Brad Wardell's views about technology, politics, religion, world affairs, and all sorts of politically incorrect topics.
The potential to be realized
Published on September 22, 2007 By Draginol In GalCiv Journals

Lots of coding in Twilight of the Arnor this week. One thing we're putting in is right of passage treaties which should make a lot of people happy.

But as we've been playing around with things, we've come to realize that what is going to make Twilight of the Arnor so spectacular is not the unique technology trees unto themselves but rather the planetary improvements and ship components that these unique tech trees can deliver.

For this reason, we're going to have a beta next month for people who have pre-ordered. More details soon but we're so confident that people are going to like the changes that we're going to do the beta program quite differently than past ones, it'll be a real treat I think for people who closely follow things as we roll out the various tech trees one at a time.

For those of you who really know GalCiv, consider very carefully the possibilities that unique tech trees can really provide. Forget the techs but rather the unique planetary improvements as just one example. Think about how different the civilizaitons can play out with enough unique planetary improvements.  Envision that.

I wish you guys could have been with us at the lab today. This expansion pack is just going to be something that we think players will be so happy with. We're just incredibly excited about the possibilities that are only starting to really dawn on us as the implications of what unique technology trees do.


Comments (Page 2)
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on Sep 22, 2007
(Insert drool) Entire planets filled with race-unique structures... INVADE!!!
on Sep 22, 2007
So you could make your ships a patchwork of alien technology huh. That would be sweet!
on Sep 22, 2007

If you don't have a right of passage treaty, ships will only move 1 move per turn through someone else's sphere of influence.


I'm hazarding a guess that this movement reduction doesn't apply if you are at war with the civ in question? Otherwise, Super Isolationist ain't looking too good...

Also, is this going to be a permanent thing like the current Research/Economic treaties are?


You will be able to trade unique techs (you have to since nearly all the techs are unique).

I think people have been so beaten down by games and expansion packs only tossing out a few unique units or whatever per civ.

Let me be clear: Most of the techs each race has will be uinque to that civilization. Most won't be that exciting (i.e. will be analogous) but they will be unique to that race.

That said, some technologies will be marked as untradeable. Also, the AI is FINALLY getting a new parameter that it can use -- willingness to trade (long time players probably can figure out how this will affect gameplay).

But let me give you an exmaple:

The Arceans won't have propulsion technologies (Impulse, Warp Drive, etc.). Other AI players will not be likely to trade those technologies either as they will be using the new "willingness to trade" paramter.

So how do the Arceans make ships faster? They have planetary improvements that allow ships from that planet to move faster.

Now, as for AI handling -- I am directly implementing the combo -- the unique technology trees, the planetary improvements, and the AI updates. Since I wrote the AI for all the GalCivs, I know how to do these so that the work will be less and how to get the AI to make full use of these.


Oh wow, you're changing the tech even more than I thought. TA really will be a different game... even more so than DA did to DL, imho... I'm looking forward to this even more now.
on Sep 22, 2007
If you don't have a right of passage treaty, ships will only move 1 move per turn through someone else's sphere of influence.


Wait a sec, what about the Yor's super ability, Super Isolationists? It slows down ships to 3 parsecs per turn.

on Sep 22, 2007
If you don't have a right of passage treaty, ships will only move 1 move per turn through someone else's sphere of influence.


this does seem a little draconian... i had in mind reduced diplomatic relations. what about something a little less severe, like speed reduced by half? if nothing else hopefully getting a right of passage treaty will be easy.
on Sep 22, 2007

If you don't have a right of passage treaty, ships will only move 1 move per turn through someone else's sphere of influence.


Wait a sec, what about the Yor's super ability, Super Isolationists? It slows down ships to 3 parsecs per turn.

I'm not entirely sure on this (I asked about it above)... but I have a feeling that your speed will remain unaffected if you are at war with the Civ in question, with or without a rite of passage... but the Yor's Super Ability would still apply then.
on Sep 22, 2007
The ultimate workings and speeds of right of passage treaties will be decided by the beta testers.
on Sep 22, 2007

Interesting question David A Lessnau, I'd be interested in that answer as well. It will probably just play the same in making the AI get angry at you like it does now though, I feel.
I'm so glad that I pre-ordered now, bring on unique civilizations

If you don't have a right of passage treaty, ships will only move 1 move per turn through someone else's sphere of influence.




If by "influence" you mean one's cultural influence border, I'm not sure that I like that idea. It'll make it all too easy to create obstructions via culture, such as with culture starbases or cultural improvements. Also, a fleet could easily find itself in violation of the treaty simply by being overrun by a civ's expanding cultural influence border. What I'd prefer is a separate political border with a constant radius around terrain features (like planets, and perhaps resources and military bases) that one owns.
on Sep 23, 2007
frogboy there is one thing i would still like to insist on patrols.

since we are not going to have political borders then lock them into the rally points.
on Sep 23, 2007
The ultimate workings and speeds of right of passage treaties will be decided by the beta testers.


If you are dead set on this feature, then I recommend a max speed of 10. That way it wouldn't feel like a nerf to the Yor, but it will also prevent ships from ziping through a sector without saying hello.

If by "influence" you mean one's cultural influence border, I'm not sure that I like that idea. It'll make it all too easy to create obstructions via culture, such as with culture starbases or cultural improvements. Also, a fleet could easily find itself in violation of the treaty simply by being overrun by a civ's expanding cultural influence border...


Already happens with the Yor and their super ability, Super Isolationists. Just hope that your ships never start in their turn in their area of influence. Any ships that start their turn outside of their area of influence can make hit and run attacks though.
on Sep 23, 2007
Oh, I so need to clear some time to be a beta tester for this. It sounds so cool! Like Iztok, probably my biggest concern is with adding so much, will the AI be able to get the most out of the new system and all of the new options. But that's what testing and feedback is for, right?

- Wyndstar
on Sep 23, 2007
If you don't have a right of passage treaty, ships will only move 1 move per turn through someone else's sphere of influence.


Won't tha sort of rip Super-Isolationist, or are you giving them something else?

drrider
on Sep 23, 2007
Is it too late to get in on this beta?
on Sep 23, 2007
Looks awesome, thanks for the info and for the upcoming beta.
on Sep 23, 2007
Looking forward to trying this out.
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