Ideas for new races

[Psillycyber]

Today I was daydreaming about ideas for new races for MoO1.  I have no idea if these could ever be modded in.  Probably not.  But they were just fun to think about and ponder how to balance them. 

The Voltans - Energetic Explorers.  (Borrowing somewhat from FTL's Zoltans). 

• Unique game mechanic:  All Voltan ships and transports have +2 range.  (So, starting range would be 5, or 8 with reserve tanks.  Range 4 tech would give 6 range, or 9 with reserve tanks.  Etc.)
  
• Technological affinities:  Good in Force Fields and Propulsion, Poor in Planetology, Normal in all the rest. 
  
• Starting diplomacy:  Relaxed with the Humans, Meklar, and Silicoids.  Uneasy with Darloks.  Neutral with all others.    
  
• Homeworld:  Voltair
  
• Default personality:  Erratic Expansionists
  
• Ship size preference:  medium/large. 
  

The Arborians - Guardians of Nature (sort of like Ents in The Lord of the Rings). 

• Unique game mechanic:  Arborians refuse to research or acquire any Improved Industrial Robotics Upgrades.  They are stuck with being able to build or use a max of 2 factories per population for the entire game.  On the other hand, they get the innate ability to do Atmospheric Terraforming and Advanced Soil Enrichment from the start of the game, although not as technologies, so like the Silicoids they can't technically trade or acquire those techs.
  
• Technological affinities:  Poor in Construction, Propulsion, Weapons.  Excellent in Planetology.  Normal in all the rest.  
  
• Starting diplomacy:  Uneasy with the Meklar and Silicoids.  Neutral with all others.  
  
• Homeworld:  Arboria
  
• Default personality:  Honorable Ecologists
  
• Ship size preference:  Large and Huge.
  

The Mycelians - Spore Warriors

• Unique game mechanic:  All Mycelian spore weapons deal double damage (death spores deal 2 spore damage, doom viruses deal 4, etc.), and ground combat techs do not benefit the Mycelians (although they can still research and trade them).  Instead, the usual ground combat techs are replaced by "Mycelium spores" on the ground combat screen, and these spores do a flat +40 for ground combat throughout the entire game.  
  
• Technological affinities:  Good in planetology, Normal in all the rest.  
  
• Starting diplomacy:  Neutral with all.    
  
• Homeworld:  Mycotopia
  
• Default personality:  Aggressive Ecologists
  
• Ship size preference:  small and medium.
  

The Molluscans - Sensory Slugs

• Unique game mechanic:  +3 to scanner range.  ETAs automatically displayed and planets within range are automatically scouted (as if the player had ISS and Advanced Space Scanner—hence, ISS and Advanced Space Scanner only provide range extensions).  
  
• Technological affinities:  Good in computers.  Poor in propulsion.  Normal in all other fields.  
  
• Starting diplomacy:  Relaxed with the Humans, Uneasy with the Klackons and Sakkra, Neutral with all others.  
  
• Homeworld:  Mollus
  
• Default personality:  Ruthless Technologists
  
• Ship size preference:  medium.
  

The Wulfians - Dogged Defenders

• Unique game mechanic:  Ships and missile bases all have double hp.  
  
• Technological affinities:  Good in weapons, Poor in Computers and Construction, normal in all others.  
  
• Starting diplomacy:  Calm with the Humans, Wary with the Mrrshans, Uneasy with the Bulrathi, Sakkra, and Alkari, Neutral with all others.  
  
• Homeworld:  Canis Majoris
  
• Default personality:  Honorable Militarists
  
• Ship size preference:  medium/large.
  

[haphazard1]

Some interesting ideas, Psillycyber.

Voltans might be a bit too good. The +range is pretty useful, and they don't really have any negatives. Maybe make them poor in something, or have some racial enemies?

Arborians might need a buff -- no robotic controls ever would be painful. All techs in the planetology tree would be helpful, but probably not enough to offset that penalty.

Mycelians are interesting; bonus would make them strong early but average/weak later. Maybe give them a racial enemy for more flavor? Bulrathi mmight be fun, for some wars of the ground pounders action.

Molluscans could be fun. Useful ability without being overpowering.

Wulfian ability would be very powerful especially early. Maybe a penalty somewhere, to tech or diplo?

No idea about modding this sort of thing in MoO. It would be fun to be able to mix up the normal set of opponents with more options.

[Psillycyber]

Thanks for the feedback, Haphazard! I edited my previous post to:

*Reduce Voltan range bonus from 3 to 2 and make them poor in Planetology (their internal energy is due to radioactive decay products, making their co-existence with the environment difficult).
*Arborians changed. Instead of having all planetology techs available, Arborians now start with Atmospheric Terraforming and Advanced Soil Enrichment as innate abilities (not techs).
*Wulfians were made merely good in weapons and poor in computers and construction (dogs aren't good at building things; the lower construction tech and slower armor upgrades will partially offset their hp bonus).

I'm glad you liked the Mycelian idea. The premise of that race would be that at a certain point in the game invading enemy planets would become impractical, and the player would be incentivized to just death-spore enemies into the dust and recolonize their planets with factories intact, foregoing tech conquests but saving lots of Mycelian lives.

[Psillycyber]

Another idea:

The Plasmoids - Fiery Firepower

• Unique game mechanic:  All missiles and Torpedoes get +1 speed (effectively +2 range), and all beam weapons get +1 range. 
  
• Technological Affinities:  Poor in Construction and Planetology, Good in Weapons, Normal in the rest.
  
• Starting Diplomacy:  Uneasy with Arborians, Neutral with all other races. 
  
• Homeworld:  Plasmodus
  
• Default personality:  Aggressive Militarists
  
• Ship size preference:  small/medium