MezaCorp Sponsors, feedback please

[Azem.Ocram]

I plan on releasing a mod in late December or early January with 3 new sponsors, 1 new biome, and new starting conditions.

I would appreciate feedback and suggestions. I want MineCo to have extra resources when improved (like Nuevo Aires except +1/+2/+5) but have decreased Affinity from technology. I want Cascadia R&D to have extra science but decreased attack power. I want Malvarma Unlimited to have some sort of bonus related to specialists.


Sponsor Background:

Spoiler :

MezaCorp
Initially a small company founded in Tacoma during the early 21st century. Starting with a revolutionary invention for recycling e-waste, another for producing performance polymers from microbes, a small group of WSYS graduate students, and a guiding philosophy aiming to increase total utility to the entirety of humanity with their innovative and environmentally friendly products, MezaCorp quickly rose to become as much a part of the Pacific NW economy as Microsoft, Amazon or Starbucks. Each co-founder named a subsidiary except for Mr. Marcos Lorenzo Meza, who named their business 'Meza, Cassidy & Company' after himself (inventor of the biopolymers) and his associate Ms. Crystal Alexandra Cassidy (inventor of the e-waste recycling).
By the mid 21st Century, most waste generated on the North American West Coast (from Alaska to Baja California) was sent to MezaCorp facilities.

MineCo
They built the first Seeding Ship capable of relativistic speeds over interstellar distances in human history. MezaCorp's subsidiary Space Mining Company, MineCo, set off to pave way for Cascadia R&D to settle on a distant planet. Starting with a small population of engineers comprised 90% of women in cryo sleep, with enough embryos to start a viable population through surrogates upon arrival, their systems sped off at relativistic speeds shortly after Al Falah launched their own generation ship.
Founded in the tumultuous times leading up to the great mistake. MineCo was a pioneer in mining asteroids for elements rare or depleted on earth. With data storage servers on Mars, absolutely no scientific knowledge was lost after the great mistake.

As The American Reclamation Corporation gained power with its construction and terraforming projects, MezaCorp lost its spot in the limelight. CEO Michael Moderski also had a bad habit of bad-mouthing MezaCorp, going so far as to frequently slip in scandalous headlines from 21st century tabloids (that had been proven as defamation decades earlier) about the (long dead) founders in casual (televised) interviews. ARC CFO Suzanne Fielding, ever the pragmatic businesswoman, issued public apologies on behalf of ARC--after gaining position of CEO--to MezaCorp and entered a new era of mutual benefit.
MezaCorp manufactured the majority of hardware used by ARC and helped provide logistics for them prior to Seeding. They maintained an indefinite contract with ARC to exchange scientific research.

Cascadia R&D
The ship sponsored by Cascadia Research & Development was the first populated ship to reach beyond our solar system's main belt, the first ship built for interstellar colonization, and the first Generation Ship in human history. CasR&D set off in hopes of spreading humanity to distant planets and maintain as high populations as can be sustained on each planet. To do this, they set their sights on a super-Earth orbiting around a distant star. Presumed to have been destroyed, their only contact with the rest of humanity after leaving the solar system in 2320 CE was a short superluminal message sent once a decade to MezaCorp HQ and ARC exchanging scientific progress from interstellar space with their research on habitable planets. The original crew boarded in 2200 CE, selected from a large pool of volunteers, narrowing down to 8,000 of the best and brightest men and 8,000 of the best and brightest women, all carefully screened for genetic defects. The volunteers knew that they could never leave the ship after boarding, their children would be the first humans to witness the boundaries of the solar system (previous Seed Ships had everyone in cryo-sleep by then), their grandchildren would be the first to be born in interstellar space, several generations will spend their entire lives aboard the Generation Ship in interstellar space, that 2 generations will witness "pit stops" for repairs and resupplies in uninhabitable star systems, and that 2 generations will observe their new home world from orbit before the first colonists set foot on the distant planet.

A gamete bank from 100,000 genetically-screened men and 100,000 genetically-screened women was also brought along with the standard seed bank of all plants of potential human use and a complete genetic database of all organisms to have ever had their genomes sequenced. Genetic engineers managed to correct all genetic defects in the population over the course of 800 years in space. They even perfected cellular mitosis to the point that chromosomes are always replicated virtually perfectly and telomeres do not start to noticeably degrade until after the age most Earthling adults die of old age.

