Galaxy Size and Tech Costs

For what's not in 'Top Priority Game Design'. Post your ideas, visions, suggestions for the game, rules, modifications, etc.

Moderator: Oberlus

Message
Author
User avatar
skdiw
Creative Contributor
Posts: 643
Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2003 2:17 am

#61 Post by skdiw »

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that FO was design so that galaxy size only determines the length of acutal time to finish the game, and not significantly affect any game features. For example, techs are scalable by galaxy so that you get same amount of techs over 10 turns in a small map as you would if you have gazillion rp in large maps over 10 turns. I have not heard that scalability will be implemented for pp, and other things, but the intention is that it will be scalable.
:mrgreen:

User avatar
utilae
Cosmic Dragon
Posts: 2175
Joined: Fri Jun 27, 2003 12:37 am
Location: Auckland, New Zealand

#62 Post by utilae »

So skdiw, are you saying that in a large map it takes 10 turns to research tech tree with 10 systems, then in a small map it takes 10 turns to research the tech tree with 5 systems colonised. So effectively in a small map you can have a smaller population and still research as fast, ie same research for less population.

If so, I think it takes away the main factor in playing in a small galaxy, which is less planets, so less population, so can't research as much tech as fast, so meet aliens early, so have wars earlier, etc.

User avatar
Geoff the Medio
Programming, Design, Admin
Posts: 13587
Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2003 1:33 am
Location: Munich

#63 Post by Geoff the Medio »

utilae wrote:If so, I think it takes away the main factor in playing in a small galaxy, which is less planets, so less population, so can't research as much tech as fast, so meet aliens early, so have wars earlier, etc.
The turns at which you meet other empires or fight wars are a function of the size of the galaxy, and not (to first approximation) the rate of tech progress.

So, if we make tech research ten times faster or slower, it won't change when you meet other empire or start fighting them for a given galaxy size. It will just change what kind of ships and other stuff you're using and building at the time you meet them.

(Also, to be clear, I'm suggesting changing the COST PER TURN of techs and buidings, NOT their NUMBER OF TURNS to research or build. This changes (or rather, keeps constant) the total research rate by keeping the number of techs / buildings in progress simultaneously the same for different size galaxies.)

User avatar
skdiw
Creative Contributor
Posts: 643
Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2003 2:17 am

#64 Post by skdiw »

utilae wrote:So skdiw, are you saying that in a large map it takes 10 turns to research tech tree with 10 systems, then in a small map it takes 10 turns to research the tech tree with 5 systems colonised. So effectively in a small map you can have a smaller population and still research as fast, ie same research for less population.
yea, you read correctly.
If so, I think it takes away the main factor in playing in a small galaxy, which is less planets, so less population, so can't research as much tech as fast, so meet aliens early, so have wars earlier, etc.
this was my arguement against scalability with galaxy idea.
geoff wrote:So, if we make tech research ten times faster or slower, it won't change when you meet other empire or start fighting them for a given galaxy size. It will just change what kind of ships and other stuff you're using and building at the time you meet them.
This was one of my thought on how exactly play time with scale exactly with map size. I don't see how developers is going to get around this problem.
(Also, to be clear, I'm suggesting changing the COST PER TURN of techs and buidings, NOT their NUMBER OF TURNS to research or build. This changes (or rather, keeps constant) the total research rate by keeping the number of techs / buildings in progress simultaneously the same for different size galaxies.)
cost per turn is how it's going to scale. I remember a discussion on the formula. I don't remember the conclusion though.
:mrgreen:

guiguibaah
Creative Contributor
Posts: 441
Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2003 1:00 am

In Moo2

#65 Post by guiguibaah »

Moo2 had the same effect Geoff is talking about - where due to the small galaxy size you won't be able to amass as much global production in one spot.

What we used to do in Moo2 was - to alleviate micromanagement, we would switch all our planets to produce trade goods. Then, at the beginning of each turn, we'd go into our colony management screen and "buy" any improvements or doom stars that needed to be built.

Naturally you couldn't do this with the same effectiveness in a small map, as we didn't have as many production planets to begin with.


If we implemented factors to increase tech and production, then early game small galaxy could look just the same as late game big galaxy, with the same strategies. Part of the fun of early game small galaxy is duking it out with inferior tech cruisers, rather than high-tech doomstars.
There are three kinds of people in this world - those who can count, and those who can't.

Post Reply