Sins Diplomacy: So it begins...

Frogboy

Join Date 03/2001

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Sins Diplomacy: So it begins...

A beginning

At last we're being unchained by our marketing masters to start being able to publicly speak about Sins of a Solar Empire: Diplomacy.

We (and by we I mean Ironclad and Stardock) can't talk about all the other cool stuff that's been happening behind the scenes. Mainly, it's because we're afraid of our PR manager Stephanie (if you knew her, you'd be afraid too).

But as I type, Blair at Ironclad has her distracted talking about something or other so I'm free to write here to tell you a little bit about what's going on.

So...

Sins of a Solar Empire: Diplomacy. What's the idea here?

The idea is to have a secondary way to win the game other through sheer conquest. In the current diplomatic system, AI players give "missions" to players. Human players can't do the same back.

With Diplomacy, this system is being heavily revamped with a new technology tree. The technology tree could be views as a diplomatic arms race because diplomacy includes espionage and counter-espionage in there. How far it goes will depend largely on the beta testers and their preferences.

Then there's the balance and new game modes. We'll be putting our head together this week to see what can reasonably be put into a $9.95 micro expansion. But balance and tweaks you guys would like to see in Diplomacy you can freely post them here and we'll make sure to look at them.

There's also a whole new diplomacy system that lets players have a much more tactical view of why your relations are what with a given player. If you've ever played Civilization IV you can see some of the inspiration. The idea though is that relations shouldn't involve excessive guess work.

The official season has now officially started though for Diplomacy.

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smitty1931

I would like maybe an assortment of civilian structures that are kinda like wonders, only one can be built, and unlocked by some research, usually combination of Diplo+Civ or Diplo+Mil or Diplo+Security... They could bestow empire wide bonuses, that are extended to your allies via special treaties, or automatically in a teams locked game

Here are some ideas how it would work!

Restuarant of Eternity anyone?! How about +50% max allegience at this planet, +5% empire wide for this gem.

Military Institute: +5% damage to all ships, +10% damage to capital ship abilities! Counts as One Military lab empire wide! (For all players on your team!)

Intersteller News Network: +1 Cluture at all planets empire wide! +25% culture resistance!

Space Miner's Guild: +10% Metal Extraction Emprie wide!

The Recylclotron: Reduce ship costs emprie wide 5%! Increase resources/credits gained from scrapping by 25%!

Galactic Science Fare: Counts as one Civilian Lab ! Reduce civilian research costs by 25%!

stuff like that would be awesome, and it would be a race to complete certain wonders, which would be a nice side game for your pocket guys in a big 5v5 game! They could also maybe require Homeworld upgrade to be built, and take up extra civilian slots! So Ideally each plaeyr would only be able to build one, you cannot move your homeworld while you have one of these in orbit... something like that to balance it. But the ideas for these are endless.

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Game Mode Idea:

I'd like to see a limited resource system implemented or as an option. Astroids for crystals and Minerals should have a limited reasonable quantity and a production curve.

-a Mine Life cycle, should have something like a bell curve production cycle. This would cause the whole market for resources to make sense.

-it would encourage more aggressive game play and risky tactics to be used in order to obtain more resources!

I always find the early game to be most exciting but the late game to be too routine, I think limiting the resources would help solve that and make certain technologies more relevant!

Would love to see this implemented as an option for both SP and MP!

It is quite old idea that's been talked about since original beta - and I still love it

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pretty well-thought out ideas for galactic wonders Astrax, would love to see something like that in the game.

as for limited resources: something similar was in fact in sins beta. all resource astroids had a finite amount available and after that the income dropped to a very low residual value. refineries were very important in that build of the game. I think the problem was that had basically had to get to that tech level before these resources ran out or you'd be pretty screwed. it was deemed to restrictive and not as balanced. personally, I actually found this was not so bad, but maybe that's a bit of nostalgia speaking.

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Just got another idea that I brainwashed abit about. Basis for this I head swimmign in my head for a months. It evlovned from some thigns we would do on stock 3v3 maps, where one player would colonize and build one structure liek a repair then abandon the planet for another player:

Security Deployment Pact: Triggered by Envoy vessel - (Minor cost involved?) Spawns a constructor at allied planet, allows for building of Tactical structures for total of 10 Tactical Slots. Once completed the ownership is transfered to the owner of the planet.

