Space Wars development thread

Hi all

This is the developpment thread for the futuristic mod that I want to create

I am not working a lot on it these days because I have a lot of work, but I will mod a lot after Christmas.

Currently working on: ideas, learning to mod


I currently need help for ideas
-units/buildings/ressources/tech
-What I should include
-Everything that can be usefull

And modding alone would take me many years so I will need help to:
-traduce
-create graphics
-do some python and c++ coding
-create or find sounds
-test the game
-and maybe others


Current progress:

1 Techtree
1.1 Ideas ----30% (104 names, 88 are placed on the techtree)
1.2 XML------3%
1.3 Graphics--0%

2 Units
2.1 Ideas-----19% (105 names and their age)
2.2 XML------0.1%
2.3 Graphics--0%

3 Buildings
3.1 Ideas-----18% (23 names and basic info)
3.2 XML ------0.1%
3.3 Graphics --0%

4 Nations
4.1 Ideas -----5% (humans and aliens)
4.2 XML-------0.1%
4.3 Graphics --0%

5 Ressources
5.1 Ideas -----10% (15 names)
5.2 XML-------0.1%
5.3 Graphics --0%

6 Other
5.1 XML-------0%
5.2 Graphics --0%
5.3 Sounds----0%
5.4 Python----0%
5.5 SDK-------0%


To see info about my ideas, please download the attached excel file and see what I did. Unit progress may seems linear now, but it wont be so in the mod. And it's not completed, I will update the file often (see the %). A techtree is also included. Last update: 05-12-01

Important to read before viewing this thread: comments are not illegal here so if you have a comment, please write it.

First info:

Name: Space wars.
This is a basic title that I choosed to have one. It may change.

Terrain: I have 4 choices
-Everything on a planet (bad for space ships)
-Replace Water by space (the easiest way to get space) -- That's the way I will start it (post # 19)
-All the terrain is space (good, but no ground battle)
-A space terrain that can be zoomed into planets (the best but very hard)

Unit classes:
-Ground units: infantry, droids, tanks, anti-air, mechs, artillery
-Air units: fighters, bombers, gunships, ballistic missiles
-Space units: non-combat, transport, light ships, medium ships, heavy ships, motherships

Races:
-humans and 3 alien races
-each has more than one faction and leader

Ages:
1-Computer age
2-Nano age
3-Laser age
4-Space age
5-Physics age (added)
6-Antimatter age
7-Apocalypse age

Religions: None
-They will be replaced by a more usefull thing

Ideas for gamplay
-Modular unit creation (this might be difficult)
-energy is a value, not only powered or not
-Some buildings (factories) give ressources (this will be done)

Please give a lot of suggestions and comments

I wrote my thoughts of a Space Mod here : http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=139700

What I'd like to see is a divergence of technology. Whilst CIV starts this well, I'd like to see it continued. For example, the Romans might develop an extension of ballistic technologies, leading to railgun weapons. On the other hand, China went for the route of lasers... the differences and balance would need to be carefully thought out, of course, but I think it would add very good flavor and options. I daresay a system could also be developed meaning for example, 'Shield'-armored ships get a defensive bonus against Laser weapons.

Of course, a civ could in theory develop all weapons and armor techs and such, but this would take a very long time and they might fall behind on other critical areas of technology (Such as engines, nanomedicines, and robotic factories, for increased production.).

I'm tired now, so I'll leave it at that, but I'll check back on this thread tomorrow and expand upon my ideas.

That's possible. I am going to think about that. But for this, I need a lot of techs and I don't have enough now. I need ideas or a link to ideas (like an already made game or mod).

I am planning everything on an excel worksheet. There is almost nothing in it now, but when it will worth it (if someone want it, please ask), I will release it.

You know, space battles are always depicted like the ww2 pacific war.

You have big spaceships who battle each other. You want to use bomber-style starfighters to reduce your enemy's spaceships. You want to protect yours with space superiority starfighters. You should give a small intercept chance to big ships anyways, it shoudn't be risk free.

Perhaps you don't need to start out like this, but it's definitely how it should end. I think starfighters should have a short range so that they are definitely launched from ships and not from a planet.

Ships shoudn't be able to take planets. Bombard them only, perhaps. Then you send in the troops. It's gonna make all battle amphibious, I guess.

Special ressources? Definitely fuels and minerals on an "asteroid" tile that could be harvested using a workboat equivalent. They should give a bonus to ship construction and all that jazz.

Problem is improvements, I guess. You could put, say, hydroponics space stations for food, space factories for production, and residential space stations instead of towns. The planet tile itself should have alot of food because unworked space tiles shoudn't give many resources.

Actually, scratch that. Maybe you could just use alot of specialists to balance the small number of tiles worked? Like have some specialists that give a bonus in food, etc..

Anyway, hope it's good ideas.

[edit] Your first units should be scouting probes and militia ships. Have militia ships just be trading ships geared with whatever weapon for a defense, a bit like they used to do back in the days of the wooden sails.

Huxley Hobbes said:

What I'd like to see is a divergence of technology. Whilst CIV starts this well, I'd like to see it continued. For example, the Romans might develop an extension of ballistic technologies, leading to railgun weapons. On the other hand, China went for the route of lasers... the differences and balance would need to be carefully thought out, of course, but I think it would add very good flavor and options. I daresay a system could also be developed meaning for example, 'Shield'-armored ships get a defensive bonus against Laser weapons.

Of course, a civ could in theory develop all weapons and armor techs and such, but this would take a very long time and they might fall behind on other critical areas of technology (Such as engines, nanomedicines, and robotic factories, for increased production.).

I'm tired now, so I'll leave it at that, but I'll check back on this thread tomorrow and expand upon my ideas.

Click to expand...

