Let me explain how certain features will work (Note, subject to gameplay balancing and tweaking):
Trade will start at -5% and increase up to 15%. The percentage is based on gross income of your empire and the empire you're trading with.
Shared Research is that, when you and an empire have this agreement, you share what you're researching. So if you research 10 points into Laser Cannon, both the other empire and you gain 10 points (or 5 each, subject to balance) in Laser Cannon. So this way, you can research items that you're advantaged in (for example, if your race is good with beam weapons, then you gain bonus with that field, and it will affect the points that the other empire get)
Non-Aggression allows you to pass next to their fleets, and not fight at unclaimed systems. However, they can attack you if you're next to their inhabitated system.
Alliance allows you to be adjacent to their inhabitated systems.
Harass Selected Empire, if accepted, will hurt the relation with the selected empire and both you and the empire you've asked, as well as your relation with the empire you're asking. Reconcile does the opposite, but hurts your relation slightly with the empire you're asking still. The reason is that when you beg the other empire to do something, it degrades you in their view. Think of begging your big sister to stop a bully from picking on you.
Now here's the screenshot of the semi-final diplomacy screen!
The artist has completed two race portraits, so I think this would be a good time for me to introduce two of the races that will be in the game.
First up is the Humans. You can see his portrait from the screenshot above. They love war, they create businesses around it. They specialize in ballistic weaponry, missiles, infrastructure, and agriculture. They're definitely not your "Star Trek" happy peace mongering humans.
Next is the Zero People. They're sentinent computers, devoted to making the universe a series of ones and zeroes. Their creaters was easily overpowered by the Zero People because they relied on computers for nearly everything, and when Zero People gained sentience, it was a simple matter of taking over everything. They specialize in infrastructure, pop growth, computers, and production. This is their portrait:
Humans and Zero People races hate each other. It will be difficult to maintain a stable relation between those two.
I approve of the progress of this project.
ReplyDeleteMe, too. I approve. If this game finds it way to Steam, I'll buy!
ReplyDeletePieces coming together nicely zeraan. :)
ReplyDeleteJosEPh
Excellent progress! Any plans on including a Borg-like race (Assimilate) and an Ithkul-like (eats enemy populationfor growth) race?
ReplyDeleteGeorgia Boy
As of right now, the game don't support multi-racial population. While it's possible to implement it, it'd require a lot of changes to UI and game framework to get it to work, and I'm not sure if it'd add fun factor to the game.
ReplyDeleteWhen the game nears completion, and most of things are finalized, then I'll start looking at things that may improve the game, such as multi-racial population. But first, the core elements of the game need to be finished.
One interesting thing to consider, if Ithkuls and Borg met each other, who'll eat who first? :)
The conclusion of the FreeOrion team was that multi-species planets would add significant complications and micromanagement, while adding very little additional fun.
ReplyDeleteI think you are wise to focus on the key gameplay features. To many people in your place would try to make the biggest, most intricate 4X game ever-- and then get lost and abandon it far from completion.
it's better and better, keep it up !:)
ReplyDeleteJust thought I'd add that the art looks great. Here's to hoping you have a few different faces of each race at some point (ie, diplomats, scientists, warriors, spies all looked different in MoO - tiny variations in the art).
ReplyDeleteThanks, the artist who did those art is a big fan of MoO series, so I'm lucky to have him!
ReplyDeleteCurrently, that face you see is the only face (it have three expressions though). The problem with having many faces per race (spies, etc) is that I can't afford them :) So I'm using a sitrep for now. A lot of things are still not final, so it's possible that I may add MoO's style of reporting events (showing colonization screen, etc) and abolish SitRep entirely. But no promises at this point.
Brent - Yea, I'd call that lucky!
ReplyDeleteUnderstandable about the faces, can always add them later. Although, you should take a look at kickerstarter to fully fund the project. Some social & viral marketing should generate some buzz. I even have some ideas for various funding levels from kickstarter if you're interested.
I have a friend who said he's willing to set up a website for me, and help set up a system where people can pre-order the game. When that's all set up, then I'll announce the website, and use the money from pre-orders for artwork or sound effects for the game. We'll see how that goes.
ReplyDelete