Economic Construction Contract: Triggered by Envoy vessel - Spawn constuctor at Trade Partner's planet, allows for building of Civilian structures for 4 Civilian slots (Maybe more depending on planet). Once completed the ownership is transfered to the owner of the planet.

These pacts would be also like gifts. Bilding these structures for AI would increase their favorable rating towards you. Maybe even include missions that ask for you to say build a refinery at target planet, provided you already have that tech researched.

Also the target of the ability allow this ability to be activated at his planet, not sure how to set that up, would need some sort of UI toggle for planets to allow pacts. And of course he needs vacant slots, unless his ally has the technology for extra tactical (Advent) or extra Civilian (TEC) slots.

This would give players a lot of things to play around with! In 5v5 games the pocket players would be able to make defenses for players on front line and help 'em out with tradeports/refineries/culture/repairs/hangers. Allowing for that player to focus his research on weapons and hull. Building culture for your ally who is stuck with one plaent would be the best, saves lot of money and scuttling since he doesnt have to get civil labs and his space is limited

I'm still not sure if building of phase gates should be allowed by this. If it was thou it might be a good way to allow your ally to leave a besieged homeworld. But how to get an envoy vessel tot his planet to trigger the pact

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I think Diplomatic Cruisers should be "Heavy Cruisers" (which, in naval parlance, is one above "Light Cruiser" and one below "Battle Cruiser"); they should be more impressive then any Cruiser in the game, but less impressive then a Capital Ship. You want to impress people with your fleet.

I would like to see sabatoge and treason in some form in the game, including ships suddenly being damaged when you attack the system they are in (sabatours detonating small bombs, or even a debuff to speed or weapons as the sabatour hinders them) and even some ships turn on their player when faced with overwhemling numbers AND overwhemling culture.

Moons. Seriously, please add Moons.

Artifact and Bonus frequency settings (I'd like to play an artifact heavy game).

More bonuses and Artifacts.

Capital Ships = Diplomatic Leverage... kinda hard to argue with someone when they have a Battleship in orbit of your planet armed with nuclear warheads.

New planet types (Jungle, Water World, Toxic)

Upgrades for planets that increase their ability to resist Espionage and Sabotage (just like fallout shelters are an upgrade). Also, upgrades for ships so they can do the same (such as loyalty indoctrination, maybe even hypno-indoctrination and even brain implants, each depending on the faction).

Are we ever going to see the race the Vasari are running from... in a game about Diplomacy, that would be the single greatest motivator of a triple unholy allaince. It would also be fun to have a fourth race. Okay, this is a bit much for a $10 mini-expansion, but maybe in a later "big" expansion? Please?

And Moons...

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Would it be possible to get an option to increase the population of planets with a set maximum number of space colonies built in the gravity well of the planet? Increased tax revenues and all...

And even better, instead of using siege frigates and cap ships to bomb a planet into submission, you could just drop the colony on that planet for a quick kill.

I'm a Gundam fan, I'll admit it.

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I hope it comes out and my card is charged within the next 6 months, or my card will expire and I'll have to reorder!

This happened with Entrenchment...

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Quoting agentx250,

reply 25

well i dont think they need an expansion for that, it seems like it could be done through a patch. and what was #3?

anyway with anyluck we'll see moving turrets, since the nextgen gfx cards are coming soon (with ati's out/ close to release) most ppl shouldnt have a problem with moving turrets.

I would actually come buckets of that was implemented. Sins can never look to good!

Not sure if this has allready been metioned (People are so FULL of ideas!) but you need to make sure you can fly a fleet in to a allie and them break your ceasefire or whatever and slaughter them. I can imagine the AI doing this and alot of people cracking the shits lol.

Actually would be best to make it an option for when people are feeling more releastic.

Thats my .02 cents so to speak.

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Just pre-ordered Diplomacy!!

Sooooo, when do we receive the beta....? HURRY!!! (jk[kinda])

-Phal

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