Design Poll

[Vultur]

This is a poll to choose the most important things that must be decided before caring of the coding.
Several things must also be discussed/designed carefully.
This list is not complete, so if someone has important ideas not listed, please post them and we'll do an other poll later.

[carbaher]

Vultur, don't forget to vote also yourself

[vovan]

OK, here is how I voted and why:

Planet Oriented (like most of Civ-game) - just because I like the planet-oriented games more than space-oriented ones.
Allow only Partial Multiplayer (like normal Civ-Games) - Once again, nothing more than a personal preference.
Allow Custom Factions - I think there should be both the pre-made factions and potential to create custom ones. The ability to mod is your friend.
Lot of attention on Techs - yes, it's all about progress, IMO.
Civilization Type I (few sci-fi techs at the start of game) - I think that if we have a lot of future techs in the beginning, and try to pay a lot of attention to techs, we will run out of ideas shortly. So, have few in the beginning and progress to a lot in the course of the game. Otherwise it will also be a little overwhelming.
Allow Talents -
Allow Leaders/Heroes -
Dinamic Wheather - Well, since I voted for planet-oriented gameplay, then it is just natural to choose a sophisticated weather system.

[Rasbelin]

Great, excellent, Vultur! This is what we need.

I'll look at it tomorrow as I need to think about the options before I vote.

[DeathByTheSword]

well i know what i want so i voted right away:

planet oriented with a lot of space stuff like satilles and maybe even a space map.

partial multiplayer or else you will lose track of single player

allow custom factions but also with premade factions in the game for gamestory

a lot of attention to techs......me liking to research

civI so that you discover a lot of new techs

allow talent....duh

allow heros.....always fun

dynamic weather..is cool

[Lemmy]

Hybrid, only limitid to one solar systems, this doens't require FTL travel then.

Static weather, dynamic weather would cause too much miromanaging IMO.

The other votes are the same as most people voted so far.

[Vultur]

Originally posted by carbaher
Vultur, don't forget to vote also yourself

I've done it.
Tomorrow I'll post also my settings.

Originally posted by Rasbelin
Great, excellent, Vultur! This is what we need.

Too good with me...

[Jeremy Buloch]

I picked the following and a reason is attached to it as well:

1.) Hybrid (to be designed) - I dont want just a planetary game or just a steller game I want both. Or I would like to design it further so that it will be what we want. Not what other games have been. It should be unique.

2.) Allow only Partial Multiplayer (like normal Civ-Games) - I would like to play single player cause I cant expect to play multiplayer all the time, I really dont have the time. Make it both ~ customizable.

3.) Allow Custom Factions - Factions premade and factions that you can customize. Thats the ideal game.

4.) Lot of attention on Techs - Whats a high-tech game without good technology?

5.) Civilization Type I (few sci-fi techs at the start of game) - I pick this and I need not explained for I have done so many times.

6.) Allow Talents - I think we should have talents it makes it more realistic.

7.) Allow Leaders/Heroes - Leaders, whats a faction without a leader?

8.) Dinamic Wheather - realistic. Thats just about says it.
-J.B.-

[Rasbelin]

Okay, after thinking a little bit, I voted at the following options. Reasoning after the choice.

- Hybrid; makes the game more interesting as you get more options and the game will suit more different tastes (i.e. MoO fans and civers alike can find it challenging).

- Parital multiplayer; as DBTS also said, it allows better to keep focus on the SP concept and in general I'm more comfortable with this type of MP strategy gaming.

- Allow custom factions; I agree with Vovansim that we should of course of have pre-made factions that you could choose from, but the ability to make custom ones is of course important. 30 open slots and 2 special slots for aliens and natives (1 faction = 1 slot).

- Lot of attention on techs; I have always been into research, but it's also the key to the management of your faction as you get more abilities, so as it's a strategy game, it's just good to pay attention to them.

- Type I; I had first some trouble to make up my mind, but I decided to choose this one as it's more interesting to research if you don't have that much in the beginning (sounds very civish, but maybe that's why research is so captivating in Civ) and it's once again abit more challenging as you don't get all military techs at once (or almost immidiately).

- Allow talents; this sounds interesting, despite I have no other thoughts about it now. At least it would be something new, rather than seen before.

- Allow leaders/heroes; I have to admit that the leader concept of Civ III and heroes in HoMM3 have influenced my choice now. Even more nice is to have some short background stories for the leaders/heroes (type HoMM3 ).

- Dynamic weather; of course. Vultur's weather model is IMO nice, so why not utilise it then. Plus it makes the game more interesting as the climate changes.

[Vultur]

Here my votes:

Planet Oriented: I love to colonize planets, but this will not exclude a lot of Space Design

Partial Multiplayer: More simple to manage and more balanced for the newbies (else they must "fight against" ultra-powerful oldies, like in BTN)

Custom Faction: + Pre-done factions for the background story

Lot of Techs: I found of Civ-games Tech-trees...

Type I:More Challenges

Allow Talents: Talent model is one of my creations...

Allow Leaders/Heroes: I think can be interesting, add gameplay possibilities (capturing/freeding leaders etc.)

Dinamic Weather: Another of my creations. I hope to design a dinamic weather w/out adding MM.

I think, before to post an other poll to give the time to the whole active team to decide about this: please Ras, if possible, contact all "sleeping people" it's important to have as many opinions as possible.

In the meanwhile, feel free to suggest the subjects of the next poll.

[Rasbelin]

Vultur,

I understand your concern and I agree. I'll try to contact people ASAP, but no promises about the turn out.

[Jeremy Buloch]

Oh great another MIA hunt down. Patashu was not that hard to hunt down so you wont have a problem Ras.
-J.B.-

[Gateway103]

After doing some thinking, here are my votes and some thoughts (WARNING! Another long post).

