Tani Coyote
Son of Huehuecoyotl
- Joined
- May 28, 2007
- Messages
- 15,191
You know the basic rules. Be polite and mature about things. Gracias! 
Theme
Imperium Universalis follows various civilisations in a large sector of space, all following that primal dream - to make a better life for themselves and their citizens, including at the expense of other civilisations.
The concept of soft power has always been one I admired, but I have failed to perfect it. But, will this finally be the one?
Your leadership will determine whether your empire flourishes, or withers. Militarism and expansionism will only get you so far; you must seek out alliances, trade, and opportunities if you are to dominate the galaxy. Will you have the adaptability to build a civilisation no one can ever hope to match, or will you become another footnote in the history books?
Starting Out
The universe map is a 10 x 10 grid. Each square on this map of 100 squares is its own solar system, and each solar system can have anywhere from 1 - 10 planets. In other words, the universe can be anywhere from 100 to 1000 planets large! Each planet, furthermore, is divided into zones... and can have anywhere from 1-5. So, 100 * 10 * 5 = 5,000 provinces that can be taken over.
Players will start by choosing a solar system. The system will then be created at random - as all systems are when they are discovered!
Every starting system gets 6 planets by default, all of which are under the player's control. The total number of zones in the starting systems can only number between 25-30, to add some luck yet not screw anyone over too much.
Be as detailed or as vague as possible about your state... all you need to give is your Empire's name and which square you desire as your home base. Your capital/home world will be selected from amongst that solar system's planets, orbital guns placed to guard each of the worlds, and free armies dispersed in each colonised province/zone.
In your nation bio, feel free to include whatever you want - your race (or races), culture, government, capital, currency, economy, military, etc... whatever your heart desires. As much or as little as you wish.
Expansion
While you start out ruling your entire system, there are 99 others out there waiting for your intrusi- er... discovery.
You are given 5 Expansion Points - XP - per turn. They cannot be banked or traded.
Go in any direction you so choose, but be warned... every exploration costs 1 of the 5 XP you are allotted in a turn, and it costs 2 XP to establish your first colony. In other words, you get 3 shots before choosing a colony. Once you have established a colony, that solar system can be expanded into at a charge of 1 XP per zone, but be warned! That zone will be part of your "Sphere of Influence" - meaning it is one of the 5 max solar systems you can colonise without incurring revolt risk. So if another person colonises it... well, have fun!
Once you have at least one zone in 5 different systems, every zone outside those 5 adds +0.5% to your revolt risk. For aggressive states, this adds up quick, and will cause the collapse of your empire if not managed right. You could go 1, maybe 2, systems over your support limit, but any more and you are bound to implode.
Any planet you discover, you are free to name and describe as you wish. Anything you don't describe will be instead described by the GM.
NPCs
The love/hate factor of many a forum game.
NPCs are small states that can be encountered in new systems; each planet has a 25% chance of being inhabited. They control their entire planet and expand at a rate of 25% of whatever they own or 1 zone, whichever is more. Their pitiful space programs cannot compete with yours by a long shot, but if enough of them banded together...!
NPCs can be taken over, traded with, allied with, or ignored at your leisure.
NPCs do, however, have a deterrent against aggression - they are given Army 2 at the start, every single one, to make rapid conquest of them difficult in the early run. However, the small states are generally peaceful, so you need not be concerned with such a thing.
Planet Stats
As a bonus, every planet is given its own section in an offline database that is attached to every update. It will primarily be for fun, and allow roleplaying depth for those who read it or make additions!
Income and Economics 101
Nothing quite like piles of gold. Especially easy to calculate piles of gold.
Every zone generates 1 gold per turn for simplicity purposes. What you spend it on is up to you.
You can trade with new states you meet, but are limited to five agreements, and this is throughout the entire game. Trade gives you +50% of your friend's income. States located in zones along the trade route receive 50% of the trade's value! This allows little states to not be left too far behind.
