Slowhands wrote:
Micromanagement of moon expeditions (Endless Space: Moon Grinding!)

Ha ha, i'm glad yuo picked up on this potential problem

Could we get the ability to choose random instead of one of the preset options.

Like random structure, random size, random empires, random age.



Thanks!

Resources needed to be connected to be empire wide but what if you have blocking uninhabitable systems in the way like my last map? How do you colonise a system that doesn't produce any food to connect up your empire? I haven't tried it but I would imagine the colonists starve before you can get improvements in agriculture in place?

Not sure if this has already been mentioned somewhere, but I really missed the ability to see what my options were making the world 'look like'. I would love to see a 'preview' as you select, so when you pick 'disc', you see a 'disc' of stars, etc..



I would also like a 'rich homeworld' as a starting option. Obviously, your neighbours would have the same benefit.

Thanks for having all the design documents out there. I was wondering if the following option is possible:



n-constellation and/or 2n constellation galaxies:

Where n is number of players at the start, and each player starts locked in, either with tiered expansion room (2n) or eyeing their wormholes. For instance, currently I play with 1 of each AI, to see how they behave at each stage, but that will almost certainly advantage someone unless you have no wormholes at all.



Balanced starting planet option:

Overrides the random gen so that every player has a very close starting planet configuration (before racial modifiers such as 'bad anomaly'). The first game I started, where I didn't know what I was doing, I had an atrocious starting position (3 planet, terran/desert/lava) and it just impacts the game so much.

Well, the only issue with galaxies currently is that they are too small.

No matter how slow you set the game settings, you will have most of a huge galaxy colonized within ~100 turns, and especially the AI is pulling on this very hardly.

As i have pointed out in my blog post, races collide with each other way before the diplomatic options for more complex co-existence could be established, basically wrecking the diplomacy sector.



In my honest opinion, every galaxy needs to be doubled in size if you want to keep this game speed.

Otherwise the game ends before it could really start.

I'm very impressed with the attention to gameplay detail. Enthusiasts tend to crank out lots of interesting ideas, but don't consider the gameplay effects of implementing those ideas (including the combinatorial effects). It looks like someone here has given the gameplay some serious thought. Playtesting will reveal what needs to be tweaked, but starting from a reasonably coherent design still matters.



Something to consider -- which fits into what Aerensiniac noted (and which was the first thing I was going to mention anyway) -- is that even the largest galaxy (225 stars, if my math is correct) seems small. It might not feel that way in play if there are lots of things to do as players expand. Longer expansion times (presumably from having more to do with individual worlds and "constellations") mean the galaxy can be smaller. It would need to be in order to allow players to meet opponents early enough to provide sufficient value to diplomacy and fleet combat gameplay elements.



But if exploration, expansion and exploitation as a whole are relatively simple, so that those phases go quickly, then even 225 stars will make for a fairly non-epic game. I lust for a 4X game that gives me tens of thousands of systems to explore, and with enough depth in exploration and variety in exploitation that the gameworld feels like a world.



For gameplay reasons, though, that game may not be Endless Space. Nothing wrong with that; a good game is a good game.



One suggestion: for a really negative planetary anomaly, consider adding "no magnetic field." Terrestial life without technology for shielding cosmic radiation will find such places unpleasant to work in and very difficult to colonize.



Otherwise, the world generation looks exceedingly well thought-out. I'm looking forward to seeing this one go gold!

I've been looking for a topic like this.. at first I just wanted to know about the different galaxy types, but you also supplied info about everything else in ES. Any new player should read this. This topic should be #1 in the forum, and given to any player who just bought the game.

The only thing I wouldn't mind is random start locations at every new campaign. Starting in the same location of the galaxy gets redundant and boring for me. Everything else is beyond great.

SpaceTroll wrote:




That age will influence colonization difficulty by affecting generated star types, as the star types affect planet types accordingly.

• Random: All star types and planet types.
• Young: Mainly stars like our sun, almost no dying stars
• Balanced: Mainly old stars
• Old: Mainly dying stars, few normal stars
  
  

According to http://endlessspace.wikia.com/wiki/Planet_probabilities, this means that Young galaxies have more terran, jungle and ocean planets.

SpaceTroll wrote:


Sun type probabilities of appearance will depend on the Age of the Galaxy.

