I really hope the developers include a pre-game option to include Random Events. Even great strategy games like SOASE are in danger of going stale if nothing totally unexpected happens. We have our build routines, our research strats, our carefully laid plans to expand, and so forth. Now we're off to control the galaxy. But what if the galaxy throws us some unexpected curve-balls to keep us on our feet and make each game very UNIQUE?
I hope SOASE includes more elements from turn-based classics, as they are currently planning with augmented diplomacy. Random events would be a relatively easy but exciting addition.
You should be able to see which Random Events your empire is currently experiencing by viewing the 'cards' on the lower left of the screen.
Random Events (sample list, starting with negatives, moving to positives)
1. Solar Storm
A randomly chosen star emits fierce solar radiation for 3 to 10 minutes game time. This interferes with jump travel and communications. The transit time of all ship jumps within the affected system is doubled. Starmap sensor range is halved. Finally, ships within the gravwell of the affected star receive a small amount of damage per second.
A star that is emmitting a solar storm should have a small pulsing icon of a seven-pointed star at its center.
2. Orbital Disaster
A random orbital has suffered a major accident. It receives 'X' amount of damage. A weaker orbital might be destroyed. A stronger ones is left damaged.
3. Space Monster
One of the best parts of the Master of Orion series were the random arrivals of the space monsters. Who didn't think this was cool? Space Hydra, Amoeba, Crystal, Eel, etc. I would LOVE to see some kind of bad boy like this to show up and threaten my empire, or trash an enemy empire. The random nature of it was so fun and often challenging.
Example monster: ANCIENT MACHINE. A war machine built millions of years ago, this enigmatic alien vessel wanders the void in search of military challenges. It arrives unexpectedly, usually on the fringes of a solar system. Tough as an upgraded Star Base but able to jump (slowly), the alien machine randomly attacks the closest occupied worlds. Once it destroys 'X' amount of orbitals and/or ships, it then vanishes to parts unknown in the galaxy.
4. Pirate Armada
The Pirates need a capital ship, no doubt about it. There should be one guarding every Pirate hideaway. There should also be a random event when a Pirate cap ship, accompanied by escorts, just jumps in from afar to the gravwell of a star. Then it just starts randomly pillaging from there, going from planet to planet randomly. Eager to fight enemy vessels, its mere presence in orbit around a colony sucks in credits not unlike a TEC carrier using the Embargo ability.
5. Diplomatic Scandal
A major diplomatic event has taken place between your empire and another. It has gotten out of control and now threatens larger repercussions. Happiness between your empire and another falls by 25 to 45%.
6. Uprising
Events have spiralled out of control on one of your planets. Dissatisfied civilians have combined to resist governmental policies. The effect lasts 5 minutes. During this time, tax revenues fall by a short amount and Allegiance falls by 20% to 45%. An icon with a raised fist appears over an affected planet. (Perhaps this could be 'dealt with' in the same way as a Labour Dispute. See below.)
7. Plague
A pandemic of interstellar origin has befallen one of your planets. As a quarintine is enforced, it takes your scientists 3 to 12 minutes to concoct vaccines and antidotes. During this time, population numbers slowly fall. A small glowing icon of a skull and cross bones appears over the planet. If population levels reach zero, the planet becomes uninhabited. (Whenever this event happens, perhaps add an option for a new tech to be available for research: Xeno vaccine. You can throw money at trying to halt this specific disease.)
8. Computer Virus
Unleashed by a cyber terrorist or rogue AI, a computer virus causes havoc in 1 or 2 research orbitals. Emergency measures have called for the affected facilities to be shut down for 5 minutes until the virus can be dealt with and data banks restored.
9. Asteroid Threat
An asteroid appears beyond the periphery of a solar system. It is eventually going to strike a random colony. A flashing red line appears on the starmap, connecting the asteroid and the targeted planet. If it's one of your planets, you must build up defenses and assemble a fleet to detroy the tumbling asteroid before it strikes its target. The asteroid does not follow phase lanes and instead tumbles through deep space. A player has 3-4 minutes to muster a defense so the asteroid can be blown up before striking the colony. If not interdicted, the asteroid causes mass damage, equal to the strike of several Marza dreadnoughts.
10. Collision in Space
One of your ships was unable to evade a large object in space. It received a direct hit of 'X' amount of damage.
11. Psychic Storm (an exclusive Advent problem)
This very rare event only affects Advent players. The Unity has been disrupted by rogue psychics who have unleashed a psychic storm. Effects?