Economics Tech increases your income by a percentage; this is rounded up. Trading also increases your income by half of your partners'. You are limited to 5 trade agreements total, and any state on the trade route gets 50% of the trade route value, allowing rich merchant republics to sprout up.
Technology
Tech is divided into 4 branches, and it's up to you to prioritise them; attempting all at once will only lead to ruin.
-Economics. Increases your output by 20% for each level you have, up to 100% for all 5. Every level costs 100, flat, to reflect exponential growth. So, it will cost 500 gold to fully max this out.
-Transportation. 4 levels, each costing 50n. Maxing out costs 500 gold. Each level allows you to move one more solar system, so you can move halfway across the game map if you have Transport 4! Likewise, each Transport level also allows you to colonise and negotiate that distance away, so Transport 4 allows colonies 5 systems away, contact with states 5 systems away, and your fleets to move that far as well.
-Military. 5 levels, each costing 50n, so 750 to max out. Each level gives you +1 in combat. And since this game has rolls on a scale of 1-10, this is important! Every military also adds +1 to your support limit for every zone you control.
-Civics. Effectively a measure of how evolved your state and its integrity is. 4 levels, each costing 25n, so 250 to max out. Every civics increases how many systems you can control without incurring revolt risk by 1. So, maxed civics means you can control 5 of the 100 systems. Soft power is your friend!
In total, it costs 2000 gold over the course of the game to max out all techs, but assuming 25 zones in the first system with 15 average in the other 4, you have 85 gpt, you can have all techs in 23 turns. While it will take a few turns to reach 5 systems, you also have trade, and of course, random goodies I will drop on you!
Diplomacy
You can negotiate only with adjacent systems by default, but Transportation technology increases this by 1 with each level; Transport 5 lets you negotiate 5 systems away. If your ranges touch, you are automatically in contact - i.e. two states on opposite edges of the galaxy can negotiate if each have tech 4, since both can reach halfway across the galaxy.
War can be declared at will, but keep in mind that means all players can freely contain your aggressive motives.
As casus belli no longer exist, alliances and defensive pacts are no longer hard-coded and are entirely roleplayed. However, the GM reserves the right to send nasty things your way if you try to create a huge alliance bloc to dominate the galaxy!
Non-Aggression Pacts are pledges to not attack eachother for ANY reason, even honoring another agreement, and incur 10% revolt risk if broken for the duration of a conflict that breaks one. They last for as long as specified or, failing that, a default 5 turns.
Trade gives you 50% of the recipient's income, and they get 50% of yours. States along trade routes get 50% of the value of the route added to their income to reflect the boost in their own economy from such a profitable route. You can only have 5 trade agreements, so choose wisely! Cancelling them will be remembered by NPCs.
Client states are the last hardcoded diplo feature. These states, normally small, vulnerable states seeking protection or rump states left from a war, send you a portion of their income in exchange for your protection, and you in turn also project influence over them. You can collect 10, 20, 30, 40, or 50% of their income, with the amount reflecting the chance they will break away from you if you are attacked, declare war on you if you are attacked, stick by you (if they have a realistic chance of winning), or accepting annexation.
To make it simple - 10% tax rate = 10% chance of breaking away if you are assaulted; successful break aways will have that tax rate be matched by a percent chance of attacking you (10%). The client will militarily support you if you've had good relations + they actually stand a chance. Annexation chance is half of the difference between the tax rate and 100... so, 10% tax rate means a 45% chance of annexation; 50% tax rate = 25% chance of annexation.
Integration, known as annexation by some bleeding heart hippies in the "loyal" opposition of your government, is the act of absorbing another state into your own. Everything they own becomes yours, their armies, territories, and any tech they had superior to yours. States you have been good too are almost guaranteed to accept this, states you have abused will almost always reject it!
There is also armed annexation, where you completely conquer a foe. You receive half their tech if you fought them singlehandedly, or you receive a share of their tech proportional to however much of their empire you control.
War
War does not require a CB like in previous TF games.
Combat is described below.
