Solving the Resource Glut - Luxury Booster Effects

Dragar

Scout

7 years ago

May 23, 2017, 2:34:24 PM

I want to support the following claim: "The only resources I want are resources I already have, and I already have too many!"

Currently luxury resources are used for a single thing:

System developments.

There are a few, niche, cases of bribing minor factions for special bonuses, but these are few and far between.

Presently resources are scattered across galaxies such that either you have an absolute ton of a resource, or you have none at all outside quests. System improvements that increase output only add to the issues here. And either you want that resource for a system improvements, or you don't.

So the following situation emerges: either you want a resource for system developments, or you don't. And you are either swimming in a luxury resource, or you have none (or only what you randomly acquire from quests or the market).

The first problem: System developments are not sufficient to use up the resources you have a glut of, even if you want to use the resource. But they are far too expensive to use on resources that you do not have tons of: you never set out to acquire resources that you do not already have, because you'd never use system developments for resources you do not already have in abundance.

The second problem: There is no good use for luxuries that you don't want to use for system developments - and unless you have a steady supply of a resource, you really don't wan to use it as a system development. Sure, you can sell them on the market, but that's not a use, that's a way of getting rid of them. In other words: resources I do not have in abundance are useless.

Thus:

The only resources I want are resources I already have, and I already have too many!

A solution here is to find a desirable use for resources that you do not already have a ton of. That means the resources you find and acquire in your empire (or can reliably get from the market) form a bedrock of your system development plans, but additional extra luxuries from the market or quests are still desirable for their own value.

The simplest solution is just an Endless Legend style booster effect, on a system or empire wide level. These should be strong but serve as more interesting dumping ground for luxuries than just selling them on the market. An efficient use of resources will still be system development plans (as they last forever), but these are highly dependent on having a reliable source of resources. So these effects should be strong temporary bonus effects that are worth using if the price is not sky-high on the market, but that grow to be sufficiently expensive that they use up the glut of resources generated by the empire.

I'd also suggest increasing the luxury cost of higher development plans, to help use up some of the glut of reliably generated resources the empire generates.

Together, this should solves both problems and make it so that I want to use my reliable sources of luxuries for system improvements, while I have a useful and interesting outlet for luxuries I have a surplus of - both for my abundantly generated resources, and any transient piles of resources I've find in trading or questing.

Updated 12 days ago.

Out of Vision

The OUT OF VISION status is given by the dev team to ideas that are not compatible with their vision of the game or technically not feasible.

DEV The-Cat-o-Nine-Tales

status updated 5 years ago

While we have implemented a booster effect based on population, we unfortunately won't be able to implement more diverse uses for luxury resources, and I have to ark the idea as Out of Vision.

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Kryptic57

Newcomer

Kryptic57

Newcomer

4 000g2g pts

7 years ago

May 23, 2017, 3:21:36 PM

They could add the booster system into the senate screen and have a similar function to Endless legend boosters.

Dragar

Scout

Dragar

Scout

7 years ago

May 23, 2017, 4:10:54 PM

Kryptic57 wrote:
They could add the booster system into the senate screen and have a similar function to Endless legend boosters.

Maybe if they encouraged different political affiliations? But the trade/economy screen seems a better location (above system development, where they already are listed).

Kryptic57

Newcomer

Kryptic57

Newcomer

4 000g2g pts

7 years ago

May 23, 2017, 6:56:59 PM

Just mentioning as I believe in Endless Legend it was tied to the influence spending system which roughly lines up with the senate political and law system

Paladin115

Confirmed Fanatic

Paladin115

Confirmed Fanatic

38 600g2g pts

7 years ago

May 23, 2017, 7:09:32 PM

LuxRes Booster system from Endless Legend is a good idea.

A few other ideas:

Have a system in place, activated by research with or without a one time system improvement, where excess LuxRes are sold off or somehow converted to Dust off. Ex: have 900 Bluecaps, next turn gain 105 next turn. 99 Bluecaps goes to you warehouse, and the other 6 is sold/convent.

-and/or-

Have a consumption rate of LuxRes, would work on a tier system maybe. Would work like this: at the start of each turn a set amount of LuxRes, (EX: 25, 50, 75) would be consume and provide a boost based on the tier, you pick what tier and which LuxRes to use. Maybe limit the number of boosts you can pick. Remains active as long as you have stock to consume, or you turn it off. Again, could make it a research with or without an attached system improvement.

-and/or-

Make the system infrastructure improvement require LuxRes to maintain based on which level it is.

-and/or-

Make it optional for minor/major factions to consume their favorite LuxRes for a happiness boost or an addition population trait. Could have it linked to the population rate boost or not.

Dragar

Scout

Dragar

Scout

7 years ago

May 23, 2017, 7:57:08 PM

Kryptic57 wrote:
Just mentioning as I believe in Endless Legend it was tied to the influence spending system which roughly lines up with the senate political and law system

It might have been on the screen, but I don't think luxuries had any direct ties to the empire plan system in Endless Legend.

