Any game that the community fans are making should consider the amount of modablity the game should have. Space Empires 5 is VERY highly modable with the result that a lot of new ship sets, components, tech tree modifications, new AI's created, new races added, and many, many other small and large tweaks and modifications have been made.
Also, make the combat system somewhat modable - SE5 and Sword of the Stars have combat systems that are real game breakers in my opinion. Both are fun games but the combat systems ruined them for me.
For an example of how an AI can be made that is modable is this from a fan made Borg race add on for SE5. It's a simple Text document that can be changed easily.
I've been gone for 2 years. Lost my hard drive about 2.4 years ago when I got married and had to buy a new one and lost my games/save files etc.
Started up again, and decided to beat every race on tiny/impossible/5 guys. Had my earliest win ever with Human on 2351 (I hadn't even met any races!).
The game that was the most fun though, was a Darloc 3PE where every other race had 1-3 planets except the Silicoid which had (16?, whatever the amount is that gets the message "leaders are preparing to merge"). The reason I didn't lose that game, was because the entire galaxy hated the Silicoids and were at war with them (except me). They got 60% of the vote just by themselves every 25 years. I kept stealing tech from the Silicoids and was able to keep up. Eventually the Silicoids wiped everyone else out, but by that time I had the tech to make Small Omega's and just started wiping out all their colonies until I won. (In 2630-EDIT)
I really enjoy playing on Tiny. There seems to be a lot of luck though based on the map (no starting settlement within 3 parces, or only 1 within 6, even after the expansion) and it is pretty tough. I think I went 1-3 with Silicoids and they are my best race. Not surprisingly Psilons went 1-0.
I hope some more imperiums get started soon. I might shadow game the ones I missed.
Quote:Explore a vast galaxy full of wonder! Paradox Development Studio, makers of the Crusader Kings and Europa Universalis series presents Stellaris, an evolution of the grand strategy genre with space exploration at its core.
Featuring deep strategic gameplay, an enormous selection of alien races and emergent storytelling, Stellaris has a deeply challenging system that rewards interstellar exploration as you traverse, discover, interact and learn more about the multitude of species you will encounter during your travels.
Etch your name across the cosmos by uncovering remote celestial outposts,and entire civilizations. Will you expand through war or walk the path of diplomacy to achieve your goals?
Main Features
Discovery Events – Emergent Storytelling.
Deep & Varied Exploration.
Enormous procedural star systems, containing thousands of planets.
Numerous playable species, each with their own traits and engineering styles.
Vast number of Unique Random Species.
Advanced Diplomacy system.
Ship Designer (even civilian ships can be customized).
Stunning space visuals.
The idea has been kind of percolating around my head for a while, and is essentially what I'd call a Quantum Crusader's Leap, i.e. the first player gets assigned a random county and plays it's direct owner until he dies, then the next player takes over with another, different, random county and plays that until the character dies, and so on. There probably have to be a bit of leeway for players that get shafted with a ruler that dies quicky, e.g. under 2 years.
It'd be a very random game, but it might be a blast altogether.
edit: looking at the provinces list here, there are 1463 total provinces in the game with c. 100-150 sea river and ocean provinces. I'd use that list to generate the random counties.
Thread to discuss the game, the setup and everything else happening in WW40.
Also, we'll make a game. Every 24 hours I will ask a new question related to the game. Whoever gets it right gets a point. Lets see who can get the most points! For the start, the question is:
War has ravaged the mortal realm. But this time it was not made of mortal hands. This time it was the gods who had brought death onto the world.
The only hope the world had, was contained within a parchment, holding a prophecy, thousands of years old. A prophecy no one could read in full
anymore. But the part that could be read was this:
<illegible> must survive.
When all hope is lost the moon will shine red.
And they will perform a ritual of blood.
And they will perform a ritual of pain.
And they will perform a ritual of darkness.
And they will perform a ritual that shall cleanse the world.
And it will free them of the gods.
Must <illegible> survive?
And now the moon had turned red. The greatest heroes of the world came together to find out more about the ritual, believing, hoping that it was now
the time to get rid of the gods once and for all.
Unfortunately there was research necessary to find out what had to be done. Even more unfortunate, the gods had found out about it and some of them
walked amongst the heroes, hidden in plain sight. The heroes would have to find them and kill them. Not that you could actually kill a god, but they would
be gone – long enough that the heroes could perform the ritual. But as long as they walk between them, they will sabotage the ritual and they will surely
try to kill the heroes. The heroes decided to discuss each day and at the end of the day they would kill the one most of them believed to be a god. It was
their only way to find them, their only hope. This was a grim time.