When you annex a state, you get varying amounts of tech depending on the situation - half of their total tech value if you went it alone, but proportional to how much territory you took if you had some partners. You cannot sell provinces you will capture like in previous games, to make sure wars are drawn out.
Any claims you make during a turn of aggression are void. If you are attacked, you can still claim for that single turn, but may make no more after that!
Armies and Combat
Combat is determined by RNG on a scale of 1-10. Ties are automatically considered won by the defender, Risk style.
As for the actual combat, there will be three tiers.
First, space fleets attack eachother and try to overwhelm the other. Loser retreats and loses their move, victor moves into position.
Second, space fleets do battle with orbital defenses if applicable. Elimination of the guns opens the path for an actual invasion.
Third, any troops on your fleet land on the planet surface, and do battle with whatever your enemy has present. Victory there = planetary takeover.
Now, re-assembling a fleet is a pain in the behind, logically, so it's a wise idea to keep a large space navy, because if it goes down, you are rendered effectively defenseless.
Fleets, armies, and gun platforms all cost 5 gold to build and count as 1 towards your support. Going over your unit support incurs -1 gold per turn as maintenance.
Orbital guns are limited to one for each zone on the planet, i.e. a three-zone planet can have 3 Orbital guns. Orbital guns are defensive in nature, but in later generations, could possibly gain another use...
Superweapons will be introduced at a later time and detailed then - superweapons primarily will lay waste to entire planets.
Espionage
A soft power-based game wouldn't be complete without subtle ways to change the game. Every spy action has a discovery chance of 10% with varying success rates. Discovery means that opponent will be angered with you, and may even declare war!
You get one spy action per turn per rival/enemy.
-Assassination. 30% chance of success. NPC targets only. The assassination will make the state more receptive towards you as you exterminated an opponent, but if discovered, will instead make the nation more hostile.
-Revolution. 20% chance of success. NPC targets only. The state will undergo drastic socioeconomic change, such as the birth of the USSR or Islamic Revolution in Iran. Things may or may not improve relationship-wise... the fall of the government ushers in a new era, where the government may seek closer ties or even client status, or possibly become more hostile towards you for historical reasons (Fascism) or re-possess your property in the name of nationalism (Communism). A revolutionary state won't change for a while, and so, your friendship (or lack thereof) will be fairly long-lived; the government can't change for 4 turns!
-Coup. 20% chance of success. NPC targets only. More risk equals more reward; the shift in government creates a more favorable political climate. The state will likely appeal for client status and request aid to maintain its power, either through brute force (dictatorship) or electoral fraud (democracy). The government has a chance of changing in 2 turns, depending on how much support they've received from the original benefactor to keep the populace at bay.
-Sow Discontent. 20% chance of success. Your agents work to increase the unpopularity of the government, trying to force them out of office by ballot or bullet. Raises Revolt Risk by 10% for the next turn!
-Embezzle funds. 20% chance of success. Your opponent loses 10% of their income!
Events
Events are primarily boosts to income... or drops in it. They add variety.
This can vary from economic booms/recessions...
...to space piracy, where a trade route is terrorised by pirates and as such, the income garnered from it shrinks, or vanishes entirely!
Revolt Risk
The last bit of icing on the cake. In short, your populace is generally satisfied but some things tick them off. The list is simple, so keep an eye on it.
-For every zone you own that's not part of a solar system considered in your SoI, you get +1% RR. So, if you are at Civics 5, but have zones in 6 solar systems, that sixth solar system's zones will add to your RR.
-If your capital falls, you gain +10% RR as your people desire peace in a war that's too close to home.
-Breaking a NAP nets you +10% RR, even if it was by honoring another agreement.
-Sow discontent, if successful on your soil, grants another +10% RR.
Since none of these are mutually exclusive, you can find yourself with a colossal RR if you're not careful.
If your RR triggers, that percentage of your empire will break away. Rebels come in all sorts of flavors and will vary based on the situation - they may want a new government(incapable of negotiating with them) or their own country (negotiable). Sometimes, they may just be protestors to your current war, so ending it will make most of them fizzle out. Of course, your opponent knows that and will likely ensure peace isn't cheap!
