Perhaps Master of Orion 2 is in our memory more perfect then it was compared to newer games like Endless Space.

Or with the "trick" to let us fight manually we had a stronger feeling of activity level.

But for me all 4x-Space games have the same "problem" besides I like them much: The main objective about these games is to settle more and faster.

To achieve this you explore space to find good locations.

And this is not limited/influenced by terrain and geopolitical objectives like in "planet based" 4x games.



The more exciting or unique a game "sells" you these main components and its subcomponents (research, improvements,fighting,etc.) the better the game.

So you can say, ok, lets make the main components more exciting, because these are the things you will deal with the biggest amount of time in the game.

Or you can enlarge the siginificance of some subcomponents so players will have to care more about them or will trivialy play with these components more intensive.

I think the biggest advantage of modern 4x-Space-Computer-Games is ecactly what Amplitude did: When you give the players a very good frame and use the possibilities of the Internet that Master of Orion 2 not had with Game2Gether.

I like Endless Space, but I am still hungry for more.

Besides the question what to put in the expansion and if the combat system should be changed or improved I am intersted in generally thougts what could create a more exciting gameplay or feeling when playing 4x games in Space.



As I said, take Master of Orion, Final Frontier (Civ4 BTS), Endless Space or even the boardgame Eclipse: I have the feeling the core of the games is always to find good (randomly comosed and alloted) stellar systems and settle there as fast as possible.

So how could that principle be made most entertaining, exciting, brain and heart touching, strategic challenging...



I miss a little bit the feeling that the game aks me to decide stronger to go for a special strategy, all the buidlings/system improvements are well

designed, but normally it seems quite clear to me where to build what.



My "job" is not to keep the balance and unique playing style of Endles Space and to keep it being intersting for hardcore and casual gamers

similiarly, I just want to search for ideas and inspiration to give me hope that my hunger for more can be appeased one day in space.



Many things will have been said anywhre in this forum, but perhaps we can make a big collection of ideas.









As many people already said, a more alive Universe would be a possibiliy to strenghten the discoverer-Element and reward people exploring swaths of Space.

I like the idea that better systems are defended of occupied in any way, to make fighting interesting and neccessary earlier in such games, or searching for alternatives like Diplomacy.

Minor fractions (or natives) just defending there territory for example, that can be fought or convinced to join your empire.

Alpha Centauri had an excellent idea: The Mind worms. According to your playing style you could use them or had to fight them.

Perhaps that idea is useable in another way to, perhaps Natives could reward you with special ships, or you can recruit mercaneries or perhaps we see Space Monsters like in Master Orion 2 again, that can also be domesticated.

I think Sowrd of the Stars was the game where all fractions had different ways to move in space, so there are possibilities to even make travelling in space more intersting.



The whole phase of exploring space could be more interesting.

For example some ideas:

• Missions, like find element xy, or x planets of type xy, escort this trade ship to, build xy
• "Explore the (not inhabited) planet" - Options (like that moon thing), so for example when you build a special module into your ship or stay x rounds in a system you have the chance to get a reward or a research bonus
• The good old goodie huts... some systems providing some stuff for people who got there first
• Simply more varieties of pirates
• "Outposts" to gain wind or ressources from planets where you do not want to settle
• "Free trade fleets" that you can interact and trade with or just assault them to get some money
• 
  
  

When setteling fast is the main objective it is also be intersting that your opponents do it not.

Normally you can settle fast near you but you have not much influence what happens in systems far away from you.

Perhaps there could be minelayers to make it last more time to free and settle a system.

Or you could build corsair fleets to keep control of systems staying unoccupied without diplomatic annoyances.

Or pollute a planet with some big bad rockets or systems you build just for that porpusewhat causes diplomatic trouble with the neighbors of that system.



To make the "empire buidling"-aspect more intersting it should be perhaps more difficult to build everything everywhere or to reward

specialism:

[LIST=1]

shipyards for bigger ships

Moons can be used as Rocket base (defense) or as research station

more complex buildings requireing for example that the system is connected to x other systems or that building xy exists (x times), or that all planets have the same specialism

perhaps also a little bit more micromanagement, give several types or sizes of planets limited space to build some special buildings, sth that limits the "everything everywhere"...

[/LIST]

Good points in there, I like the idea of the "be-first-there-and-get-rewarded" option!



Let's see what the others think!

While that's a lot to read in 1 go, I generally agree with your points.



Personally as any addition to the game I would like to see a 'grand strategy' style Casus belli system for declaring war, where players require reasons for war and are not immediately able to go all 'total war' form turn 1.



And I feel this would really help the mid section of the game where empires square off from each other but are not able to actually win.



Extending from that, a case study of the unique features from grand strategy might shed some light on unique ideas that could be included in a 4X game. Grand 4X anyone?

Thanx for this game and post . very nice tech information . but cool math games 4 kids and windows 8 themes

kyleee wrote:
Thanx for this game and post . very nice tech information . but cool math games 4 kids and windows 8 themes

You just made my day lol