12. Nanite disaster (an exclusive Vasari problem)
The Vasari pride themselves on their mastery of Nanite technology. Very rarely, these nanites get out of hand and cause mayhem. Effects?
13. Labour Dispute (an exclusive TEC problem)
War has forced the Trader Emergency Coalition into a well-oiled machine. The trading blocs and labour guilds have for the most part put aside their internal disputes. Well, almost. The strain of centralized control and warfare very occasionally provoke the old rivalries to re-emerge on new colonies. A planet experiencing a Labour Dispute has its trade cut in half and its Allegiance decreased by 20% -- all for 5-12 minutes. The presence of every capital ship and Star base in the planet's gravwell will reduce the duration of the dispute by 2 minutes. A large military show of force could nip the dispute in the bud.
14. Global Eruption
This only affects Volcanic planets. Very occasionally a Volcanic planet will experience a mass global eruption during which most of the volanoes will blow at once. Duration = X of minutes. Effects? A pulsing red icon of 3 volcanoes appears at the centre of the planet.
15. Global Sandstorm
This happens only on Desert planets. Very occasionally, a sandstorm of major intensity will lash the entire planet for X number of minutes. Effects? A pulsing brown icon of an aprroaching cloud appears.
16. Pollution Disaster
This only affects Terran planets. A major industrial accident has occurred. Sensitive ecologies and densely populated open cities are under threat from severe pollution. Lose 1 or 2 population infrastruture points on this planet, until they are rebuilt. A pulsing icon of Biohazard symbol appears over the affected planet until the infrastructure points are rebuilt.
17. Seccession
This affects planets that only have an allegiance between 1% and 40%. Talk of freedom is in the air. Colonists have had enough of the empire they've tried so long to escape from. A planet affected by Secession will leave its former empire and go Neutral. The computer assumes control. (See my notes on diplomacy wish list for the status of Neutrality). A pulsing icon of a zigzag lightning bolt through clasp hands appears for 20 seconds, and then the affected planet goes neutral and thus invisible until your forces re-enter the planet's orbit.
18. Xenophobia
For every peace treaty you have with an empire not of your race, there is a small chance that a wave of Xenophobia spreads through the back alleys of your empire. The duration of the backlash event lasts 5 to 10 minutes, or until you end the treaties. Allegiance on every one of your planets falls by 5-15% while Xenophobia is in effect.
19. Brain Lock
Scientists in your empire have experienced serious troubles in making a breakthrough on a particular research project. As a result the randomly chosen research takes 100 to 200% longer to complete. A pulsing icon of a broken light bulb appears over the project that is being researched.
20. Diplomatic Breakthrough
Relations between your empire and another have drastically warmed due to breakthrough talks and secret meetings. Mutual Happiness rises from 15 to 25%. A pulsing icon of two shaking hands appears somewhere around in the diplomacy screen.
21. Trade Boom
A random planet which has 1 more trade ports is booming with activity. Revenues rise by 50% for 3 to 10 minutes. An icon of coins.
22. Research Breakthrough
There is a sudden breakthrough with a randomly selected research project you're either working on, or one you've cued up for later. The research is instantly gained. A momentary icon of a bright light bulb over the research project.
23. Mother Lode
Somewhere in your empire, miners have come across a mother lode of resources. You either gain 200 to 400 metal, or 200 to 400 crystal, instantly added to your reserves.
24. Investment
Elites in your society have decided to pour credits into the government's projects, for the benefit of the empire. Early game: Add 500 credits. Later game: add 1200.
25. War Fever
Motivation and morale amongst your military has caught fire. There is a cult-like fervour to smash all enemies. For 5-10 minutes, all the ships of your fleet do +10% damage. Logistics screen. Icon of raised sword or pistol.
26. Private Initiative
Ambitious colonists are eager to take advantage of new territories. Very occasionally, they will slip the reins of central control and build a thriving trade port within the orbit of a new colony. It starts spontaneously building. Once built, it's loyal to you, and if you think its presence is unauthorized, you can scuttle it.
27. Mass Migration
Sometimes population congestion on your worlds provokes a wild need for migration. Or sometimes legends form around a newly colonized world. Whatever the case, migrants become eager to colonize and thus flock to a particular new world. Lasting 2 to 10 minutes, the Mass Migration effect doubles population growth on the effected planet. The effect of Mass Migration also spontaneously upgrades the colony's population infrastructure up by 1 level. Icon over planet of descending ships.