And grim times ask for grim measures. Or so it said on the note that miraculously each hero received on its way to this meeting place. There is a torturer –
and he is certain that he can find out about everyones true alignment, no matter if god or hero. But should they really start to torture, was that really what
the world had come to? And besides the moral dilemma, torture is torture, and you never know what effects it may have!
-------------------------------------------
This game features a special rule. Each day for the first 24 hours, you can vote if you want to torture someone – and in case you want, who. If torturing
someone gains the most votes, the chosen player will be tortured and his alignment will be revealed to the torturer. BEWARE! Torturing can and will have
unintended consequences. This can range from changing or losing powers, gaining new win-conditions to changing alignment. If this measure should still
be taken is for you to decide. - Also, if you don't vote at all, you are considered to be against torturing and will be counted accordingly.
Votes for lynch in red, votes for torture in green.
Each torture-vote ends after the first 24 hours of the day at 1900 UTC+2.
The day ends after 48 hours at 1900 UTC+2.
The night ends after 24 hours at 1900 UTC+2.
Hero-PM:
You are <Name>. Together with the other heroes you have decided to perform a ritual that will get rid of the gods once and for all. They have
walked the earth long enough, are the reasons for war and famine, diseases and death. No more, no more!
Win-Condition: You win if no Gods are left.
Power:
Game Rules (standard stuff):
Posting is not allowed after the day and night deadlines until the GM has posted a phase resolution.
In the event of extended forum downtime or downtime that occurs in close proximity of the deadline or some other event that disrupts the game, the
day may be extended 24 hours at the GM's discretion.
Votes must be posted in red text or they will not count. Votes with spelling errors of names do count so long as it's unambiguous in the GM's opinion
whom is being voted for. Votes embedded in quotes do not count.
The player with most lynch votes at the end of the day is lynched and eliminated from the game.
Night actions have been preassigned a priority order.
Anyone failing to vote for 2 consecutive game days or 3 days total will be mod killed and removed from the game with a loss.
Dead players may make one posthumous post that doesn't contribute to discussion.
Forum profile camping is not allowed.
To prevent confusion that may arise in the case of cross posting, posts may not be edited for any reason.
Players may not communicate with other players about the game outside the thread via PM, email, chat, quicktopics etc. unless told otherwise.
Players must check their PMs and make sure they're alive each game day before posting.
The scum will win in a tie situation (like 3 scum 3 villager).
Directly quoting role PMs or other communication from the GM isn't allowed unless otherwise specified.
Breaking rules will result in penalties ranging from warnings to loss of abilities to being mod killed, depending on the severity of the infraction and the
GM's discretion.
we will play as Sheaim (b/c their flag is a serpent + reasons)
RESTRICTIONS:
Can't build Pyre Zombies
Can't build Planar Gates
Can't build Adepts
Can't build Missionaries (but can use gained Missionaries) -> NOTE: Can still build 'Priests'
What we Get
3 'dragonlings' -> Adventurers with additional promotions of 'Fire2, Magic Immune, 'Light', Flying, Cannibalism, Fear, Sentry I-II)
NOTE: Dragonlings 'can' go down Arcane path if you so choose, BUT!! no other arcane units may be added.
1 'Dragon Mother' -> Succubus with 'Subdue Beast, Dragon Slaying, Courage, Fire Immune, Body 2'
NOTE: Dragon Mother cannot leave until one of the tier 3 units is buildable (Horse Archer, Chariot, Longbow, Priest) --> Having Ironworking researched also works for this purpose.
and finally, 1 'Dragon Priest' -> Scout with 'Strong, Earth 2, Command I-IV, Medic I-II, Magic Immune, Scourge, Subdue Beast, Dragon Slaying, Marksman, Metamagic I, Channeling I-II'
All victories enabled with the following Exceptions ...
Religious + Altar victories only possible as long as 'Dragon Priest' is alive.
(Dragon priest is primarily meant to capture enemy priests + dragons)
Enemy AIs -> Include Illians and Kuriotates
Special conditions -> Acheron + Orthus ON, Worldspells OFF. Can only build units in the Capital (Dragon's Nest).
(In 2630-EDIT)
