Putting the 'role' back in role-playing games since 2002.
Donate to Codex
Good Old Games
  • Welcome to rpgcodex.net, a site dedicated to discussing computer based role-playing games in a free and open fashion. We're less strict than other forums, but please refer to the rules.

    "This message is awaiting moderator approval": All new users must pass through our moderation queue before they will be able to post normally. Until your account has "passed" your posts will only be visible to yourself (and moderators) until they are approved. Give us a week to get around to approving / deleting / ignoring your mundane opinion on crap before hassling us about it. Once you have passed the moderation period (think of it as a test), you will be able to post normally, just like all the other retards.

Some 4X ideas I've always wanted to see

oscar

Arcane
Joined
Aug 30, 2008
Messages
8,036
Location
NZ
- Political loyalties. Perhaps your toiling workers don't mind the idea of your brutal dictatorship being annexed by the socialist utopia to the south. Victoria-style political loyalties for population units/military divisions would be nice, which may result in them opposing the war effort (leftist academia protesting U.S intervention in Vietnam), refusing to fight (a serious problem for Russia in the First World War), collaborating with the enemy (an enemy running low on manpower but with surplus equipment may even consider arming them and raising volunteer legions) or even a galaxy-wide Spanish Civil War (with the other players greedily looking on and sending their best arms to friendly factions). Rebels should have goals and aspirations (brigandry? Independence? Re-unification?
Nation/Empire-wide revolution? Will they be happy with peaceful co-existion with the player or do they want his head on a plate? ) and problems of their own just like standard factions (this is largely addressed to Europa Universalis). Will your own soldiers and officers even follow orders and fire upon the rebels, or join them?

- This shouldn't just be limited to abstract populations but to prominent individuals within the game. Does that promising skill 7 general of yours who you've entrusted the kingdom's defence too have a hidden 'ambitious' trait and is secretly eyeing the throne and waiting for you to piss off enough people before making his move? Perhaps a bit of bloodshed would be worth this obviously intelligent young man replacing the senile Emperor and the player wants him to succeed (in which case you should be able to play as the rebel and try to overcome the monarchy's loyalists).

- Forces should have different attributes depending upon where they have been recruited. Perhaps all that economic prosperity, lack of crime and coddling by the state has meant that units from there start with the trait 'Soft' or 'Gun shy' while your hardy colonial settlers gain some 'Rugged' and 'Skilled Woodsmen' bonuses.

- Abstract research. Civilization style "hmm should I pick writing or bronze-working for this turn' as always seemed pretty 'gamey'. The player's should influence research not micromanage it. The extent of this should also depend on political systems. A capitalist nation may see an impressive array of innovations and improvements in consumer goods but more abstract technologies that seem unlikely to turn a profit may require some government investment and funding to see much progress in, while a fascist/socialist one has the advantage of the government being able to direct research as need be but why would producers take the risk of investing in new consumer technologies if they're going to be taxed 80 percent anyway? Play a theocracy and you may see demands that 'heretical' (though more than boring Earth religions. Perhaps a cult has spread that worships the human body sees cybernetic augmentation as horrifying and as a consequence sabotages facilities) research be banned. Have lots of pop units with the 'Pacifist' tag and don't be surprised to see lots of complaints about your run-away military spending when there's hungry mouths to feed (despite the fact you know those insectoid freaks will invade the moment you de-commission those battleships).
 

tiagocc0

Arcane
Joined
Jun 29, 2007
Messages
2,056
Location
Brazil
oscar said:
- Political loyalties.

Interesting, I would love to see these as options for the game, but the player should be able to address it quickly and efficiently if wanted, the issue that arises must be manageable, I've played Victoria 2 and what turned me off was that the game is really slow, you have there tons of issues to address but it's going to take most of the game for you to be able to do it properly.
And some mechanics of the game even if they made sense was something really hard to influence.
For example, if the soldiers do not want to fight you should be able to influence them right away and not wait for 5 to 10 turns changing slides and hoping that it will get better somehow.


Does that promising skill 7 general of yours who you've entrusted the kingdom's defence too have a hidden 'ambitious' trait and is secretly eyeing the throne

Nice, we could have this as an option, some will want this on while others may not care if their hard built nation wants to rebel or not. While this is very interesting, appearing at the wrong time could be a real turn off for the player.


Forces should have different attributes depending upon where they have been recruited

I can see this easily implemented, but maybe more like if you recruit a troop from a volcano planet full of storms that has heavy gravity would be different from a low gravity ocean world.


Abstract research

While I find this nice it could really spoil a game because then you're using luck to determine what you research even though a militaristic nation may research more weapons while a capitalistic may research more goods. Luck should never be employed in key factors of the game.

But a mix of this would be possible, like the major technologies would work like MoO2 while minor technologies would be subject to what kind of nation you have and how your private sector behaves.
 

As an Amazon Associate, rpgcodex.net earns from qualifying purchases.
Back
Top Bottom