28. Secret Pact
Covert operatives have enhanced your empire's relations with pirates. Bribes have been exchanged. People have been corrupted. A Secret Pact has been formed whereby your empire gains immunity from Pirate Raids for a random 15 to 30 minutes. The Pact is dissolved if you destroy any Pirate vessels during this time. An icon of two silhouettes facing each other appears over the Pirate hideaway.
29. Unexpected Intelligence
Your spies and turn-coats from another empire are supplying you with detailed information about a randomly chosen planet within another empire. You gain full vision of this planet for 5 to 10 minutes.
30. Imperial Glory
An unexpected wave of faith and pride in your empire's rightness grips all your planets. All planet allegiance rises by 10 to 20%. The emanating power of culture rises by 5%. The duration is 5 to 10 minutes. (Ideally this rare event could be triggered by decisively winning a major fleet battle).
31. Geo-Engineering Discovery
This affects a randomly selected Desert planet or Iceworld controlled by your empire.
For Desert planets: an incredible discovery has taken place. Huge underground oceans and ice layers have been found below the surface. You are given the opportunity to spend 3000 credits to release this water and slowly transform the Desert into a Terran world. The process takes 10 minutes.
For Iceworlds: several magma taps have been discovered which can be mined to release dormant heat. You may spend 3000 credits to harness this heat and slowly transform the Iceworld into a Terran planet.
Edit. Adding more.
32. Communications Malfunction
Technological upgrades gone wrong have led to a shocking breakdown in Fleet logistics. Some long-range communication arrays have gone off-line, hindering your ability to contact new ships. Maximum supply tumbles by 20%. The effect lasts for 2-8 minutes whereupon the malfunction is fixed. Icon in Logistics screen.
33. Corruption
The ruling caste on one of our planets is riddled with corruption. Tax revenues are being embezzled. Allegiance is suffering. A small glowing icon appears on the planet to signify the event. To stamp out corruption, you must send in ships in orbit over the planet (to simulate the disembarkation of troops to re-establish order and install new leaders). The formula for fighting corruption is similar to controlling a Labour Dispute. X amount of ships will lower the problem. The more ships, and possibly the construction of a SB, the faster the problem is solved.
34. Xeno Infestation
A horrible discovery has taken place. An ancient archeological dig on one of your planets has unearthed a fiercesome species of xeno parasites who have acquired a taste for our colonists. As they eat the colonists, the gradual population decrease is similar to the Plague event. A small glowing icon of a nasty monster appears on the colony. The problem is solved in the same way as a Labour Dispute or Corruption. Send in the military!
If the problem is not solved in a certain amount of minutes, there's a small chance that every minute after that the Xeno Infestation will spread to another nearby planet. It could theoretically spread a lot, if empires don't take steps.
Can you say, Aliens?
35. Mutiny!
This is a very rare event, probably happening maybe once in a game. The commander of a capital ship makes the fateful decision to changes sides and join the fleet of another empire. Seeing that loyalists will be onboard, the captain's crew must violently subdue them in a fierce internal battle. The battle causes 2000 hull damage to a ship that goes rogue. A capital ship experiencing Mutiny will most likely join a nearby empire, or an empire with strong Culture. There are also some other parameters and limitations for a Mutiny event to happen.
#1 For it to mutiny, the candidate ship cannot be in the same gravwell shared by friendly capital ships.
#2 The candidate must be a level 1-5 capital ship.
#3 It cannot be in the orbit of the homeworld, nor share the same gravwell of a friendly star base.
A mutiny would play out like a 'Red October' scenario. The turncoat ship would normally have to flee the space of its former empire, and try to meet up forces of the empire to which it now swears allegiance.
Edit. Adding 2 more.
36. Phase Anomaly
A random phase space lane has mysteriously shut down for 2-8 minutes. Travel via this lane, from one area to another, simply stops due to unexplained energy fluctuations in phase space. The normal 'line' portaying the affected phase lane stats to glow a weird purple.
37. Megadurium
There were legends that such an exotic metallic element existed, though the scientists of today had yet to verify it. Until now, that is. The chance disovery of megadurium is a boon for any empire at war. Megadurium can be added to any other hull armour to increase overall strength and durability. Via an inexplicable process of neutronic bonding, megadurium naturally gels to any other hull material, adding 'x' points of armour to all ships.
Options:
Megadurium could be a 'special' resource, a rare material painstakingly mined only on 1 planet. If you lose the planet, you lose access to megadurium's armour bonus.
