Based on some discussions I've had with other members, I'd like to suggest some changes to the hero mechanics that I think would help balance the heroes, provide more substantial choices to the player, and increase the importance of heroes.





The system I would propose separates the heroes into two categories, and puts the choices in what type of each hero to develop.



What I would suggest:



Meta

Provide 2 categories of hero:

• Fleet Commander
• Governor
  
  

Provide 3 sub-categories:

Fleet Commander

• Pilot - this role increases offense and/or defense of a fleet
• Admiral - this role increases fleet size and boost fleet speed
• Tactician - this role increases the effectiveness of support modules
  
  

Governor

• Production - this role provides bonuses to FIDS on a system, allows for transfer of one resource to another system
• Trader - this role will provide bonuses for trading, as well as bonuses for resource trading (makes it easier)
• Politician - this role will provide happiness bonuses, as well as influence bonuses and diplomatic bonuses (declare peace)
  
  

Add a category of sub-heroes called minions, or subordinates, or what have you

• Minions are earned once a hero reaches level 10
• Each hero can only have one minion
• Minions are assigned to specific planets (as a special population unit) or to specific ships within a fleet
• Minions provide a bonus to one aspect
  
  

The role of the minion is to provide small bonuses to certain areas in order to let them operate more effectively outside the influence of the hero, where the hero provides bonuses for the system they are in. Minions can help colonize by providing early benefits to weak planets, give a roaming security fleet a bit more edge, and provide support for FIDS as needed. Minions also provide an incentive to plan ahead by picking a hero you will want to get to level 10. If a hero is retired, or killed, their minion leaves.



General changes

• Decrease the effectiveness of ALL HEROES
• Only a single fleet commander can be in a system at a time
• Increase the influence of fleet commanders to all fleets in a system
• Give the player a penalty for dismissing heroes
• Give "personalities" to heroes by having them conflict with other heroes (either/or choices)
• Maybe have certain requirements for hiring heroes (X amount of FIDS, certain fleet size, etc)
• Have an academy for both governors and fleet commanders
• New heroes must be only slightly worse than current heroes, to incentivize switching to a new style at the cost of reduced output
  
  

Reasoning: incentivize players making long term decisions about their play style, not hiring heroes arbitrarily, and creating conflicts of interest with hiring leading to more interesting choices. In addition, Fleet Commanders will provide effects for more units, but provide smaller bonuses, to incentivize a more active role for the fleet commander in determining large-scale strategies, rather than as a stronger single fleet (they will, however, still be tied to a single fleet). The fleet commander minion will assume the role of buffing a specific fleet to allow for the same dynamic fleet heroes play now, but to a lesser degree.



Game start

• Reduce the starting Academy Size (allowed heroes) to one.
• Provide 3 fleet heroes and 3 governors
  
  

Reasoning: this gives you several options, but allows you to pick only one. By the time you can hire even a single hero, you will have charted at least one system (I would hope), giving you incentive for one or the other. Additionally, the specific benefits of the different sub-categories would allow for customization of play style. Fleets could focus on offense, defense, or support early on, and systems could boost FIDS/Happiness from an early point.



Game Progession

• Provide more research opportunities to expand Academy Size of both categories
• Increase the rate at which heroes are available
• Make research that expands Fleet/Governor on different research trees
  
  

Reasoning: provides ample opportunity to expand hero hiring as it becomes effective, and allows for fine tuned customization to both fleet and production play style. Reduces the rate of arbitrary hires based on no other available options. It also makes people chose which Academy to expand, further customizing their play style and encouraging substantial long-term planning through choice.





Overall, this system helps separate the resource management systems and combat systems through more substantial choices. It is still possible to effectively use both, but significantly more difficult to have equal amounts. Large scale strategies become more effective through the increased influence of the fleet commander, allowing for tactics cards, type of benefit, etc. to affect large amounts of fleets. The governors will make certain play styles (economic trading, diplomacy, or outright production) more effective in a system, as well as in the diplomatic menu.



I feel these changes reduces the effectiveness of heroes in general by reducing their bonuses, but makes them more powerful for specialized purposes, encouraging more customized play.





I'm writing this on little sleep, and in the middle of finals, so there's a good chance I left out a great idea I had while trying to sleep, or didn't properly describe something, etc. I'd love to know what everyone else thinks about changes like this, regarding the feasibility of them as well as the benefits or consequences of moving to a system like this.

This thread is the origin of discussions about making hero mechanics more complex.

Other threads about this have been archived:

/#/endless-space/forum/29-archives/thread/13301-hero-recruitment-system

/#/endless-space/forum/29-archives/thread/13217-composite-suggestion-expanded-hero-system

/#/endless-space/forum/29-archives/thread/13290-redesigning-heroes

/#/endless-space/forum/29-archives/thread/13361-suggestion-advertizing-for-heroes

/#/endless-space/forum/29-archives/thread/13612-i-need-a-hero-suggestion

/#/endless-space/forum/29-archives/thread/13570-hero-leveling-revamp

/#/endless-space/forum/29-archives/thread/13687-suggestion-regularly-change-hero-reserve

/#/endless-space/forum/29-archives/thread/13561-unique-more-hero-talents

/#/endless-space/forum/29-archives/thread/13600-better-hybrid-heroes-and-improved-horatio-affinity.



Feel free to post here about this topic here and inform yourself about the variations the threads listed above have already discussed, but don't open new suggestion threads for anything alike.

Well I was just looking to create a new thread but seems you bundled all the hero stuff just minutes ago.



I personally don't like the current system. In no time you get a über hero that single handedly makes your fleet impervious to damage or that single handedly builds and grows a backwater recently conquered planet in a matter of a few turns to a industry mertropole. I would like more options to tweak their use. Maybe the option when starting the game to disable heroes, to slow their XP rate by 2,5,10 or any integer you enter or for those that want it to make XP gain faster. More options makes for happier gameplay in this case.



My ideal scenario would be having an academy of say 5 heroes available but those only have access to their specific specialism. (and only one instead of two) No options to train wit if it's a labour hero for example. Dust cost could go up a bit to make them more balanced and more events could be included to make them leave your empire because they got a better proposal from a bussines or something or in case of pilot/commanders on a destroyed fleet simply dying. So instead of having the two or three über heroes you get to have like five, if you can afford it!, that are only specialised in one thing and have to be strategically deployed.



Just my five cents. I would allready be happy with an option to turn them off or to have them level extra slow.