sit around and complain, or would we blow it out of the sky? I have to think we'd blow it up, unless the other race had lobbyists and alot of currency...

You should have the option to enforce a 'no fly zone' around your systems. Heck Star Trek had the nuetral zone in the 60's...

Combine open space with 'instant' starbase, just add water and you have a pretty good recipe for annoyance. I do hope it's addressed for GC3.

T

Personally, I'm thinking more along the lines that the AI can't bring any of its MILITARY ships into our own space, unless we were allies or something. If someone that you didn't like just sent half of their navy into your country, would you honestly just sit their and watch it happen?

As for the whole colony rush thing, I think that colony ship should get passage through any borders no matter what. That'll make it so you can still colonize worlds, no matter what influence surrounds them.

I also think that even though official borders could destroy the purpose of an Influence starbase, I still believe that there is more good then bad that can come from having borders. If you are really in love with influence bases, then work your way into the AI's country, starting from just outside their territory, and keep chipping away at the AI every turn. Sure, it'll take alot longer, but at least you would still get to use the Influence bases.

I, like antracer, do hope that the situation is addressed in GalCiv3 or New Frontiers. Best Regards.

~ Cypher ~

Great points, antracer. Couldn't agree with you more!

~ Cypher ~

I realize that it is a Mod - I just didn't know what kind of changes that would take. As for the rehaul of the speed system - yeah, I think you're right. It really doesn't make sense that a ship would have more than one drive on it. Nice point.

~ Cypher ~

That's my argument.

Although-the way you've phrased it doesn't mesh with what I thought you were asking.

Rather, I would ask this question: Is it possible to generate two warp fields with one ship to any benefit whatsoever?

The answer is a solid no.

I've been thinking about this, and my solution thus far is to remove engine components entirely, and have "smaller" versions of the engines be simulated by adding minor miniaturization amounts to the subsequent engine techs.  I think that this should be balanced out by setting a negative miniaturization modifier when each new engine (i.e. impulse, warp, hyperwarp) is unlocked-in addition to their +speed, obviously.

I haven't decided what speed values to give them as of yet, or how long the engine tree necessarily needs to be, though.

In any case, it beats the hell out of making 5 new hulls for every engine type.

A really good thing they could do is to implement in some sort of way the Zone of Control that Civilization III had, but to a further extent. In this way, Influence would actually be something worth building instead of being an almost useless building (unless you are going for an influence win or to bring in some extra BC). Your influence borders would be seen kind of as your controlled territory. Initially anyone could just pass through your territory, and a tech down the diplomacy line would eventually force everyone to be able to sign right of passage agreements. If right of passage is not signed and someone enters your influence sphere, you can tell them to leave or take whatever action you feel. An interesting thing here would be that the unit passing through would actually have to be 'spotted' be one of your units, so it would be possible still to sneak through or into others territory (or to launch surprise attacks). Since space in reality is incredibly vast, this would be something that would make sense.

This would make building influence starbases and improvements a slightly more important aspect of the game, strategically as well (especially if a civ decides to not go on a warpath conquer all strategy).

Of course if say you owned a planet right in the middle of Torian terrioty and had no sphere there at all, something would have to be done in those situations, so you could bring in units or what not.

I tend toward the opposite:   I think there should NOT be choke points, dead man's land, boundaries, etc..   It's space.   3-dimensional, really really, big, and the vast majority of it empty, with a few sparse points to island-hop.   No need to copy-cat other strategy games--the unique reality of space sells itself.

The whole Influence thing doesn't bother me, though.   Look why Cuba is so important:  it influences the entire Caribbean Sea.  And that's significant, even if it's only a sea.  Having a zone of influence in the middle of space is reasonable, but it's not the same thing as having influence over land, as in Civ.

I actually agree with this, concerning 'engines' or 'drives' that propel a ship from system to system. That main engine may become more powerful, or more compact... But in essence, all of the components whether they be single or multiples really all adds up to being one big engine, or one big drive system. I like the idea of a % of the hull being engine or drive. I also like the idea that as tech increases, the speed increases and size of the components gets smaller. You would have to have definitive ship classes that could travel between systems, and those which would have to be transported there on cargo ships. (Now your talking actual logistics too... )

I also believe there needs to be a Thruster tech line, and they need to operate seperately. They need to be tied to a finite fuel source and they should be able to be applied to a hull in multiples affecting the speed.

As for techs, the games levels for engines or drives is fine. From an Ion engine @ speed +1, size 35% of hull to first level Warp @ speed +5, size 25% of hull... Maybe each level loses a % and adds a speed??? I'm sure it would be self evident where the values would fall once you matrixed it out.

@tetlytea: Yes, space is big. And we want control of it... All of it. Oh, and did we mention, it's OURS. That includes the space around our planets, the space between our planets and any space in between. We don't want you in it. You do not have the right to build starbases here, nor to patrol here. In fact, you're not welcome here at all. Every race has the right to set up a defensive perimeter, a zone of whatever you want to call it, influence or whatever. Between your influence and mine, there needs to be a place that is open. A buffer zone... A nuetral zone, where we can keep an eye on each other, a border.

It's not copying anything. It's the way it is. It's how that system is executed that sets it apart, that decides whether it copies anything or not.

It's very true you could not patrol this vastness of space. I am sure stealth technologies would exist that would allow incursions or raids into enemy space that were 'undetectable'... At least until it was too late. But we have all kinds of neat sensor technologies and space stations and fleets and drones to keep us apprised of your actions. We are diligent in our patrols, and I think we do a pretty good job of it. Do you think you can sneak in undetected and wipe out a colony without us finding out? Go ahead and try, it's what they invented war for.

What it all comes down to is simple... You're just mad because we won't let you travel in our space.

T