Nomad/spaceborn race question

mrWHO · Space Emperor Joined: Jul 28, 2007

Does it's possible to have a race that don't colonize planets, but instead live on spaceships and stations (or ring/sphere world in later stage)?

I mean we can build & repair ships from mobile SY.
We can obtain resources from mobile extractors.
We can hold population in cargo space.

Because this race is spaceborne it's civilian(like space city,inteliggence or research base)/SY stations should cost low and have no maintain cost.
Ships should be bit more expensive but have very low maintenace cost.

EDIT:

initial mod resources/information/code status:

***extractors***
-mineral- available
-rad- available
-food- available
-research(would propably decresee planet condition when mined)- ???
-intelligence(same as research -fueled by planet condition)- ???

***generators***
-mineral- possible
-rad-possible
-food-possible
-research- possible
-intelligence- possible
-supply(solar sails,quantum generators)- available

optional
-population (propably would be to give production bonus to generator ships)- ???

****Game mechanics****
-diffrend (and separated from other races) start option- ???
-diffrend tech level from other races(it would have to have some tech from the start, no matter what tech option are set - like solar sails, space SY, space miners ect.) - ???
-customizable starting fleet- propably only via notepad
-diplomacy errors- ???

exelsiar · Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 11:32 am Post subject:

figured i should throw in my 2 cents so to speak as i love some of these ideas

As for colonizing nothing ness, im pretty sure it cant be done under the current games constraints.

the research module idea is available in the IRM mod, and and im sure the intel module could easily be made. I read somewhere that the research module for IRM wasnt finished and not working... last i used it it worked fine ^_^

albi_joe · Space Emperor Joined: Mar 19, 2005 Location: USA

The SE4 "Pirates and Nomads" mod, and the mods that adapted the P&N setup, had the research component, as well as a component to reduce ship maintenance.

Things were still hideously expensive due to some reason - I think it was that you were paying maintenance on the hull as well as the modules, or something. All your ships and space stations were also counted against you for "evil empire" status, so you got to be the antithesis of the "friendly space trader".

isopsyco · Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 12:47 pm Post subject:

I like the concept, sounds like the rag tag fleet scenario I'm trying to build for the BSG mod.

I did create intel, research, construction, organic, rad and supply generator components along with some maintenance and repair producing bonus components but haven't figured out the population one yet. I think that would be key.

As for population (crew once aboard ship or station) being accounted for running the ship and its components, check out SJs Gritty Galaxy mod, he has exactly what your looking for in components and data file requirements.

mrWHO · Space Emperor Joined: Jul 28, 2007

What I need is all those things (generator modules, low or none maintenace costs - if population is needed only for production bonus then we can forget about it) chained to race quirk/option just like organic/mechanoid race to make those changes affect only to such races.
Also such race should have a Space Mothership and small fleet from the start instead of planet.

I imagine it as add-ond for stock SEV or other mods (like ballance) to make gameplay more interesting (but propably as human player only, coz I don't think that AI could chandle that).

The question is: is it doable to have one selected race to start diffrend (mothership fleet) from other races?

Does having no planet (only ships) would breake anything in diplomacy - like setting the borders - such race could not colonize planets (exept artifical construction like ringworlds) so AI would not consider any of it's system as their property - could go into - colonize and then claim that it's their system.

mrWHO · Space Emperor Joined: Jul 28, 2007

I updated first post to clean some things.

Anyway I think that such race would be true system parasite race Twisted Evil

planets strip mined and degenerated, then blown up to obtain more resorces, then move to other systems leaving resourceles system.

Khemul · Space Emperor Joined: Aug 22, 2007

You may want to study the Adamant mod for SEIV for some ideas on implementing this idea. It includes the Pirates & Nomads mod for SEIV.

As far as I know you can't change the way a player starts, so they'd still have a homeworld. But you might be able to use the method used in Adamant to stop the player from being able to colonize any other worlds.

Personally I always thought the Organic races should be like this to begin with. Living ship that gain everything they need to live from stars instead of resources.

Fyron · Galactic Guru Joined: Aug 04, 2003 Location: CA, USA

The last time I checked, there was not really any way to get ships to generate research or intel using the existing facility abilities (or resources independent from robo-miners, which should never be in a mod due to balance concerns anyways). All such abilities only function in the sector with a colony; the amounts are added to the production of said colony, and didn't seem to do anything independently.