• Young galaxies have more Protostars and Blue suns
• Normal galaxies have more “normal suns” (white and yellow suns, red dwarves)
• Old galaxies have more Supergiants and less Protostars
  
  

This second list seems more like RL galaxies. As I posted in this thread, /#/endless-space/forum/28-game-design/thread/12243-type-of-planet-depending-on-the-orbit-and-star-type : IRL, AFAIK, terran, jungle and ocean planets require lots of iron. Iron is made by dying stars and so is more plentiful as a galaxy ages. Further, terran planets develop after the system, the Earth was a ball of rock and later had different atmospheres before becoming the blue dot we've come to know and love. That would also favor galaxies older than Young as holders of those planets.



I'm not sure if that should be a linear curve and favor terran and derivative type planets in older galaxies since those might have other issues, but certainly at least Normal age galaxies should have a greater concentration of terran and derivative type planets than younger galaxies.



(I am reposting this here because it looks like the right place to post it and was actually more of a tangential issue in the other thread.)

I personally like the idea of constellations and the concept of three different types of space travel.



The resources, temples and anomalies also are great, especially their numbers and variety. I have a small question on anomalies such as ruins - will those give only a small boost to FIDS or can we expect to get a free tech or other one-time bonus?

Galaxy generation is linked to the different travel methods that we’ll give to the players. Traversing constellations (star clusters) won’t be done the same way as moving a fleet from one side of the galaxy to the other.

Level Design must be considered with those travel elements in mind. At first, the players will only be able to travel between nearby stars, and no further than the limits of their starting constellation.

Then, with the correct technology, "Wormholes" in some specific solar systems will allow travel between two constellations, permitting the player to discover the rest of the galaxy.

In the "Exploration and Expansion" tech tree, the player will have access to new engine technologies in order to move across the whole galaxy.



This could lead to 6 steps in space travel:[LIST=1]

String Induction Drive (between solar systems)

Wormholes (between constellations)

Warp movement (free movement between any 2 stars, but way slower than string induction)

Faster String Drive

Wormhole 'freeway' (between any 2 visited Wormholes)

Faster Warp movement (becomes nearly as fast as String Drive)

[/LIST]

Galaxy

The player will be able to choose between several galaxy shapes at the beginning, and some game options will affect its age, star density and number of constellations.

The position of the stars will be generated randomly from a height map based on the galaxy shape. The random factor will ensure a unique map for the player at every generation, and each game option will affect the gameplay in some way (faster discovery of other factions, easier detection of other factions’ starting planet, etc).



Galaxy shape

Each shape will have a different level design: the players will have to think differently about their strategies and each step in space travel will affect the game depending on the galaxy shape.



In Endless Space, the galaxy shape will be determined by a density map.

Star positions result from galaxy size, its density and the density map.

A density distribution factor will alter those local densities. If activated, it will generate stars accordingly; if disabled, it will generate uniformly distributed stars regardless of the density indicated on the height map.



 

Galaxy types

There are 3 main types of galaxies in the universe: elliptical, spiral and ring.

We’ll use 8 variations of those types in our game.



1. Disc (elliptical type)

• Elliptical galaxies are protogalaxies, before the formation of distinguishable arms. This allows games with less travel restrictions, even more with no constellation (game option). The stars should be uniformly distributed throughout the galaxy.
• 1 to 8 players,
• Positioned all around the disc.
  
  

2. Eight-arms spiral galaxy

• With 8 arms, this will ensure the most balanced start for games with 8 players, for those who prefer to start without danger before finding the wormhole technology. The center appears to create only 4 arms, each one rapidly splitting in two. Each arm is short and spreads on maximum 45° from its origin.
• 1 to 8 players,
• each on a separate
• arm of the galaxy.
  
  

3. Four-arms spiral galaxy

• Ideal for 4 players
• longer arms (90°) allowing for more wormhole / free movement tactics.
• 2, 4 or 8 players suggested.
• With more than 4 players, two players may appear in the same starting area.
  
  

4. Cartwheel galaxy (ring type)

• A ring of stars surrounding a small disc galaxy.
• Only wormholes or free movement would allow players to travel to the central disc (no colonizable stars between them).
• 1 to 8 players, always on the outer ring.
  
  

5. Barred spiral galaxy

• An extended galaxy center with two long arms at an angle going up to 180°.
• Balanced for 2 players, it can also make a great random map for more players with different game evolutions than a disc or ring galaxy, or balanced spiral galaxy.
• 2 players suggested
• Ideal galaxy to go for alliance vs alliance wars
• Unbalanced with 3, 5 or 7 players
  
  

6. Ovoid / Line galaxy (elliptical type)

• Old galaxies whose arms disappeared, forming a stretched elliptical galaxy. This is like a flattened disc galaxy.
• Best used with entirely random parameters.
  