This is the research branch that helped MezaCorp spread from a waste management company to a major technology producer, just behind Microsoft in terms of sales of hardware/devices. All their devices were manufactured from a combination of post-consumer waste, pre-consumer waste, renewable resources, and eventually asteroid mining.

Malvarma Unlimited
Founded as an offshoot of Cascadia R&D from researchers left behind on the Generation Ship orbiting the Planet. These researchers settled in the frozen tundra because MineCo and Cascadia R&D already settled near the equator. Malvarma has underground labs for geology & physics, outdoor field labs for studying cold weather adaptation of organisms, and relies on aeroponics and aquaponics for most of its food.

Ruza Sagaj Esploristo, Head Researcher of Cascadia R&D

Spoiler :

Born aboard Cascadia R&D's Generation Ship 35 years before planetfall, to the most creative researcher aboard with DNA from some of the most analytical and charismatic engineers, Ruza proved herself to be a child prodigy. No one learned as much about any planet as she did in the mere 20 years before landing. She became the main teacher to young Ministo while continuing her work researching. Her excellent creativity, wit, analytical & critical thinking, research & presentation skills, and tact earned her the honor of Head Researcher in charge of research and development on the planetary surface.

Ruza, standing at 150 cm, is taller than most of her female peers. Her slim figure and tall height compared to the general population causes her to fatigue more rapidly when exercising under the natural acceleration of gravity (15 m/s/s) of their enormous planet. She has never ventured farther outside than city parks.

Leader Portrait:

Starting Supremacy

Starting Purity

Ministo Kvalifikitaj, COO of MineCo

Spoiler :

Raised aboard MineCo's colony ship 18 years before the expected planetfall, Ministo was engineered with the genetics of charismatic leaders, brilliant scientists, and inventive engineers with adaptations for life on Procul. Raised from conception in the Leader's Suite (constructed after mining operations commenced in the asteroid belt), he was taught everything needed to oversee and optimize the industry on the new planet. He finally set foot on the planet as MineCo's colony ship landed on the planet, a generation (turn) after Cascadia R&D.

All of his DNA is mammalian in origin but MezaCorp geneticists had spliced DNA from other Earth animals into the population for generations. Standing at 162 cm, Ministo is slightly taller than the average man but his sturdy physique and optimized genetics makes him stronger than the majority of the population. He has a very hands-on approach to overseeing operations and cares much more about maximizing efficiency and reducing waste (to increase yields of resources from mines) than paying any attention to ideology or mysticism.

New building (not wonder):
Interstellar Research Databank, costs 1400 production, available at Habitation, +2 Science, -12 energy, City Intrigue capped at 3. Building quest eliminates maintenance cost with a choice between +8 science, +2 culture, or +10 science

New Cargo:
Interstellar Research Lab, capital starts with Interstellar Research Database

New colonists:
Research Engineers: +2 science, +1 production
Corporate R&D: +1 science, +1 production, +2 energy
Tycoons: +4 Energy
Artisans: +2 culture, +1 production
Starving Artists: +2 Culture
Artists now back to +3 Culture
Aristocrats now give +2 culture, +2 energy

New biome: Devonian
Has the Massive Meteorite Crater from Primordial Biome (different quest dialogue)
Aliens have the same strength and green color as on the Lush Biome
Manticores, Seige Worms, and Krakens spawn at much decreased rates when aliens are not angered
Macara, Sea Dragons, and Manticores spawn at decreased rates when aliens are not angered
Wolf Beetles and Rippers spawn at slightly decreased rates when aliens are not angered
Drones and Scarabs spawn at normal rates
No xenomass or miasma over desert, tundra or snow but works like Fungal Biome miasma

New aliens:
The new aliens for this biome get a promotion for increased strength when defending (ranged and melee)
They have slightly lower combat strength and spawn at far higher rates than any other aliens in the Devonian biome

Scarab brood: default scarab model, shrunken to 2/5 the size with 3x as many scarabs per unit, more colorful