Or it could be discovery in your science labs, a thing which you can produce, and never lose. The icon for it appears in your research tree.
LOVE THE IDEAS!!!!
Very nice list!
The thing I hated about random events in Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword was that many involved little more pressing the "okay" button. A good percentage of the time you had the choice of losing an extremely valuable building or upgrade, or paying a nominal amount of money from your treasury to avoid the damage. Very rarely did you get something interesting, like "build 5 stables and you'll get a bonus".
I think that Random Events would be neat.
Thanks.
SOASE is an interesting game in which the best aspects of RTS and turn-based play can be implemented. Replayability, however, depends on 'new stuff' and different options. The option of having Random Events would make the game highly replayable imo.
wow, you are a productive fellow. I do agree with darvin3 though that if implemented, that there should be choices involved. not necessarily all of them, the solar flare one or the random resource inflows sound fair enough.
on another note: would it be much use to transform a desert planet into a terran one? I mean, sure more pop, but I doubt that can mess with the extra cash you could have from the extra trade ports, especially if the planet is a few jumps away.
The addition of random events might not be a bad idea for single player, but I think it would mess up online multiplayer games. (If you're getting bored playing the game in single player, then click the "Ironclad Online" button and come play the game against real human opponents.) However, in order to keep things fresh, what I would like to see is the addition of automatic-downloading for custom maps and custom mods. Just about every other reputable online multiplayer game that I know of has this feature.
there are some that don't-
Call Of Duty 4, Battlefield 2142, Battlefield Heroes. Granted, these are all FPS, and BF Heroes is actually Internet-only, but still, they don't do that. And they are quite reputable. I've never gone online with CoD4, but I have with 2142. Mostly because I wanted the unlocks for SP.
Sadly, those games don't seem very amenable to custom content, which means that they probably aren't as popluar and as successful as they might be. That's also one of the reasons why I'm not particularly interested in those games. I do sometimes wonder if some gaming companies are control freaks. (Ironclad and Stardock, could you please enable auto-downloading for custom maps or at least consider allowing people to download custom map bonus packs via Impulse?)
In contrast, take a look at the Quake and Unreal Tournament series. Those games took on a life of their own with custom maps and mods and custom game types. If you play UT 2004's Onslaught game on popular servers you might find that it's very different from the standard game type that shipped with the game. For example, there are all sorts of custom vehicles and the games are played on custom maps.
CoD4 and Heroes, I'll concede aren't great for custom content. 2142, however, is a bit of a different story.
With its predecessor, Battlefield 2, there was a large number of community-fueled projects, and EA released official modding tools, like map-making and other nifty tools. With 2142, not so much with the tools. So modders developed their own tools, or adapted the existing ones. The previous 1942 and Vietnam titles of the Battlefield series enjoyed great popularity, as the mods available for them enhanced the gameplay, modding them was pretty easy, and map-making was very simple. Granted, it was more complex than Sins, in terms of map-making, but easier than 2142.
The Random Events thing I'm proposing would be an OPTION turned on or off before any game starts. The default would be off.
Next point. If Random Events were implemented, I'd also like to see them more interactive, with choices. But remember.... it would be harder to program, with pop-up Yes/No stuff, and I'm not sure Ironclad would invest the time, or even be interested in stuff that might be distracting like that.
Last point. I'm totally supportive of multiplayer games and hope more people try it. But let's face it. For whatever reason, SOASE is used for single-play more often. Therefore, random events might be a welcome addition.
Well, in a critical battle where all your focus needs to be on microing it, the last thing you want is a splash screen telling you about how one of your trade ports just exploded due to insurgents...
I say no... Even with the option, it would ruin gameplay. Luck is something I hate in games... Perhaps I'm just insanely unlucky (never one a game of bingo) Luck means that a winner can be defined as someone who the RNG decided to like. I don't want games decided this way, and let's say that when in a critical battle, you get something that says your PJI just got destroyed due to an explosion on board. Now, his level 10 Marza with 300 hull left gets to run away! Or, perhaps he just happens to get one where you have him out-numbered and ought to win, but then he gets one where all his ships start doing +10% DPS. That shouldn't happen.
As much as I like your Invasion idea, I don't like this one. It will decide too many games and will prove to be an annoyance more than anything else. RNG's are exactly that. They are random. Now, you could say that this means that they are fair, but that is over the course of many games (and not dealing with someone RNG's hate like me...).