  

7. Giant ring galaxy

• Single, giant fat ring, without any center colonizable stars.
• This will give interesting situations, as each player will have to defend his empire from 2 sides.
  
  

8. Twin elliptical galaxies

• Two disc galaxies colliding and merging. The center contains many stars.
• 2, 4 or 8 players suggested.
• This shape will allow for local fights before dealing with the opposite galaxy.
  
  

Other shapes

An unlimited number of galaxy shapes can be imagined with our generator. The modding community will be able to increase that number infinitely.

Galaxy size

Galaxy size is defined in parsecs, and is directly related to the Galaxy size the player chooses.

A galaxy size is linked to a defined number of planets, but this can be overridden by specific galaxy settings.









Galaxy Density

The Density affects the numbers of stars for a given galaxy size. There are three sizes, each with its own multiplier. It therefore modifies the above array.





For example, a galaxy that is Small and Dense will have 90 stars.





 

The age of the galaxy defines its sun type probabilities. In Endless Space, these probabilities will be widely exaggerated in order to have more impact on the planet types resulting from those stars, and to feel the differences more.



That age will influence colonization difficulty by affecting generated star types, as the star types affect planet types accordingly.

• Random: All star types and planet types.
• Young: Mainly stars like our sun, almost no dying stars
• Balanced: Mainly old stars
• Old: Mainly dying stars, few normal stars
  
  

Specific information about those impacts will be detailed further below.



Constellations

Constellations are analogous to continents. They are star clusters, easy to recognize on the map by their shape.

Two stars from the same constellation can be linked together, allowing the player to jump between those with their starting ships' engines (String Induction Drive).

Two adjacent constellations will always have somewhere a wormhole link between two of their closest stars. Players will have to research a specific technology in order to travel though wormholes.



Constellation shape

A constellation can take any shape inside its region, as long as it remains in one part.

At galaxy generation, the whole map will be divided into constellations. The player will be able to choose the number of divisions (or no division at all).

Apart from constellations at the center of the galaxy, all other ones should have about the same size.



Constellation generation

As the height map for the galaxy shape, we’ll use a “region” picture containing different colors for different regions of the galaxy, including starting regions for each player.

There are many star types in our Milky Way galaxy and beyond. A slight change in a star’s size and temperature (color) would alter the creation of its planets.

We wanted to add that feeling to the planet generation. In the game, the player should be able to know which planet types have the most chances to be found around a star just by looking at its star type.



Distance between two stars should be between 4 to 12 parsecs in a normal galaxy (that will vary with size and density).

Star appearance probabilities are defined by the age of the galaxy.



Star types:

• Protostar
• Blue Sun
• White Sun
• Yellow Sun
• Red Dwarf
• Red Supergiant
• White Dwarf
• Double Sun
  
  

Sun type probabilities of appearance will depend on the Age of the Galaxy.

• Young galaxies have more Protostars and Blue suns
• Normal galaxies have more “normal suns” (white and yellow suns, red dwarves)
• Old galaxies have more Supergiants and less Protostars
  
  

There can’t be a “node” in space without a Star in it (no ship jumps to a void point in space).

Each planet type must be different from the others and easily recognizable by the player. Some planets won’t be available for colonization at first (it will require specific technologies for that).

Planets are composed of the following:

• A Type
• A Size
• Up to 1 Anomaly
• Up to 1 Resource deposit (Strategic OR Luxury)
• Up to 1 Moon
  
  

Planet Class

Planets are divided into 5 Classes. Class I and II can be colonized from the beginning, the other classes need more advanced technologies. Basically class I are the best planets and class IV are living hell…

[LIST=1]

Jungle; Terran; Ocean

Arid; Tundra

Desert; Arctic

Lava; Barren

Gas Giants; Asteroids

[/LIST]

We want all planets to have their advantages and disadvantages. If planets of Class I will be great living planets, they will not be the best production planets, in order to encourage variety in the choices of colonization. Therefore terraforming will be possible on every planet type, as long as you have the right technology.



The player will discover Technologies that allow the player to terraform one planet type into another, thus changing the planet class. The originality here is that you can only transform into the specific planet type on the condition that you are either of the same class or at no more than 1 class separation.