Drone brood: default drone model, shrunken to 2/5 the size with 3x as many drones per unit, more colorful

Dwarf Hydracoral: uses a modified model of hydracoral, has far less combat strength with a promotion to make it stronger when defending (so that the T3 Dwarf hydracoral can defend itself better against melee than the default T2 hydracoral, and is stronger against ranged than default T3 hydracoral), these do not spawn hydracoral brains (no quest without default hydracoral)
The modification is that its tentacles are far shorter and there are more on the same tile
The T1 Dwarf Hydracoral uses 3 T1 hydracoral models with mostly unnoticeable tentacles
The T2 Dwarf Hydracoral uses 3 T1 hydracoral models and 1 shorter T2 hydracoral model (in the middle)
The T3 Dwarf Hydracoral uses 4 shortened T2 hydracoral models
When defending against melee, the combat animation is the same as T1 hydracoral

 

[Doviello]

Your mod sounds interesting, but.. capital starts with +20 science, with possibility of eliminating the 5 energy maintenance.. lol no this is OP.

And what is with those colonists?
+2culture +1production (artisan)
+2culture (starving artist - lol?)
+3culture (artist)
+2culture +2 energy (aristocrat)

There's an obviously terrible choice in there. Consider giving colonist choices less hybrid bonuses, or they will be too generic.

 

[Azem.Ocram]

Thank you for the feedback! I appreciate it. It's better to eliminate bad ideas before putting effort into them.

The public release of my mod will not have Starving Artists, Artisans, or Research Engineers. The public release of my mod will have the Interstellar Research Database give +6 science, +5 city hit points, -8 energy per turn and 2 scientist specialists. Quest grants free maintenance or +2 culture, +4 science per turn.

My 2nd mod will add the 3 sponsors
Cascadia R&D will have +10/15/25% science in the capital and a 30% combat penalty when attacking. Peaceful Scientists, respects science, hates higher scores, offers modest science boosting diplomatic deals that are barely worth the DC when neutral but really worth it when allied.

MineCo will still have the +1/2/5 strategic resources when improved and -50% affinity points from technology. Practical Miners, respects production, hates of higher scores, offers modest production bonuses for diplomatic agreements that are much better if allied.

Malvarma Unlimited gets +1/2/4 extra yield from specialists and 4 unique buildings
affinity 1/1/1 unlocks a Winter Shelter that requires tundra with +10 city hit points, -3 energy, quest gives free maintenance or +8% science
Harmony 6 unlocks a SkyFarm that requires tundra with +1 food, -6 energy and 3 grower specialists, requires tundra, quest gives +3 food, +1 Harmony point per turn or free maintenance
Supremacy 6 unlocks an Underground lab with +1 production and 3 scientist specialists, -5 energy, quest gives +1 production and no maintenance or +2 science and 1 Supremacy point per turn
Purity 6 unlocks an Alpine Resort that requires a mountain, with +2 culture from snow, 3 artist specialists, -6 energy, quest gives +1 science and no maintenance or +3 culture and +1 Purity point per turn.
I haven't figured out agreements yet but I have time

 

[Doviello]

Ah ok let me give my 2cents

The public release of my mod will not have Starving Artists, Artisans, or Research Engineers. The public release of my mod will have the Interstellar Research Database give +6 science, +5 city hit points, -8 energy per turn and 2 scientist specialists. Quest grants free maintenance or +2 culture, +4 science per turn.

Allright, much better, although the quest seems a little bit too good, either choice. Eliminating the 8 maintenance or 2cult4sci both look almost as good as what the building itself gives. I don't think a building strength should be defined by what's behind the quest.

My 2nd mod will add the 3 sponsors
Cascadia R&D will have +10/15/25% science in the capital and a 30% combat penalty when attacking. Peaceful Scientists, respects science, hates higher scores, offers modest science boosting diplomatic deals that are barely worth the DC when neutral but really worth it when allied.

Seem allright although the sci bonus seems strong. Consider reducing the penalty (30%/20%/15%).

MineCo will still have the +1/2/5 strategic resources when improved and -50% affinity points from technology. Practical Miners, respects production, hates of higher scores, offers modest production bonuses for diplomatic agreements that are much better if allied.