Simply put, it just seems like way too much work to get something that really only makes people mad... The RNG will become the scapegoat of the loser and the winner will attribute his win to skill. I see a problem here. When people consider the computer the problem and not them, you get a game that people don't like to play. Even if it has an option, it will still leave a bad taste in a new player's mouth that will be difficult to wash out.
Exactly, and in a strategy game like this, single player is infinitely more important than multiplayer.
Did you read nothing I just said?
(is it just me or is does that look really weird?)
EDIT: i'm referring to volt's thing more above. the largh paragraphy one. he wrote more before i posted this.
first of all, i lov pretty much all of those ideas. some ironclad dudes should definitely check this out.
second, to volt above me, a lot of what war is IS chance. you might decide upon this strategy, and chance has it that the enemy is prepared for that, and you lose, OR chance has it that there is no enemy and you successfully seize the planet (or if we're thinking of now time, whatever the objective is.) point is, chance drastically influences battle. id really like some chance/luck factors happening in SOASE, it would help the game work more realistically (for a futuristic, unrealistic pc game ). if we ever develop into a Sins-like world, i wouldn't expect a trade port to function perfectly all the time. id expect that at some point, we'd have the bad luck or the CHANCE that something wrong happens in a trade port, and it explodes. tragic, but things like that happen. a gas leak explodes a house. tragic, but thats chance. anyway, chance things would be good in this game. who agrees on this.
ALSO, if you didn't like chance, you could turn it off. its not something that you have to do, just that you have the OPTION to have it. i think thats perfectly reasonable.
I do like the ideas he came up with in that they are quite creative. I just don't like the concept of it.
And I know war is chance. Until the past 50 years, there was no such thing as RADAR, so planes flew blindly into each other. Now, we have intelligence which is exactly what this game has, only in the form of scouts. Here's the thing... If this game were truly realistic:
1. The Vasari would PWN every other race. Hands down, they would crush everyone beneath their feet. You can't expect a race that has been around for 20,000 years to stand up to one that has been around for 50k+.
2. The Vasari would have faster than light travel in more ways than phase travel. They would be able to go anywhere and everywhere.
3. The Advent would not exist. Hate to break it to you people, but telekinesis (as awesome as it is) isn't real.
4. Superweapons would destroy planets. The novalith would be far more powerful and the kostura would likely be able to take out a star.
5. Capital ships would be far stronger.
6. Capital ships would have dozens of turrets, not six or seven...
7. Capital ships would have more than three weapon types...
8. LF's would have way more health
9. Frigates would have more weapons
10. SC's would come in more varieties
11. Planets would have more than 300 people registered for taxes
12. Planetary Bombardment would kill way more people than it does in the game.
13. There would be more types of planets.
14. Planets would have more than two sets of continent formations
15. There would be no green stars
16. There would be more orbital defenses
17. There would be more than 2 SC per carrier
18. Starbases would have more health
19. Starbases would be bigger
20. Starbases would all be capable of movement
21. There would be no phase lanes
22. You could watch other planets with wonderful things called telescopes
Do I really need to go on? Look, there are reasons that games are perfectly realistic. In a FPS, there is a reason that getting shot in the arm doesn't make you drop your gun. How about in AoE that a cannon has a range of about 40 yards when they can fire from a mile away in real life. Video games aren't real. For this reason, games aren't always precise.
And do you realize the odds of that happening? Your trade port isn't going to just blow up for no reason. Sure, accidents happen, but let's say you have 150 trade ports. In the course of a year, one or two of those might discover a bomb. And maybe once a decade one will actually detonate. Maybe once a century one will blow the entire port up. This isn't going to happen in all practicality.
Like I said. Its not worth IC's time to add in a function that would not improve gameplay.
Guys, if you wouldn't like the OPTION to have this in place, then I assume you wouldn't click the OPTION to have it as you start up a game. No prob.
Personally, I would play multi with the option off, and singleplay with it on. And if I was rolling with a multi crowd that liked a random element to spice things up -- like in poker -- I'd be fine with it too. Tailor-making a game totally helps with replayability, especially in a game that has a bigger feel to it compared to small tactical RTS games.
The other aspect is that the random events are mostly not a huge deal. You can recover from the negatives. The positives will not put you on the road to instant victory.
If this game were realistic, there would be no living intelligent life forms fighting in space battles or travelling faster than light. It's too dangerous, and living beings would only handicap a true task force. It would all be conducted by incredibly advanced machines, or other forms of synthetic 'tools'.