Theme
Imperium Universalis follows various civilisations in a large sector of space, all following that primal dream - to make a better life for themselves and their citizens, including at the expense of other civilisations.
The concept of soft power has always been one I admired, but I have failed to perfect it. But, will this finally be the one?
Your leadership will determine whether your empire flourishes, or withers. Militarism and expansionism will only get you so far; you must seek out alliances, trade, and opportunities if you are to dominate the galaxy. Will you have the adaptability to build a civilisation no one can ever hope to match, or will you become another footnote in the history books?
Starting Out
The universe map is a 10 x 10 grid. Each square on this map of 100 squares is its own solar system, and each solar system can have anywhere from 1 - 10 planets. In other words, the universe can be anywhere from 100 to 1000 planets large! Each planet, furthermore, is divided into zones... and can have anywhere from 1-5. So, 100 * 10 * 5 = 5,000 provinces that can be taken over.
Players will start by choosing a solar system. The system will then be created at random - as all systems are when they are discovered!
Every starting system gets 6 planets by default, all of which are under the player's control. The total number of zones in the starting systems can only number between 25-30, to add some luck yet not screw anyone over too much.
Be as detailed or as vague as possible about your state... all you need to give is your Empire's name and which square you desire as your home base. Your capital/home world will be selected from amongst that solar system's planets, orbital guns placed to guard each of the worlds, and free armies dispersed in each colonised province/zone.
In your nation bio, feel free to include whatever you want - your race (or races), culture, government, capital, currency, economy, military, etc... whatever your heart desires. As much or as little as you wish.
Expansion
While you start out ruling your entire system, there are 99 others out there waiting for your intrusi- er... discovery.
You are given 5 Expansion Points - XP - per turn. They cannot be banked or traded.
Go in any direction you so choose, but be warned... every exploration costs 1 of the 5 XP you are allotted in a turn, and it costs 2 XP to establish your first colony. In other words, you get 3 shots before choosing a colony. Once you have established a colony, that solar system can be expanded into at a charge of 1 XP per zone, but be warned! That zone will be part of your "Sphere of Influence" - meaning it is one of the 5 max solar systems you can colonise without incurring revolt risk. So if another person colonises it... well, have fun!
Once you have at least one zone in 5 different systems, every zone outside those 5 adds +0.5% to your revolt risk. For aggressive states, this adds up quick, and will cause the collapse of your empire if not managed right. You could go 1, maybe 2, systems over your support limit, but any more and you are bound to implode.
Any planet you discover, you are free to name and describe as you wish. Anything you don't describe will be instead described by the GM.
NPCs
The love/hate factor of many a forum game.
NPCs are small states that can be encountered in new systems; each planet has a 25% chance of being inhabited. They control their entire planet and expand at a rate of 25% of whatever they own or 1 zone, whichever is more. Their pitiful space programs cannot compete with yours by a long shot, but if enough of them banded together...!
NPCs can be taken over, traded with, allied with, or ignored at your leisure.
NPCs do, however, have a deterrent against aggression - they are given Army 2 at the start, every single one, to make rapid conquest of them difficult in the early run. However, the small states are generally peaceful, so you need not be concerned with such a thing.
Planet Stats
As a bonus, every planet is given its own section in an offline database that is attached to every update. It will primarily be for fun, and allow roleplaying depth for those who read it or make additions!
Income and Economics 101
Nothing quite like piles of gold. Especially easy to calculate piles of gold.
Every zone generates 1 gold per turn for simplicity purposes. What you spend it on is up to you.
You can trade with new states you meet, but are limited to five agreements, and this is throughout the entire game. Trade gives you +50% of your friend's income. States located in zones along the trade route receive 50% of the trade's value! This allows little states to not be left too far behind.
Economics Tech increases your income by a percentage; this is rounded up. Trading also increases your income by half of your partners'. You are limited to 5 trade agreements total, and any state on the trade route gets 50% of the trade route value, allowing rich merchant republics to sprout up.
