New Stats in Sequel?

[MysticWind]

Should there be a sequel to SMAX, what kind of new statistics and options could be added to social effects and social engineering? I can't think of any right now, but there are probably lots of possibilities out there, depending on what the game is like (can you go to space? Can you be a humanoid alien?)

The things that would be hard to change would be priorities and endings. Since SMAC is a 4x game (explore, exploit, expand, exterminate), there's probably not much more to add for priorities. One way is to modify Civ III victories, such as cultural for SMAC. Maybe a cultural attribute can be given to factions.

My idea is to have subversion be one of four priorities. Basically, factions have a new relationship: proxy/master. You become another faction's master by doing enough probe work against them. Probe warfare would have to have more options and features, basically weapons and defenses to subvert someone or to keep from being subverted.

[Brent]

Am I partly to blame for an over abundance of current hopeful sequel threads? I don't think it's a sure thing that there will be a sequel any time soon, in case that's what it seemed like.

I'd like more varying degrees, like at least five degrees for everything. They could use the same eight Traits as Civ3, or copy from Civ4 instead. You could subcategorize the 4 Xes. Space exploration, land exploration, sea exploration, underground exploration, social exploration; population expansion, territorial expansion...

When in doubt, borrow from Civ (3, 4, whatever). Goes for victories.

[Dis]

there should be a cultural value. or maybe a spiritual value.

And I think crime needs to be implemented in a better way.

[Brent]

But is one culture really more cultural than another culture? Culture is not a Trait in Civ3, is it in any other game?

[Lord_Icewind]

I think the matter is not if its more "cultural"...I guess what matters is that if your culture is easier to assimilate, and if it has more devote followers...(altough "devote followers" makes it sound as a religion...)

[Commy]

I don't think there should be culture on SMAC 2, just doesn't make sense...however, as I mentioned on another related thread, combining some aspects like the ordinances in SimCity could provide a very complex social engineering...perhaps by adding the ability to make a interventional market, not just the extreme free market or planned economy, but choices to restrict certain things...you now, provide welfare, get less drones...etc...

[Brent]

I don't see anything wrong with Chironians competing to build up/ rebuild culture. They can try to create a new identity associated with their new planet, or try to preserve Earth culture(s). Maybe a victory condition can be to create a lasting monument to Earth, maybe make contact with friendly aliens and transmit an archive of Earth culture. And it should be possible to lose what they have left of the memory of Earth. Maybe you would find a distant planet of humaniform aliens by radio. Maybe you would transform Planet into a new Earth (a replica of sorts), and your only option would be to lose the Earthdescendants that were left, but at least Chiron could be reborn. Or the New Earth thing can be associated with a different form of transcendence, plant a new human family on chiron and become noncoporeal and/ or transplant the transcendi to someplace else, or the New Earth could be somewhere other than Chiron. Maybe You'd restart the original Earth: clean it up and stuff.

[Commy]

This is why I don't think culture would work...

In civ, you have nations...not factions, nations. While it may seem that there is no difference between the two, the nations in civ have culture because they have nationalism and patriotism...loyalty to one's country and leaders...

But in SMAC, you have factions that are based off idealogy...while technically I guess you can relate that to nationalism, culture would really have no value or play in SMAC...people can adopt other cultures, such as in civ, but they usually won't adopt other idealogies, and therefore won't accept the cultures that come with them...

A person from the University would rarely ever defect to the Believers...even if the Believers had more cultural influence, because there is an idealogy difference...University opposes the Believing idealogy, and therefore rejects the culture...

[Brent]

Why wouldn't they change their ideologies? Instead of cultural influence, the factions could try to persuade each other to see it their way. If one faction is more successfil than another, others just might defect, especially if they are at war.