+1/+2/+5 as a base (like Kozlov) or for each source in your territory? The second options makes this sponsor much stronger than Kozlov. There's already a sponsor with bonus resources, since this is a mining company, consider making him a little better in mining, with something like, +1/+2/+3 hammers per mine improvement or strategic resources.

What do you mean affinity points, we get LESS affinity xp per tech? This is crippling, the MineCo player will have to research twice as many techs to reach the same affinity level as his neighbors.

Malvarma Unlimited gets +1/2/4 extra yield from specialists and 4 unique buildings
affinity 1/1/1 unlocks a Winter Shelter that requires tundra with +10 city hit points, -3 energy, quest gives free maintenance or +8% science
Harmony 6 unlocks a SkyFarm that requires tundra with +1 food, -6 energy and 3 grower specialists, requires tundra, quest gives +3 food, +1 Harmony point per turn or free maintenance
Supremacy 6 unlocks an Underground lab with +1 production and 3 scientist specialists, -5 energy, quest gives +1 production and no maintenance or +2 science and 1 Supremacy point per turn
Purity 6 unlocks an Alpine Resort that requires a mountain, with +2 culture from snow, 3 artist specialists, -6 energy, quest gives +1 science and no maintenance or +3 culture and +1 Purity point per turn.
I haven't figured out agreements yet but I have time

Ok lots of stuff

Malvarma is basically a stronger African Union, with it's bonus for specialists. I think you should give this sponsor a completely different bonus to make it different from Barre.

Winter Shelter seems strong after the 8%sci quest, but it requires tundra so maybe it's ok.

As for the other buildings, well unless you're playing with the affinity as yields mod, i wouldn't give any buildings an "affinity per turn bonus". The mod i mentioned gives affinity from buildings and stuff, but it GREATLY increased the costs for leveling up an affinity, like, 250xp for harmony 2 for example. Using your mod without the "aff as yields" mod means we would still need 15-20xp for each level up, so we'd quickly reach lvl 18, way faster than the AI which is still dependent on techs. I think giving any sponsor a extra source of affinity points like this isn't a good idea. Like, what if the sponsor spawns away from any tundra/mountain? So i suggest this sponsor and it's unique buildings get a complete redesign.

 

[poom3619]

I'm not really into game balance consider how much I love to break the game, if you're set on what is bonus and malus. I would suggest mod it in how you think it is balanced, release it and then rebalance. (unless you like it to be intentionally and slightly overpowered or underpowered)

I can help you with XML and artworks

 

[Azem.Ocram]

The released versions of the mod will be balanced, my private mods will let me play on Apollo
Here are some revisions:

My first mod only changes colonists and cargo

My 2nd mod will add the 3 sponsors

Cascadia R&D will have +18% science in the capital and a -30/22/10% combat penalty when attacking.
Peaceful Scientists: respects science, hates higher scores, offers modest science boosting diplomatic deals that are barely worth the DC when neutral but really worth it when allied.

MineCo will still have the +1/2/5 strategic resources per improvement and -50% affinity points from technology.
Practical Miners: respects production, hates higher scores, offers modest production bonuses for diplomatic agreements that are much better if allied.

Gets unique buildings to make up for decreased affinity from technology, required improved resources, unlocked at technologies that can improve the resources but requires affinity

Spoiler :

P6 - requires gold, +2 culture, -2 energy, quest gives free energy or +1 culture, +1 Purity point per turn
S6 - requires copper, +2 science, -2 energy, quest gives free energy or +1 science, +1 Supremacy point per turn
H6 - requires chitin, +1 food from each plantation, -2 energy, quest gives free energy or +1 culture, +1 Harmony point per turn
P12 - requires Floatstone, +2 culture, -2 energy, quest gives free energy or +1 culture, +1 Purity point per turn
S12 - requires Firaxite, +2 science, -2 energy, quest gives free energy or +1 culture, +1 Purity point per turn
H12 - requires Xenomass, +1 food from paddocks, plantations, beds, and fisheries, -4 energy, quest gives free energy or +1 culture, +1 Harmony point per turn
Tier 2 hybrid buildings cost -6 energy per turn, quest takes away energy cost or gives +1 point towards affinities
P12/S6 - requires titatium
P12/H6 - requires petroleum
S12/P6 - requires geothermal
S12/H6 - requires petroleum
H12/P6 - requires petroleum
H12/S6 - requires petroleum