Hybrid (to be designed)
Although we are likely to begin the game with Type I societies (judging from others' votes so far), eventually, a planet may seem to be "crowded" or too "small scaled" as we move up the technology tree. Moreover, even if we can come up with a lot of interesting and distinctively useful technologies that befits on a planetary scale alone, and that's not an easy task, I believe the game's replayability and the potential for fun may be enhanced by taking the game one level higher.

On a galactic-scale (or a portion of it), we can have a wide range and large number of "habitable" systems (not all of which are necessary "habitable" to humans mind you), as well as various alien life forms. Also, we can introduce a myriad "specials/anomalies" and other quirks to make the game more interesting, and each solar system different in their own ways. On a solar system or planet scale, however, the size of game map is more restricted, as well as the possible flavors of "specials/anomalies".

Originally I was leaning towards Space Oriented, because I am not very confident that a galactic-scale game with detailed planetary-scale features can be successful. Nonetheless, I'll give it the benefit of the doubt, and see what we can come up with.

I know there are numerous possible objections to the lack of "Realism" for a galactic-scale game. However, consider the reason as to why we play "games." It is because it is fun and entertaining to do so, not because it is realistic. The same motivation drives people to read fantasies and sci-fi novels, where many great pieces of work are "un-realistic." In the end, it is not about if the story "can happen", but whether you are entertained, inspired, or challenge by the stories that mattered. If realism is what one is after, isn't there enough already in "real life" already?

Allow only Partial Multiplayer (like normal Civ-Games)
There are many people that enjoys (even exclusively) the solitary fun that is Single Player. The fact that I am one of those people surely biased my opinion. But anyway, it is not the easiest task in the world to organize a strategy game among several people, playing over the course of several weekends (doable, but not everyone is capable or willing to do so). So why deprive these poor people the joy that this game may offer?

Allow Custom Factions (sort of)
Now this part of voting is somewhat confusing. Of my best guesstimate, I take it "faction" here stands to something akin to SMAC/X's "faction", i.e. a group of people bounded by single main ideological thoughts. I take it that it does not mean just any "group of people" such as "civilzations" in civs series, since that would make the choice "don't allow factions" somewhat mysterious.

With my guesstimates, I prefer the ability to customize factions. Of course, I also agree there should be pre-made factions for story purposes. A possibility here is that instead of "pre-made" factions, we can have "stock" factions. Each "stock" faction will have one single main ideological thought, and some faction-specific hardwired attributes/restrictions. However, when actually playing, the player will select any of the "stock" factions, and tweak other non-hardwired attributes via some sort of barter or points system. This will not ruin the game story, but will increase replayability, and give players a more "personal attachment" to their factions.

Allow Lot of attention on Techs
Civilization Type I (few sci-fi techs at the start of game)
Technology are often associated with progress, and progress is believed to be a driving force for society. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect a lot of them. Choosing Type I seems appropriate not only so that the tech tree can be larger, but also seemed adequate for a hybrid version. Yet perhaps player can choose some sort of "Accelerated Start" option to get on the galactic-scale of things quicker than just spending quiet some time on planet and solar system scale of things.

I have some interesting ideas on technology tree and research model, but this post is long enough as it is, perhaps I'll postpone them when someone opened an appropriate thread for it.

Allow Talents
Allow Leaders/Heroes
Now I am not too sure about the differences between the two here. My guess is that "Talents" are the intellectual class of a society, and "Leaders/Heroes" are specially gifted individuals.

I may object to immortal Leaders/Herores or if their presence may make the game unbalancing (sometimes Wonders or Secret Projects gives me the latter feeling), but in general I am in favor of game features that while it is not too difficult to make, but can enhance players' experience.

Static Wheather
The last item is on weather. Dynamic Weather (as I understand it from Vultur's posts) would be an interesting feature to have if the game was on a Planet or maybe a solar system scale. However, having weather may be too much detail if the game was on a galactic scale. But since I voted for a hybrid system to begin with, I will compromise by choosing a Static Wheather. Yet, if there is a simplified version of Dynamic Wheather, maybe that would be more appropriate for the Hybrid design.

Just another long post

-Gateway103

[NeOmega]

I only voted once... oops, but I voted hybrid....


my fav all time TBS is Master of Magic.

A space Master of Magic where the tactical battles would be fought on planet maps would be my dream come true.

No developement during tactical battle, just make each turn last a week, and if the battle for the palnet is not resolved in 52 weeks, go to the big scren.

Also I loved those leaders/heros

As far as MP.... maek it hotseat only... I just dont think MP works well enough for the ffort put into making it for TBS's. Use your coding time for a better AI instead.

Lastly.... Master of Magic had a building system, and I think it would be better if the palnets required a plasma rifle factory before they could produce plasmateers, than just having a newly colonized planet with no improvement be able to start building a ultra-space battleship.

[targon]

OK, I really disregard thing like privacy concerning vital design features, so here are my votes
Hybrid . Because there are a lot of space games, and also a lot of planetary games. We need something new, something different.
Partial MP. Because this is more fits strategic game, IMHO.
Allow custom factions. Because it's fun. Remember time spent in so-called "race designers" in famous space games like Stars!, Pax Emperia and so on.
Lots of Tech. It's of great empire- and game-building value.
Civ I. I simply can't grok how Types II and III would look like.
Allow talents. Why not?
Allow heroes. We can't simply ignore the nature of personality in history-making.
Dynamic weather. It's fun; while not unique (see Xconq) but rare and interesing feature.
And one more sidenote. IMHO, we need working alpha and some player feedback ASAP!