I consider it in terms of how it is displayed to the player. If the math is similar (I think of just about everything in terms of the math involved), then it's just how I'm envisioning having this information presented to me.Bigjoe5 wrote:It may be simpler in that there are fewer steps, but I don't think that it would be any easier for the player to grasp. Admittedly, there isn't the same obvious need for species empire alignments as there is for ethical compatibility alignments, since displaying "+2 to Eaxaw allegiance" is no more ponderous than displaying "+4 to Eaxaw alignment", whereas displaying "+2 to Eaxaw allegiance, +2 to Trith allegiance, +2 to...." is significantly more annoying than "+4 to Bloodthirstiness". However, I still think that rolling up all the other allegiance factors into alignment will make allegiance as a whole something that is a simpler idea to the player, since
-the species' objective ethical opinion of my empire, plus
-the species' subjective reaction to my actions for/against them
is easier to wrap one's brain around than
-the species' objective ethical opinion of my empire, plus
-the species' "blood grievances" against my empire, plus
-the species' status within my empire, plus
-the species' reaction to diplomatic actions for/against empires towards whom they have high/low allegiance, plus
-etc.
Using your method, I would envision seeing this (lets say that i was already enslaving the race, and just this turn killed 15 billion of the race:
Race 1 Allegiance = (some value) (-0.3/turn) (growth rate determined by combining compatibility/treatment)
- Ethical Compatibility +80 (Read: Ethical Compatibility Alignment)
(bloodthirst match +50)
(expansionist match +40)
(elitist match -10)
- Species Treatment -40 (Read: Species-Empire Alignment)
(killed lots of Race -15) (+1 per turn)
(race is enslaved -25)
Allegiance has a value, and the combined ethical compatibility alignment and species-empire alignment define the rate of growth or decay of your allegiance value. for the purpose of the example, the "killed lots of race" malus is a diminishing factor, if I dont kill any more of that race, after 15 turns they will have forgiven me.
Using my method, I would envision seeing this:
Race 1 Allegiance = 40
-Ethical Compatibility +80
(bloodthirst match +50)
(expansionist match +40)
(elitist match -10)
-Species Treatment -40
(killed lots of race -15) (+1 per turn)
(race is enslaved -25)
Allegiance equals ethical compatibility modified by species treatment factors.
I find the second system much more intuitive, and no more ponderous to display to the player. The first would require some different scaling for maluses to have a read adverse effect on a race that shared ethical compatibility with you, and this math would be invisible to the player. Looking at the above example, the player can go.. "Well, my compatibility is 80, and my treatment is -40, so total is still a positive number.. Why do I have a negative growth rate?" On the other hand, if you have a positive growth, then you have a race that likes you and is getting more loyal to you, even though you have them enslaved and are systematically annihilating them. Making the math more complicated to sort this out only further confuses the player and complicates things. Then you are getting to a point where domestic policy dominates the game, as a player, I'm not interested in that.
I understand what you're saying, I'm just not sold on it. I see happiness as operating in a way that it is easily understood by the player.. Let me draw up an example in similar fashion to what I did above:Krikkitone wrote:Advantages of "Composite" Happiness as opposed to "Tracked" Happiness
Planet X Happiness = Current 64 (-2)/ Target 57 (-5)
-Allegiance +40
-Local Factors +15
(Buildings +20)
(Propaganda Campaign +10)
(Planet Blockaded -15) (-5 per turn)
The planet has been blockaded for 3 turns, and each turn it remains blockaded, target happiness drops by 5. Current happiness is always shifting towards the target at a rate of -2 per turn (for the purpose of this example).
Any time you want happiness to be instantly affected by something, or at a rate of more than 2 per turn, it can be easily programmed for special events to have an immediate effect on current happiness.
-Ty.
Edits: Clarity, math.