Malvarma Unlimited gets +1/2/3 extra yield from specialists, -16% combat & ranged strength
4 unique buildings

Spoiler :

Affinity 1/1/1 unlocks a Winter Shelter that requires tundra with +10 city hit points, -4 energy, 1 engineer specialist, quest gives free maintenance or +8% science
Harmony 8 unlocks a SkyFarm that requires tundra with +1 food, -6 energy and 3 grower specialists, requires tundra, quest gives +3 food, +1 Harmony point per turn or free maintenance
Supremacy 8 unlocks an Underground lab that requires hills with +1 production and 3 scientist specialists, -5 energy, quest gives +1 production and no maintenance or +2 science and 1 Supremacy point per turn
Purity 8 unlocks an Alpine Resort that requires a mountain, with +2 culture from snow, 3 artist specialists, -6 energy, quest gives +1 science and no maintenance or +3 culture and +1 Purity point per turn.
I haven't figured out agreements yet but I have time

My 3rd mod will combine a couple mods together to change affinities and technology (might be released before my 2nd mod is balanced.

Affinity level 1 will cost 8 affinity points, subsequent affinity levels will cost 2 more points instead of 1
Affinity levels 19, 20, 21, & 22 will be added, each affinity level gets a modest passive perk
Harmony 2 gives all aliens a promotion to make them 5% stronger when defending and 5% stronger overall
Each subsequent level of Harmony upgrades that promotion, limit 1 Harmony promotion per alien, only the strongest promotion applies, aliens benefit from the highest Harmony of any sponsor (human or AI)
Hybrid affinity health perks will be divided into 3 levels (5/5 gives 5% bonus, 10/10 gives 8% bonus, 15/15 gives 12% bonus)
Hybrid affinity 10/10 perk will move to 12/12
Aspects of Affinities as Yields limited to things with maintenance costs, except paddocks
Modifed and expanded Beyond Great Persons with hybrid affinities and no free affinity levels
All tile improvements with maintenance fees cost 2x energy, take 2x as many turns to build, and must be built by a special worker with a different name and texture (machinery cargo gives only default worker), same production cost, and +20% hurry cost
Farms will cost -1 maintenance, cost 2x as many turns to build, use the special worker
Vertical Farming only gives +1 food

New Technologies (all cost 1200 science)

Robotics should get a leaf tech called Domestic Robots, which allows workers to construct RoButler Factories and grant +1 production to Manufacturies and Mines. +20 Purity & Supremacy

Terraforming should get a leaf tech called Cross Pollination, which allows workers to construct Hybrid Forests and grant +1 food to Biowells and removes maintenance cost from Farms. +20 Purity & Harmony

Alien Sciences should get a leaf tech called Xeno-Techno Augmentation, which allows workers to construct Biotech Labs and should grant +1 Science to Xenomass Wells and Manufacturies. +20 Supremacy & Harmony

Communications should get a leaf tech called Orbital Surveyors which unlocks satellites that function like the starting condition ship parts (1 reveals coasts, 1 reveals all strategic resources, 1 reveals all Alien Nests, 1 reveals all Expedition Sites, and all give line of sight beneath them). They reveal the parts of the map the turn after they are launched but maintain line of sight in a 2 tile radius (with a 1 tile radius orbital coverage), 2 petroleum, 1 titanium, 150 production cost, last 20 turns, -4 energy per turn.