Technology
Tech is divided into 4 branches, and it's up to you to prioritise them; attempting all at once will only lead to ruin.
-Economics. Increases your output by 20% for each level you have, up to 100% for all 5. Every level costs 100, flat, to reflect exponential growth. So, it will cost 500 gold to fully max this out.
-Transportation. 4 levels, each costing 50n. Maxing out costs 500 gold. Each level allows you to move one more solar system, so you can move halfway across the game map if you have Transport 4! Likewise, each Transport level also allows you to colonise and negotiate that distance away, so Transport 4 allows colonies 5 systems away, contact with states 5 systems away, and your fleets to move that far as well.
-Military. 5 levels, each costing 50n, so 750 to max out. Each level gives you +1 in combat. And since this game has rolls on a scale of 1-10, this is important! Every military also adds +1 to your support limit for every zone you control.
-Civics. Effectively a measure of how evolved your state and its integrity is. 4 levels, each costing 25n, so 250 to max out. Every civics increases how many systems you can control without incurring revolt risk by 1. So, maxed civics means you can control 5 of the 100 systems. Soft power is your friend!
In total, it costs 2000 gold over the course of the game to max out all techs, but assuming 25 zones in the first system with 15 average in the other 4, you have 85 gpt, you can have all techs in 23 turns. While it will take a few turns to reach 5 systems, you also have trade, and of course, random goodies I will drop on you!
Diplomacy
You can negotiate only with adjacent systems by default, but Transportation technology increases this by 1 with each level; Transport 5 lets you negotiate 5 systems away. If your ranges touch, you are automatically in contact - i.e. two states on opposite edges of the galaxy can negotiate if each have tech 4, since both can reach halfway across the galaxy.
War can be declared at will, but keep in mind that means all players can freely contain your aggressive motives.
As casus belli no longer exist, alliances and defensive pacts are no longer hard-coded and are entirely roleplayed. However, the GM reserves the right to send nasty things your way if you try to create a huge alliance bloc to dominate the galaxy!
Non-Aggression Pacts are pledges to not attack eachother for ANY reason, even honoring another agreement, and incur 10% revolt risk if broken for the duration of a conflict that breaks one. They last for as long as specified or, failing that, a default 5 turns.
Trade gives you 50% of the recipient's income, and they get 50% of yours. States along trade routes get 50% of the value of the route added to their income to reflect the boost in their own economy from such a profitable route. You can only have 5 trade agreements, so choose wisely! Cancelling them will be remembered by NPCs.
Client states are the last hardcoded diplo feature. These states, normally small, vulnerable states seeking protection or rump states left from a war, send you a portion of their income in exchange for your protection, and you in turn also project influence over them. You can collect 10, 20, 30, 40, or 50% of their income, with the amount reflecting the chance they will break away from you if you are attacked, declare war on you if you are attacked, stick by you (if they have a realistic chance of winning), or accepting annexation.
To make it simple - 10% tax rate = 10% chance of breaking away if you are assaulted; successful break aways will have that tax rate be matched by a percent chance of attacking you (10%). The client will militarily support you if you've had good relations + they actually stand a chance. Annexation chance is half of the difference between the tax rate and 100... so, 10% tax rate means a 45% chance of annexation; 50% tax rate = 25% chance of annexation.
Integration, known as annexation by some bleeding heart hippies in the "loyal" opposition of your government, is the act of absorbing another state into your own. Everything they own becomes yours, their armies, territories, and any tech they had superior to yours. States you have been good too are almost guaranteed to accept this, states you have abused will almost always reject it!
There is also armed annexation, where you completely conquer a foe. You receive half their tech if you fought them singlehandedly, or you receive a share of their tech proportional to however much of their empire you control.
War
War does not require a CB like in previous TF games.
Combat is described below.
When you annex a state, you get varying amounts of tech depending on the situation - half of their total tech value if you went it alone, but proportional to how much territory you took if you had some partners. You cannot sell provinces you will capture like in previous games, to make sure wars are drawn out.