Knots

Prime Founder

Knots

Prime Founder

53 000g2g pts

7 years ago

May 23, 2017, 11:12:05 PM

This is a good idea Dragar :P

Was about to take your advice and make this post here, lucky i searched before i posted one myself.

Hopefully this idea gets traction.

Downer

Newcomer

Downer

Newcomer

1 600g2g pts

7 years ago

May 24, 2017, 1:06:02 AM

My biggest issue is that... it's been done? I would want design to go forward not backwards.

Kryptic57

Newcomer

Kryptic57

Newcomer

4 000g2g pts

7 years ago

May 24, 2017, 4:23:35 AM

Downer wrote:
My biggest issue is that... it's been done? I would want design to go forward not backwards.

Fair but what else would it be used for? If you make it a requirement then whatever requires it must be really minor or it will totally block you from getting it. Luxuries are similar to Civ where you don't always get access to all of them. Temporary boosts which require a rotating spending of them is the best way to use them up.

Knots

Prime Founder

Knots

Prime Founder

53 000g2g pts

7 years ago

May 25, 2017, 10:49:25 AM

Downer wrote:
My biggest issue is that... it's been done? I would want design to go forward not backwards.

What we have right now is backwards. This would be progress and a good step in the right direction.

Nodor

Forgotten Guardian

Nodor

Forgotten Guardian

31 000g2g pts

7 years ago

May 25, 2017, 3:54:23 PM

In one of my recent games I had 1400 Jardonyx production per turn. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to upgrade systems fast enough to use that many luxury goods.

Would it make more sense to make system upgrades have a maintenance cost?

Zolobolo

Eyder

Zolobolo

Eyder

19 900g2g pts

7 years ago

Jun 1, 2017, 5:16:11 PM

Agreed, the issue is there

Temporary boost like I have seen in Endless Legend woudl make sense but it does icnrease busywork and does not solve the other problem you brought up: Why should the player bother getting a resource. A temporary boost is not enough of a benefit to risk war jsut because of it.

How abouth we apply the pop collection bonus mechanic to luxury resources?

The resources already have a sort of hierarchy (one being more efficient then the other in an effect). If we have combos that provide huge benefits, the missing resources are very desirable to be acquired

What can be worth it for the player?:

- Temporary but considerable multipliers for trade, tax income, research all the usual suspects.

This could even be combined with the original idea: Instead of activating a bonus based on a single resource, the player needs to acquire a set of luxuries to activate a bonus "package" such as:

1. Empire wide celebration

2. Feast of a thousand delicatesses

3. Luxury spa boom

etc...

These "packages" or: empire wide luxury actions could be clearly visualised, so the player can see at agalnce what is still missing for a specific set.

HaxtonFale

Mercy

HaxtonFale

Mercy

27 400g2g pts

7 years ago

Jun 2, 2017, 8:25:28 AM

Paladin115 wrote:
Have a system in place, activated by research with or without a one time system improvement, where excess LuxRes are sold off or somehow converted to Dust off. Ex: have 900 Bluecaps, next turn gain 105 next turn. 99 Bluecaps goes to you warehouse, and the other 6 is sold/convent.

I like the idea of selling excess automatically! Saves me the trouble selling almost everything every turn.

Wishlisted

The WISHLISTED status is given by the dev team to ideas they would like to have in the game.

DEV Dagart

status updated 7 years ago

we will look into diversifying the use of the luxury ressources by empire populations (but we will try to avoid boosters)

Dragar

Scout

Dragar

Scout

7 years ago

Nov 22, 2017, 9:43:19 AM

I'd just like to add a followup: this idea was implemented! There hasn't been much fanfare about it.

From the population screen, you can now apply a booster (of a particular luxury) to a population. This doubles their FIDSI bonuses and increases the chance of their population growing from food surplus. This is a very powerful and important effect, and a great way of soaking up surplus luxuries. Frequently I now scour the market for a handful of luxuries to give a bonus to my populations.

Additionally, the development plans have had their costs changed around, so I'm rarely swimming in luxuries (or at least not so early as I once was).

Thank you, Amplitude!

Updated 7 years ago.

Abrasax

Forgotten

- Any Amplitude Studios Game: Definitely Worth-a-Buy

Abrasax

Forgotten

32 100g2g pts

6 years ago

Aug 24, 2018, 5:39:08 AM

What about using stacks of unwanted luxury resources to influence elections (specific tech unlock could be necessary) with luxury quantity being dependent on luxury tier used.

900 Tier 1 Luxury

600 Tier 2 Luxury

300 Tier 3 Luxury

And remember, Gifts aren't Bribes, technically. They are simply gestures of goodwill.

Out of Vision

The OUT OF VISION status is given by the dev team to ideas that are not compatible with their vision of the game or technically not feasible.

DEV The-Cat-o-Nine-Tales

status updated 5 years ago

While we have implemented a booster effect based on population, we unfortunately won't be able to implement more diverse uses for luxury resources, and I have to ark the idea as Out of Vision.