Orbital Networks gets a new satellite that costs 1 titanium, has normal 1 tile radius orbital coverage, and gives +3 line of sight radius, lasts 60 turns, costs 90 production and has no maintenance fee

My 4th mod will have the new Devonian biome and aliens

Aliens will have slightly lower combat strength than Lush but miasma behaves like it does on fungal biomes
Fewer mountains (normal amount of typical mountains, no crater mountains, there are productive meteor craters afterall), far fewer canyons, much more coast, no trenches, less ocean, no miasma or xenomass over desert, tundra or snow

It will have 4 types of forest:
Forest (default): Conifer Trees (only over tundra, tundra hill, or plains hill without miasma)

Ferns: Large ferns (plains, grasslands, flood plains, no marsh)
looks like this with bigger ferns and fewer tree ferns: http://i.ytimg.com/vi/KJdCytwAigU/maxresdefault.jpg

Wetland Forests: Typical coal forests with Sigillaria, Lepidodendron, Calamites, and pteridosperms (always over marsh never over miasma)
looks like this: http://extra-life.de/background.jpg
or this: http://www.sparththenandnow.org.uk/pic/600/537.jpg

Jungle: spawns on grasslands and plains with miasma (doesn't care whether tile has hills or marsh), 1 unhealth
looks like this (without the fungal dandelions): http://endless-swarm.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nausicaa_gardenlab.jpg

I understand that most of these things didn't exist until the Carboniferous Era (or later) on Earth but "Lush Primordial" sounds bad and one can change the climate in advanced settings to make this biome more like the Devonian period.

My 3rd mod will be updated with a lumber mill tile improvement (+1 production over generic forests), fern research outpost tile improvement (+1 science), wetland preserve city building (requires marsh, 1 scientist slot, -5 energy, quest removes maintenance and gives +1 harmony point per turn either way with a choice between +2 food & +1 science or +2 culture from each wetland forest worked), and jungle adaptation hospital (city building, removes unhealth from jungle, -10 energy per turn, quest gives +3 science or +1 culture and +1 Harmony point from each jungle worked)

 

[Doviello]

Well if they are designed to fight Apollo, i guess it's fine. (although Apollo is already kinda of easy hehe)

You made a lot of plans for future mods! But will you deliver?

 

[Azem.Ocram]

Mod 1 should be available by Thanksgiving. Mod 2 should be available in January. Athena Prime (Civ5) might be released at the same time as MezaCorp sponsors.

Mod 3 might be a collaboration. Mod 4 will be ready for private usage by Easter. No set release dates, don't hold your breath for public releases.

My private version of Mod 1 will retain Starving Artists and have a different version for adding only 1 of the mentioned colonists I mentioned with 1 more production and/or energy. The Interstellar Research Database will give me +2 science, -10 energy per turn, cap City Intrigue at level 3, and reveal the whole map (no strategic resources) at the point it was built. The quest will remove maintenance with a choice between +6 culture, +12 science or +18 science.

 

[Azem.Ocram]

I'm not really into game balance consider how much I love to break the game, if you're set on what is bonus and malus. I would suggest mod it in how you think it is balanced, release it and then rebalance. (unless you like it to be intentionally and slightly overpowered or underpowered)

I can help you with XML and artworks

Thank you for the advice and offer. I haven't started making my mods yet but I will certainly remember your offer when I start working on my mod for adding the new sponsors in November or December. The Saturday before Thanksgiving is when I will make my 1st mod (colonists, cargo, and building).

BTW, here are my leaders compared to Kozlov and Elodie. My leaders are short because the population adapted to 1.5x earth gravity. The man on the left is my rough draft for Ministo. He has no hands and he uses a mostly unaltered photo of Will Demps for his head. I want him to have green eyes, a visor (or some sort of hat with a visor), smart shades sort of like Comandante Gonzales (Caribbean Axis) has when she goes Supremacy but light grey (when not affinity aligned), a tablet what like Ruza has, and a dead serious expression. I designed the logos already. Cascadia R&D has their logo on Ruza's tablet.

BTW, MezaCorp tablets in the 24th century hold terrabytes of encrypted data and can only hook up to paired Bluetooth devices within a meter radius. Using the internet requires a wearable router, for security purposes. Supremacy Ruza keeps a wearable router on her ear.

 

[Azem.Ocram]

Some aspects of Mod 3 will be complete before I start modding in my sponsors. Mod 1 might be done by Sunday.



My first mod should be done this weekend. It will be rather easy to modify "Awesome Loadout" to have the starting conditions I want. Here are the specs of the 2 versions of my mod.

