So my idea here would be to add in a game rule: Minimum monster distance from Capital. Defaults to 3, ranges from 1 - 9.wobbly wrote: ↑Sat May 14, 2022 7:41 amIt is possible to check distance to nearest capital in scripting. In theory you could have a game rule setting the minimum distance for specials/monsters.Oberlus wrote: ↑Wed May 11, 2022 9:05 amThat's as expected. It happens too on SP games. In the last two weeks I started six games (played for 30 to 120 turns), all settings to medium. Sometimes I had plenty of natives around readily accessible, sometimes I had just one in 10 hops around my world and protected by a monster. Only once I had nothing to invade/colonize until I killed a Maintenance Ship, I was Chato and used symb zortrium arc disruptors (level 2), pilling up some troopers in the meantime, then I was able to catch up in the planets race with Colonization policy and quickly invading some natives after freeing myself. I understand players like Magnate being against playing with monsters, when that clashes so hard with their playstyle and don't feel comfortable having to adjust or to face this kind of disadvantage at game start. In my case, I don't mind, it brings spice to the games, whether I am the one with free colonization at start or the one enclosed in a pocket with nothing to colonize. I was more like Magnate a year ago, feeling frustration when I had an unlucky start, but experience in MP games, watching what other players can do, made me change my mind.
Change monster_guards.macro to always spawn ancient guardians or stealth special within that distance.
Nests already have minimum distances, maybe change this to Max[current, game rule]?
BiegeGoo, FiftySeven and Acirema can all spawn guards. Disallow them within that distance?
monster_fleets.inf already has minimum distances, same as nests, Max[current, game rule]?
Any ways of monster spawn I've missed?
Edit: I can see that some specials (ancient ruins) add monsters direct. So this is a choice between not spawning ancient ruins in that distance, or replacing it with a different guard.