Idea for Starbase Gouvernor (with 'Screenshot')

from GalCiv2 Forums
Sorry for the doublepost, but I first started this thread yesterday in the subforum "Ideas", but I couldn't find this subforum anywhere and bumping the post didn't make it appear in the "Recent Posts" list. So here is a copy of what I posted yesterday to /dev/null:

Hi,

now that auto-focus will die there is only one thing that is annoying micromanagment to me: Starbases While I dislike the ideas I read about making starbase upgrades independent of constructors, I think a gouvernor could help a lot.

I would love to see such a gouvernor for it in some of the coming patches (or in the expansion pack) and because I'm no native speaker, I played around a bit with "The Gimp" and manipulated two screenshots to show how it maybe could work:



This way one could easily set the Starbase Gouvernor as rally point for one or more spaceports and if there are advanced starbase modules available for one of the bases which have this particular type enabled for autoupgrade, the gouvernor would send constructors to upgrade in the order the starbases sit in the queue.

A starport assigned to the Starbase Gouvernor would produce a stockpile of constructors as set in the gouvernors screen and then wait for upgradeable starbases before he launches the constructors and filling up the stock.

As I said, the screenshot was made quick and dirty just to illustrate, the game should be able to recognize if a particular starbase can be equipped with for example mining upgrades and otherwise the button should be greyed out, so there would be no conflict with the default settings one can set. On the other side, a inteface like this would allow players to have decent defaults set and provide the possibility to finetune the settings for every starbes seperately (micromanagment if you want to).

I would like to hear your opinions and suggestions about this idea, maybe there are better imaginations about the possibility for a Starbase Gouvernor!

8,136 views 9 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Note to myself: Never bump a doublepost!
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Hmm, i dont know. I'd still have to build constructors, right? I currently just place a rally point at a starbase i want to upgrade - all i have to do then is clicking away the "what do you want to build"-windows. When the starbase is fully upgraded, i just move the rally point to the next base - works fine for me.
WindowBlinds - Free yourself of the default settings, customize your desktop.
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Constructors with rally points are fine and I don't argue against constructors, because they are part of the game. You have to build them and they have to reach their target without being destroyed.

My point is, having lots of different starbases, it becomes a micromanagement hell for me so most of the time I stop upgrading them because it bothers me. The idea is to give one or more starports to the "Starbase Gouvernor", to set the priority for every starbase, if it should be upgraded and which parts to upgrade. Then you can tell the gouverner to stockpile some constructors while there's nothing to do and as soon as there is a possibility for upgrades, he sends the constructor to the concerning starbases.

You would still be able to manually use rally points for starbases, just set the "Gouvernor Default" to "Disabled" for new starbases. It would be in the list but the gouvernor would ignore it. Set starbases you don't want to upgrade manually any more on enabled, tweak their settings (or set decent defaults) and assign a starports target to the gouvernor, so he can use this starport for constructor production. By setting a starport I mean one ore more for all, not particular starports for every starbase.

Sorry, a lot of blah blah here, but agin this is not my mothers language and so it is a bit hard for me to get it clear.
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
interesting idea
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Great idea puntarenas.

I support your idea. This would help a lot in larger games.
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Thank you, let me continue my explanation:

While you would be able to set every starbase to the settings you adjusted under "Default Settings for Starbases" with the "set to default button", this button could maybe change to "Set all Starbases to default" on the default settings screen.

This would guarantee a lot of flexibility, while giving one the ability to tweak every single starbase. Yesterday I played my first game on a huge map, and I think especially here and with gigantic maps we would benefit a lot from such a gouvernor. I did a lot of micromanagement about my starbases and kept them up to date, but after the Yor (which had a 700% production bonus on their manufacturing capital, lucky me) destroyed most of my mining bases, I didn't reinstall them after I won the war, it would have been just too much work.

Nevertheless I think with optional auto-focus, it will already become much easier to handle these tasks.

Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
That mock screenshot really helps. I never really understood how a starbase governor could work, but yeah, I see what the starbase governor advocates are talking about now.

It'd be cool if you could (1) see on one screen the modules each starbase has, so a table with a row for each starbase and a column for each category of modules, and then something like 3 in a cell if Starbase X has 3 mining modules (and use a different color, blue or grey or something, if this is as many modules as can be built given your technology); (2) a way to specify the "needs" of each starbase, like how in the OP it's set up where you could build economic and trade modules but not any others; (3) a command for constructors that's similar to auto-explore that sends the constructor to the closest starbase with unmet needs (and a keyboard shortcut for this command).

I like the idea of being able to set the production focus of a planet by clicking on the cell that corresponds to Planet X's military production in the Colonies management tab. Using the same sort of idea as that, if number of each type of module on each starbase were displayed in a table like the Colonies management tab, and if clicking on a cell would enable or disable the building of that type of module, that would be about perfect.

Nice post.

Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Excellent idea. The only problem I see is that then the starbases could lose some of their individuality. (like, oh no, I spent a lot of time biulding that up, don't destroy it evil Drengin), but I could live with that