hello,

i read another thread where the question was asked: what faction would you like to see next. many people thought of races in terms of names and appearance i thought of gameplay:

a warlike/aggressive faction that is economically reverse to cravers, i.e. it is forced to build tall and does not conquer but still exploit enemies.

then it hit me: my favourite faction the vodyani almost play like it, almost...

1) What is would like to see:

-big powerful harvesting fleets. they don't conquer systems they just "essencesify" the population. like space vampires or the wraith from Stargate Atlantis.

-powerful but few core systems (even mobile with arks) that are meant to build tall

2) Why it does not work:

-the vodyani have access to ark modules that trivialize essence gain from other sources, mainly the ark modules in turn this means that the vodyani only play the way that i described above in the early game. usually you harvest a minor race until you get the tier 2 essence modules on arks

-i have not tried the dust to essence conversion with the new patch, but it seems to be stronger than before (granted it was not really useful before)

-population is too expensive compared to arks especially in the early game, this shifts the more arks you have

-you need quite a few arks to get a good amount of strategic and luxury resources.

3) Why it should not work:

-the main reason with 1) is that you are always dependent on your enemies/victims. e.g. the vodyani early game is almost crippled if you have no minor race in your vicinity

4) Making it work:

i think one could get more in line with 1) with minor balance adjustments such as:

-decrease population essence cost, increase ark cost

-give access to different harvesting modules, e.g. one that drains essence and strategic resources and another one that drains essence and luxury resources

-reduce the number of arks before over colonization kicks in for the vodyani

-instead of per planet basis the vodyani would use a per ark-upgrade basis "planet-population", e.g. a gas planet that could only be exploited by 3 population of other races could be exploited by more vodyani population which only depends on ark upgrades, i.e. instead of a planet population limit they would have an ark population limit

-essence leeching modules should decrease ship upkeep. dedicated harvesting fleets should be maintainable.

-heavily reduce the essence gain from tier 2 and 3 ark modules and increase the essence gain from the ship harvesting modules

-allow the vodyani to seed prey worlds, i.e. minor races that can't be diplomatically integrated by other empires. lore wise those could be desperate refugees from worlds of minor races you are already harvesting from, i.e. if you start harvesting a minor race it might set up little outposts in neighbouring systems that you can later also harvest.

This morning I got almost the same idea; A custom race with the shipbound trait of the voyani and the planet depletion trait from the cravers. Thus a race which needs to keep moving as it exploits planets fast. (think tyranids of 40k).

However for atleast with 1.05, a custom race with this combination causes the game to not start. I know that before I tested a race with those traits atleast once, so I am hopefull it will soon be possible.

I don't think essence modules from Arks are the main essence source. To me is the passive source when I cannot drain essence from minor/major factions.

I usually skip the first tier and with the second I may add 1 per ark, two at most. The other modules are also important to boost resources.

One problem is maybe is how new Ark cost is calculated: is just 500 essence more than the previous, so you can get one ark per turn in the right circumstances midgame. Maybe with a more demanding approach would be more interesting.

Volyaani with 5 full developed Arks is arleady fearsome against 10-12 system enemy factions.

Ninakoru wrote:

I don't think essence modules from Arks are the main essence source. To me is the passive source when I cannot drain essence from minor/major factions.

<snip>

i usually go for early planet techs if i find a nearby system and then go for dust income (trade routes, i.e. industry tier 2). then i beeline towards tier 2 essence modules and equip all arks with 4 of them. this takes care of all my essence issues and selling luxury resources covers the upgrade costs.

once this is accomplished essence is no longer a game mechanic i have to worry about. in the late game i switch to tier 3 essence modules (2 per ark) and rest is influence modules. i only use essence ships on minor factions in the early game until i get tier 2 essence modules which is usually pretty fast.

i never ever needed use essence harvesting fleets on major faction, which is a shame imho.

like you said ark cost are a problem that is why i proposed to increase their cost and decrease population cost. i never really needed the other ark modules (besides influence) as the

vodyiani population gives more then enough fids.

addendum:

in my experience the vodyani are currently the strongest race (in the mid and especially the late game, early game are cravers) so it would not be a bad thing of essence would be a bit harder to come by.

i also think the religious law that sets all systems to content is a huge issue. you can skip on a lot of happiness resources for colony development (there are three) and use the slots for an even stronger economy. you can also skip some techs and buildings which usually slow other factions down who have to have them after the colonization phase.

Lifeforce infuence.Space Vampires,boobs.

@tesb: Sure, but setting happiness at content also negates pretty hefty bonuses to food production and influence.

Tesb, yeah, that's a legit strat, you switch off essence concerns and get New Arks every 4 turns regardless. But you could be more competitive, leeching with ships can net you arks even faster.

Agree with Luctius, I consider that law a last resort strategy, If you overexpand far beyond your approval capacities. On ecstatic is 30% food/inf on systems but also 30% dust/science on empire.