Any claims you make during a turn of aggression are void. If you are attacked, you can still claim for that single turn, but may make no more after that!
Armies and Combat
Combat is determined by RNG on a scale of 1-10. Ties are automatically considered won by the defender, Risk style.
As for the actual combat, there will be three tiers.
First, space fleets attack eachother and try to overwhelm the other. Loser retreats and loses their move, victor moves into position.
Second, space fleets do battle with orbital defenses if applicable. Elimination of the guns opens the path for an actual invasion.
Third, any troops on your fleet land on the planet surface, and do battle with whatever your enemy has present. Victory there = planetary takeover.
Now, re-assembling a fleet is a pain in the behind, logically, so it's a wise idea to keep a large space navy, because if it goes down, you are rendered effectively defenseless.
Fleets, armies, and gun platforms all cost 5 gold to build and count as 1 towards your support. Going over your unit support incurs -1 gold per turn as maintenance.
Orbital guns are limited to one for each zone on the planet, i.e. a three-zone planet can have 3 Orbital guns. Orbital guns are defensive in nature, but in later generations, could possibly gain another use...
Superweapons will be introduced at a later time and detailed then - superweapons primarily will lay waste to entire planets.
Espionage
A soft power-based game wouldn't be complete without subtle ways to change the game. Every spy action has a discovery chance of 10% with varying success rates. Discovery means that opponent will be angered with you, and may even declare war!
You get one spy action per turn per rival/enemy.
-Assassination. 30% chance of success. NPC targets only. The assassination will make the state more receptive towards you as you exterminated an opponent, but if discovered, will instead make the nation more hostile.
-Revolution. 20% chance of success. NPC targets only. The state will undergo drastic socioeconomic change, such as the birth of the USSR or Islamic Revolution in Iran. Things may or may not improve relationship-wise... the fall of the government ushers in a new era, where the government may seek closer ties or even client status, or possibly become more hostile towards you for historical reasons (Fascism) or re-possess your property in the name of nationalism (Communism). A revolutionary state won't change for a while, and so, your friendship (or lack thereof) will be fairly long-lived; the government can't change for 4 turns!
-Coup. 20% chance of success. NPC targets only. More risk equals more reward; the shift in government creates a more favorable political climate. The state will likely appeal for client status and request aid to maintain its power, either through brute force (dictatorship) or electoral fraud (democracy). The government has a chance of changing in 2 turns, depending on how much support they've received from the original benefactor to keep the populace at bay.
-Sow Discontent. 20% chance of success. Your agents work to increase the unpopularity of the government, trying to force them out of office by ballot or bullet. Raises Revolt Risk by 10% for the next turn!
-Embezzle funds. 20% chance of success. Your opponent loses 10% of their income!
Events
Events are primarily boosts to income... or drops in it. They add variety.
This can vary from economic booms/recessions...
...to space piracy, where a trade route is terrorised by pirates and as such, the income garnered from it shrinks, or vanishes entirely!
Revolt Risk
The last bit of icing on the cake. In short, your populace is generally satisfied but some things tick them off. The list is simple, so keep an eye on it.
-For every zone you own that's not part of a solar system considered in your SoI, you get +1% RR. So, if you are at Civics 5, but have zones in 6 solar systems, that sixth solar system's zones will add to your RR.
-If your capital falls, you gain +10% RR as your people desire peace in a war that's too close to home.
-Breaking a NAP nets you +10% RR, even if it was by honoring another agreement.
-Sow discontent, if successful on your soil, grants another +10% RR.
Since none of these are mutually exclusive, you can find yourself with a colossal RR if you're not careful.
If your RR triggers, that percentage of your empire will break away. Rebels come in all sorts of flavors and will vary based on the situation - they may want a new government(incapable of negotiating with them) or their own country (negotiable). Sometimes, they may just be protestors to your current war, so ending it will make most of them fizzle out. Of course, your opponent knows that and will likely ensure peace isn't cheap!