Space combat would be conducted at major distances. There would no close-range broadside combat. Instead, salvoes and volleys and beams would be launched at ranges -- minimum -- over 20,000 km. Vessels would all be moving very fast, some so fast (in relation to you) you'd barely see them or detect them. Fighters and bombers would all be suicidal hunter drones. A typical missile ordnance would be an antimatter warhead with a 1,500 megaton detonation yield. A full spread of such missiles would make a planet uninhabitable after 10 seconds. There would be no living crews on any combat vessel. Organism-controlled command would be at the rear HQ of a fleet, millions or tens of millions of KM away at least, while forward command (where fighting would take place) would be controlled by advanced AIs. If high speed interstellar drives existed, cruise missiles would be launched by the thousands at an enemy planet, coming in at least .9 C.... basically unstoppable.
That's why I like how this is not a realistic game.
Why? There are way more people playing SP than MP so SP is more important. And what is your problem with an option? You could use some mod that srews up the balancing totally and disillusonise a dozend newbies. So what is the difference?
But the point is, I don't. I care about balance in the game and I see RNG's as a violation of that.
A great idea and a great list. Random events is something I've been requesting since they started talking about the first expansion.
Let's hope we see more love for the single player gamers (majority) such as additions such as this as an OPTION and not just pandering to the vocal MP crowd.
at the risk of alienating my modding partner, i have to say i like this idea... lots of random thing would be interesting.
atm, im finding it very hard to get the will to start a new sins game. sometimes i will force myself, then ill keep playing till its over, but i just downloaded a dozen mods to try and renew my interest in the game, and i just cant stand the long, boring early game repetition... something random like a space monster (though a monster that i can kill with 5 LF and a Colony Cap during the early game, mind you) could be interesting, and funny... it would give space ponies a new meaning (oh noes, space poniez iz comin, we iz all ded! =P)
definitly make it an option though, i can imagine how i would hate the above mentioned battle where my PJI randomly gets destroyed and a majority of my enemies fleet gets away... though on the other hand, if i was the guy trying to run away, id love it.... although... on second thoughts, i may not like it all that much... its like Command and Conquer Generals. i loved playing the Americans, because they suit my play style and i liked their music.
but i always found myself spamming Airfields, and spamming Bombers, Fighters and Commanche's, simply because the enemy (in MP and SP) never had enough AA to effectively counter me. Conversely, the GLA (Terrorists) had hidden booby traps that would destroy my ground forces, and tunnel entrances that looked lonely and unsupported, but when i sent a few units to destroy it, 10 tanks would pop ot of it... or the Chinese had Long Range Nuke Cannons and flame tanks that would kill my tanks/infantry before i got close. but shove an F-22 down the throat of an Emperor Tank (big ass twin-barrelled, quad-tread tank) or an Aurora Bomber against troop concentrations/base defenses/superweapons, and bam, problem solved... except i got very bored... i found i ran out of hot keys on the keyboard to select the large number of Fighter/Bomber Squadrons i would inevitably build up to wipe out the enemy from above... but it just wasnt a challenge...
so idn... maybe the random things should not be so blunt in the way they affect things (ships, structures, income rates whatnot) but in general, i do like the idea of random events... lets see what happens
I guess they aren't bad ideas as long as they are options. Can't have too many options as long as they're good.
I guess I would be okay with things so long as there were no splash screens and none of them would be game-changing...
I do like rezo's idea with space ponies... That would be funny... Perhaps if you get the artifact, you gain the ability to control them and sent them into battle. lol
haha. i would enjoy that.
Honestly, I'm surprised someone hasn't done something like that already...
You know it. And thanks!
Exactly, you can't have too many options. It would be just like the Pirates being ON or OFF. For big strategy games, plentiful options are one of the keys to making a good game into a classic.
Sounds good. I myself don't like splash screens either. If something happens, you get should get a short audio message, and the event should get logged in one of the event screens on the bottom left.
Examples:
1. "A plague has broken out on one of our planets." As a result, a small glowing icon (skull & cross bones) appears on the planet, signifying a plague.
2. "Our recent talks have been very useful," announces a diplomat from another empire. (Diplomatic Breakthrough)
3. "Rebels dare to destroy the Unity!" (Psychic Storm)
4. "We have made an arrangement with the Pirates." (Secret Pact)
5. "An alien war machine has invaded our solar system." (example Space Monster)
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