Ex: when you discover the Desert terraforming technology, it does not mean that you can terraform a desert, but it means that you can terraform other planets into Desert, like Tundra, Arctic or Lava.



Planet Size

As planet classes down to Class IV could be terraformed all the way up to Class I, we want the player to find bigger planets in the lower classes, so when they will be terraformed, they will make bigger Class I planets than the player can find at the beginning of a game.

Class V planets can’t be terraformed; they can only sustain a limited population and people won't like having to live on those. However, they can give a good advantage when colonized with the right improvements.



Planet Size will be slightly influenced by Planet Types. Some planet Classes like Gas Giants will always be “giant”, whereas some planets with extreme conditions can have more extreme sizes than Class I planets.

Planet Specificities: Anomalies, Moons, Luxury and Strategic Resources



Introduction

In addition to the size and class, the planets of Endless Space will be differentiated by some unique characteristics that come in 4 categories: Anomalies, Moons, and Luxury and Strategic Resources. Each planet can have either none or one of each (either a strat resource or a luxury though). Of course the appearnce of these specificities will depend on the planet type and game generation settings.



Anomalies

Anomalies are a rather unique phenomenon of that planet that will differentiate it from others through various bonuses and maluses (penalties) added to that planet's base FIDS and system Approval.

Each anomaly can appear only on a few planet types. Anomalies giving a huge bonus are rare; negative anomalies are not, and the player may have to research specific technologies to 'clean' their planets from such anomalies.



Anomaly Listing (from best to worst anomaly)



Best

Garden of Eden

Ancient Ruins

Ancient Artefacts

Dust Ruins

Coral Reefs

Cyber Flora

Friendly Locals

Strange Fossils



Good

Rich Soil

Mineral Rich

Dust Lode

Hadopelagic Life

Microfactories

Antonov Rings

Huygens Rings

Hollow Planet

Mutated Flora

Low Gravity

Deserted Cities

Molten Springs



OK

Rich Atmosphere

Ice-10

Shattered Crust

Komatiite Volcanoes

Propitious Seasons

Permanent Monsoon

Molten Core

Metallic Waters

Robot Locals



Neutral

Aurora Waves

Metallic Ground

Dense Atmosphere

Psychoactive Air

Geothermic Activity

Hostile Fauna

Swamp World

Seismic Activity

Extreme Temperatures

Meteor Strikes



Bad

High Gravity

Poor Soil

Polar Tempests

Corrosive Soil

Strong Magnetic Field

Mineral Poor



Worst

Kessler Syndrome

Toxic

Acid Rain

Electro-Magnetic radiation

Irradiated

Introduction

Strategic resources are very different from other specificities, mainly because they will be necessary in order to research specific technologies. Without them, you might very well say “bye bye beautiful lasers and other nice toys”. So in order to leave the Stone Age of space conquest you will need to secure these resources.

Once a planet with that resource is colonized, the whole empire will benefit from it (as long as you can travel to/from that system). The more resources of the same type are gathered, the more bonuses they will bring to build the components requiring the given resource.



Size of deposit

Strategic resource deposits come in 3 sizes: Small, Medium, and Large. Each one will give access to respectively 1, 2 and 3 units of that resource.



Type

We need the player to be able to easily find strategic resources that are usable early in the game, but later strat resources will be rare or found on "lower" Planet Classes.

It is also important that we can guarantee that there is always minimum of strategic resources spawned of each type in a new galaxy.



Strategic Resources listing

• Titanium-70 : High isotope titanium ore ; Found in mines of cold regions
• Hyperium : High isotope of hydrogen ; Extreme density and small size make it an ideal nuclear fuel
• Hexaferrum : Found near planet cores, high pressure phase of iron
• Anti-Matter : Invisible ; can be harvested in certain areas of some planetary magnetic fields
• Orichalcedon : Strange orange ore whose magnetic properties change with its shape
• Siderite : Created from iron and other transition metals in an interim state between solid and liquid in planetary cores ; when released from the pressure the plasma expands, creating a powerful energy source.
• Adamantium : Alloy composed of many Lanthanides, coming from planets or asteroids which were once too close to a sun (needs unimaginably high temperature and no pressure to melt)
• Quadrinite : Blended cube-shaped crystals existing in phases between matter, anti-matter, and alternate universes. Highest energy density of any known source.