This may have changed in the latest versions, as I haven't tested it recently.

ekolis · Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 6:55 pm Post subject:

What if every system were configured to have a "giant space habitat thingy" space-object which was basically an invisible planet which covered the whole system? Give it a special planet type that only nomads have the technology to colonize, and then not only do you have mobile resource generation, you have spaceborne colonies!
Or would that only let them colonize at the center of the system? That would be a problem, as that's usually where the star is... I suppose you could offset either the space habitat or the star by a few sectors... or you could have one space habitat per sector, but that would be awful confusing if they were invisible and cluttered if they were visible!

albi_joe · Space Emperor Joined: Mar 19, 2005 Location: USA

Having 1-3 "Lagrange points" (special planet type) per system for the nomads to colonize would no be out of the question, I think...

you could have the point have such low abilities (0 facilites, 1M popualtion) that most others would no colonize them, leaving them free for the nomads to take.

Fyron · Galactic Guru Joined: Aug 04, 2003 Location: CA, USA

Or add a 4th planet physical type such that it is literally impossible for a non-nomad to colonize them.

albi_joe · Space Emperor Joined: Mar 19, 2005 Location: USA

I was trying to come up with something that wouldn't give nomads an unfair advantage (like a racial-only colony type), while allowing them to have the planets they apparently need after all.

I suppose there could be "derelict colony" type planets, which anyone could research & colonize, as an alternative.

Fyron · Galactic Guru Joined: Aug 04, 2003 Location: CA, USA

If I was competing against a nomad, and I could colonize those "La Grange Points," I would colonize every one of them under my power to do so. The cost for me to colonize them is trivial, but the lost potential for the nomad is not. They need to be nomad-only to be of any use, IMO. Since they wouldn't do anything without nomad ships anyways (with the appropriate abilities), why would we want regular races to colonize them? Its not really an advantage for the Nomad, since they wouldn't be able to colonize any regular planet type.

Of course... since there isn't any limit to how many ships or bases you can have in a sector, the nomad only ever really needs 1 of these La Grange Point planet types; he can simply stack everything up. Maybe he would want to have 3 or 4 spread over the galaxy for purposes of safety, but not generally too many. Its easier to defend a single stack than a bunch of ships spread over many systems.

albi_joe · Space Emperor Joined: Mar 19, 2005 Location: USA

Ah - I forgot the Adamant method of colonization! I was thinking the nomads could eventually gain other colony techs, which defeats this whole discussion Razz

CapnKy · Space Emperor Joined: Jan 01, 2005

Romulus68 · Space Emperor Joined: Apr 13, 2007

Like mentioned before you can use Planets as the Nomad platfoms. Create a new planet Type called Worldships.

You can make new facilities to add to them. ie....World Engines, World Shields, etc. These can be racial specific traits/technology like Organic or Crystalline. Oh! Instead of sending out colony ships you can build Moons or Starbases around the planet to house more population and facilities. Again, this would be a racial tech and need balanced in resources needed to construct, what it gives, etc for game play.

What was the cartoon that used world Engines? They had the Swamp, Rock and Ice worlds that was being devourered by a Dark Planet???

mrWHO · Space Emperor Joined: Jul 28, 2007

Romulus68 · Space Emperor Joined: Apr 13, 2007

Fyron · Galactic Guru Joined: Aug 04, 2003 Location: CA, USA

I think moving whole planets is a bit beyond the scope of what a nomadic race would do. Maybe for a "god-like" race or something, but not nomads. Big bases are also not what nomads are about; maybe baseships at most.

Fulgrymm · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 11:00 pm Post subject:

Nevertheless, flying planets around the galaxy = farking awesome.

mrWHO · Space Emperor Joined: Jul 28, 2007

Who said about whole planet - I thought about new planet type that would act like a planet in game mechanics, but use starbase or spaceship model (whole thing would have size between planet and baseship in combat screen) - other races wouldn't be able to colonize such "worldships" derelicts (not colonized worldships) but would be able to capture/invade colonized worldship.

Fyron · Galactic Guru Joined: Aug 04, 2003 Location: CA, USA

There is no way you can restrict facilities to a specific planet type; nomads would be able to conquer/trade for regular planets and build engines on them.

Romulus68 · Space Emperor Joined: Apr 13, 2007

Romulus68 · Space Emperor Joined: Apr 13, 2007

You could model your Nomads after the Craftworld Eldar in Warhammer.

Shektho · Space Emperor Joined: Aug 05, 2006

I was just thinking that Smile