I'd be in favor of morphing the "Epic Generator" into an "AAR Generator". What I'd like to see is:

1) Granularity: let us choose the level of events that get logged
2) AI Reasoning: Whenever the AI makes a major decision (war declarations, switching victory condition it's attempting, refusal of trades, etc etc) put up a line explaining why
3) Player Log button: as mentioned before, on the main screen and in all other windows and screens, let the player write some stuff.
4) Screenshot: let players save a screenshot and add a link to it on the AAR so that we know what goes where.

This would work both as a permanent record of all our games for ourselves, and as a "template" that we can edit to put up on a webpage somewhere. Maybe limit the number of screenshots per AAR, and allow each player to upload ONE AAR to their metaverse account, viewable by all on Stardock's servers.

Cut it.

I would rather have fun playing the game than having fun reading what should have been fun playing the game.

Until we see what the EG looks like, I think your complaints about time wasted are unfounded.

If in fact the EG turns out to be mostly fluff and crappy, instead of an actual freature like lets say hmmmmm "multiplayer", then I'll side with you.

But I'm biased what can I say.

I've been looking through the story.log and related files. It seems most the logging is already being done in those files. It would be a great help to AAR writers even just leaving the current logging in, maybe just make it a little more readable to the laymen. I was one of those looking forward to the EP, but I can understand priority  . That's why I was thinking just leave it in and have it maybe output to a .txt or something similar.

I hope it dont get cut,its the only reason i even thought about buying the expansion. If its cut i may decide not to buy it. So lets hope its not cut

I hope it dont get cut,its the only reason i even thought about buying the expansion. If its cut i may decide not to buy it. So lets hope its not cut

I'm interested in the _game_. Epic generator will not save you from being a horrible writer. Logging will help decent writers keep notes. Logging will produce better stories.

1) Granularity: let us choose the level of events that get logged 2) AI Reasoning: Whenever the AI makes a major decision (war declarations, switching victory condition it's attempting, refusal of trades, etc etc) put up a line explaining why

1) Log every event, period. Allow players to add logs at will--for example, moving a fleet into a new sector on the way to war won't be picked up by the game but players might want to note the event. I'm against options unless a truly reasonable excuse exists. You don't want to record something, cut it yourself from the final product. Maybe a logging screen can allow players to remove logs.

2) AI is not what you think it is. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the AI declared war on you because your military is pathetic, your alignment is different and you aren't trading with them. Use your Intelligent Designer given excuse for a brain and check the charts that are updated every turn.

If cutting this feature means better gameplay, I think it's hard to argue against removing it.

This is a nice feature, but I can't imagine people would be too terribly excited about using it. The fun would probably pass.

I'm going to go with the "log things" side of this. Unless the logging is the problem.

AI is not what you think it is.

For a healthy share of us, game AI is not what *you* think it is, whatever that might be. The quote you rebuke seems like a fairly resonable request to me, especially b/c I read it as being basically in the pro-EG camp.

I've already admitted I prefer AI polishing over the EG, but darnit, I hate being forced into that sort of choice. I'm a US American--I've been raised to want to have my cake and eat it too

This is THE key feature I was waiting for.

"This is THE key feature I was waiting for."

Good for you.

Personally, I hope that the EG doesn`t get cut. I have no idea about programming, so I don`t know about the problems involved. I must admit, I haven`t played for a while (since football manager 2007 came out!), but DA has been what I`ve been looking forward to to get back into GCII. I will still buy the expansion because I love the game, but the Epic generator was one of the main things I was looking forward to. That aside, keep up the good work!

Good for you.

Yes it is.

I'd like to restate what some others have been saying, along with a couple additions:

1. It's a very cool idea, but very hard to do (as you have found out). So if it's taking too much time, cut it as a feature.
2. Leave logging in. Preferably, in an XML format so that everything is easily parsable.
3. Log EVERYTHING. The more the better. Log the starting maps (stars, locations in some coordinate system, planets, etc...), log every ship movement, every fleet creation/change, every battle (maybe not which ship shot which, but maybe that would be nice too), what buildings are being built/finsihed, what ships are created, ship destinations, damage of ships and repairs made in orbit and normal. At end of every turn, log all the galaxy settings (each race's rating for economy, military, production, research, etc...) Basically, log so much that people can write some automated tools to replay the game.
3b. Allow the user to determine what granularity the logging happens (default = no log).
4. Allow for screenshots, and in the log would be an indication that a screenshot was taken, and what the file name of that screen shot is.

While I realize that XML logging would be very "wordy" (aka "big"), it can be simple to create filters to remove portions that you don't care about, or transforms to turn the existing XML into any other format you want.

Basically, this logging wouldn't be for a regular person to just look at and say "Oh yeah, I did this and then this and then this." It would be made in a way that tools can be created for it.

Just my 2 cents.

Any word on the future of the EG? This is a pretty hot topic with a variety of opinions on all sides of the fence and any update on this would be great.

2nd the request for latest Stardock take on the EG. Is it dead yet, on life support, or getting a lift from the greedy best wishes posted here?