Balanced Version
New colonists:
Research Engineers: +2 Science, +1 Production
Biomedical Researchers: +1 Health, +1 Science
Electrical Engineers: +1 Production, +2 Energy
Energy Researchers: +1 Science, +2 Energy
Corporate R&D: +1 Science, +1 Production, +2 Energy
Artisans: +2 Culture, +1 Production
Artists: +3 Culture
Aristocrats: +2 Culture, +2 Energy
(original colonists)
Starving Artists (renamed): +2 Culture
Tycoons (renamed): +4 Energy
Refugees: +2 Food
Scientists: +2 Science
Engineers: +2 Production

New Cargo:
Interstellar Research Lab, capital starts with Interstellar Research Database

New building (not wonder):
Interstellar Research Databank, costs 1400 production, available at Habitation, +2 Science, -12 energy, City Intrigue capped at 3. Building quest eliminates maintenance cost with a choice between +8 science, +2 culture, or +10 science


Overpowered Version
New colonists:
Research Engineers: +2 Science, +2 Production
Biomedical Researchers: +1 Health, +2 Science
Electrical Engineers: +2 Production, +3 Energy
Energy Researchers: +2 Science, +3 Energy
Corporate R&D: +1 Science, +1 Production, +3 Energy
Tycoons: +5 Energy
Artisans: +3 Culture, +1 Production
Artists: +4 Culture
Aristocrats: +3 Culture, +2 Energy
(original colonists)
Starving Artists: +2 Culture
Refugees: +2 Food
Scientists: +2 Science
Engineers: +2 Production

New Cargo:
Interstellar Research Lab, capital starts with Interstellar Research Database

New building (not wonder):
Interstellar Research Databank, costs 1400 production, available at Habitation, +2 Science, -12 energy, City Intrigue capped at 3. Building quest eliminates maintenance cost with a choice between +10 science, +4 culture, or +14 science

 

[Azem.Ocram]

My starting conditions mod will be uploaded within 36 hours of Comcast internet in King County is restored.

 

[Doviello]

Balanced Version
New colonists:
Research Engineers: +2 Science, +1 Production
Biomedical Researchers: +1 Health, +1 Science
Electrical Engineers: +1 Production, +2 Energy
Energy Researchers: +1 Science, +2 Energy
Corporate R&D: +1 Science, +1 Production, +2 Energy
Artisans: +2 Culture, +1 Production
Artists: +3 Culture
Aristocrats: +2 Culture, +2 Energy
(original colonists)
Starving Artists (renamed): +2 Culture
Tycoons (renamed): +4 Energy
Refugees: +2 Food
Scientists: +2 Science
Engineers: +2 Production

See i don't get this, i commented about this before. How do you call those two options below "balanced"?

Electrical Engineers: +1 Production, +2 Energy
Corporate R&D: +1 Science, +1 Production, +2 Energy

The second one is just plain better! Whats the trick here, am i missing something? Or this:

Research Engineers: +2 Science, +1 Production
Scientists: +2 Science

Or, the worst offenders:

Artisans: +2 Culture, +1 Production
Artists: +3 Culture
Aristocrats: +2 Culture, +2 Energy
Starving Artists: +2 Culture

Do i want +2 culture, or +2 culture +2 energy? This isn't balanced! Also, Starving Artists? What's with the name? Whats the logic here? "We're gonna colonize a new world with this 100 trillion dollars ship, send in all the rejected musicians from american idol, and a few webcomic artists as well"!

Here's a few extra colonist choice ideas, on the same line as yours, feel free to steal them:

Colorblind Engineers: +2 production
Unemployed researchers: +1 science +2 energy
footballers with skull concussions: +3 energy -1 health
Empty ship (sponsor forgot to load the colonists): +2 diplomatic capital

More options aren't always the best choice, if they aren't really viable. Also, starting with a maintenance -12 bulding on the capital (for +2 science!) is a bad idea, units get deleted when energy goes negative (and science is reduced as well), the sponsor will be left at 0 beakers and won't even be able to afford workers to build generators to compensate for that!! And that quest, +14 science / turn???

Man your mod is gonna be super crazy random OP. Can't wait for the sponsors. I will download and test it.