I like the idea of getting an advantage in a couple of areas but not others. You're right. It lends flavour to an otherwise generic kinda game. That's what I liked about the flavour units in Civ3 RaR. It would need a really expanded tech tree to do this though, and I don't think you could allow tech trading quite so easily.

UKScud said:

I like the idea of getting an advantage in a couple of areas but not others. You're right. It lends flavour to an otherwise generic kinda game. That's what I liked about the flavour units in Civ3 RaR. It would need a really expanded tech tree to do this though, and I don't think you could allow tech trading quite so easily.

Click to expand...

Ach, that's the kicker, isn't it? I have very little knowledge when it comes to coding, and I wouldn't want to blanket ban tech trading, but at the same time it'd remove the point of flavor if everyone could just trade everything around easily.

Perhaps the answer might lie in resources. Let us say that Asteroid B-33XH contains a special fom of ruby, allowing better lasers to be built (Is it actually possible to make units better with resources? Or just allow them to be made, period?*), which would strongly encourage taking the laser route. However, I don't know if it would be possible to cause the AI to take the same into account...

* Another possible solution just occured to me. As ever, more work, but here goes anyway. Normally, when you research 'Practical Laser' you can build the following (Data is hypothetical to show comparatives, not to suggest any actual numbers.);

Scarlet Crusader - 100 Production, 16 Strength, 1 Movement
Crimson Tank - 160 Production, 26 Strength, 3 Movement

But with the resource, you can instead build these units;

Scarlet Perfection - 100 Production, 18 Strength, 1 Movement
Crimson Valkyrie - 170 Production, 30 Strength, 3 Movement

Or perhaps it could give some XP bonuses when you start out? I don't really know, I'll have to start learning more about more advanced coding to see what I can do...

Huxley Hobbes said:

Ach, that's the kicker, isn't it? I have very little knowledge when it comes to coding, and I wouldn't want to blanket ban tech trading, but at the same time it'd remove the point of flavor if everyone could just trade everything around easily.

Perhaps the answer might lie in resources. Let us say that Asteroid B-33XH contains a special fom of ruby, allowing better lasers to be built (Is it actually possible to make units better with resources? Or just allow them to be made, period?*), which would strongly encourage taking the laser route. However, I don't know if it would be possible to cause the AI to take the same into account...

Click to expand...

(the quote isn't full)

This is already possible trough promotion system. In your case, when a civilization would discover the ruby, the units in the production line could be replaced by the better one and the old units could be upgraded to it too. This is very simple.

I also have new info to say about the mod. I will place it on the 2nd post.
I will release an excel worksheet containing some info about units/techs/buildings soon (maybe today)

Does anyone has ideas for governments? The ones in normal civ 4 must be replaced by more futuristic ones. (I also need another category to replace religion).

So whats the difference between this and Star Wars?

AlCosta15 said:

So whats the difference between this and Star Wars?

Click to expand...

There are many differences

-The name is different
-There are no lightsabers or surnatural power
-Everything is different (units, techs, governments)
-It starts in the near future

And many others

You could take a page out of "Galactic Civilizations" and make civics show the degree of autonomy allowed to your colonies by 'Mother Earth'. Like, start with civics that favour the home planet who is much more developped then the others (like bureaucracy or whatnot), then varying degrees of colony autonomy.

By the way, am I the only one who thinks slavery in vanilla should give a bonus to production across the board?

Religion will never die it's to widespread it is part of culture (Plus i'm a conservative Christian) Like in the Soviet union and communist countries there are underground churches and what not. but back on the subject a Space wars civ4 mod thats so cool.
I think people will always fight they did so for a new continent they'll do it for planet colonization.
so you should include civs all these being human colonists (I don't think there are extraterrestrials but thats my opinion)
Lunar
Martian
Venetian
Terran(Earth)

Governments:
Planet government or a fancier name
Confederation

Religions:
Keep the really old ones and invent new ones

Yaotl said:

Religion will never die it's to widespread it is part of culture (Plus i'm a conservative Christian) Like in the Soviet union and communist countries there are underground churches and what not. but back on the subject a Space wars civ4 mod thats so cool.
I think people will always fight they did so for a new continent they'll do it for planet colonization.
so you should include civs all these being human colonists (I don't think there are extraterrestrials but thats my opinion)
Lunar
Martian
Venetian
Terran(Earth)

Governments:
Planet government or a fancier name
Confederation

Religions:
Keep the really old ones and invent new ones

Click to expand...

Thanks for your comments, but sorry, I don't really like religions and I think they wont do anything good in the future so I wont include them.
Instead, since we are free to practice the religion we want and to think anything (well, almost), beliefs are more important.
That's why I got the idea to replace religions by beliefs (like conservatism, liberalism, ...). At least, there might be one named "religious toughts".
And since there are billions of stars per galaxy and billions of galaxy in the universe, I think there must be some extraterrestrials (this gives a lot of probabilities...).

Well, of course I respect your opinions though I don't agree, really my post was directed to the space wars subject which fascinates me.

Today, I release the first version of an excel file that contains my ideas. See it on my first post.
And please say what you think about my work.

So what have you decided about the map?

AlCosta15 said:

So what have you decided about the map?

Click to expand...

If there is no change, the water will be replaced by space. I might do some mission maps, but in a normal map, there should be a lot of 8 tiles small planets that looks like this (o are terran, x are space):

x x x x x
x o x o x
x o o o x
x o o o x
x x x x x

This would allow every tile to have access to space (to build ships) and ground units would be essential to capture a planet, but the main battles would be in space, to protect and attack transports and ressources.
There might be some smaller (1 tile) and bigger plantets.
Random maps will be avalaible too, for land battles.

That's cool. Although, I would make it a 3 by 3 square. Only 1 tile then does not have access to the "water."