Don't forget about the Planets!

from Sins Forums
I read in an earlier post that the Capital Ships are quintessentially the 'Heroes" of the game. That's great in my opinion. They level up. They gain experience. They are customizable. You also I can imagine grow attached or have a sort of feeling for them after a while because of their uniqueness/time of use and having your emotions be a part of the game is to me important because so few games actually do that. The Capital Ships are 'heroes' for the reason that they fight for/fight to defend their/other planets.

That's why I started this post. As far as I have seen there is really very very little thought going into your planets. They're what you're fighting for. They're where your people, who are your soldiers, scientists, civilians, pilots, come from. Why not make the planets, your homeworlds, more customizable? Allow the planets/inhabitants to gain experience like Capital Ships. Allow for the planet to grow/become unique in their own ways under your direction. Perhaps instead of having the planets "level up" they can reach certain stages independently based on time of occupation or their trade levels or growth levels in which you make 'important' yet non-time comsuming choices at their respective stages that strongly affect their future growth. One planet may grow from a lush green 'earth-based' planet to a bustling glowing lightbulb like Courosant from Star Wars or perhaps another one may begin as a mediocre colonised 'earth-based' planet as well but grow into a more industrial/enviromently balanced planet with similiar population and tech levels are the Courosant based one, the point is that they are uniquely different. What I'm saying is lets try and make the planets more than well.... nothing at the moment, but into interactive mutli-dimensional/'uniquely multi-re-creatable' growing planets because that's what they are!

I also read on the site Gameplay tab that you are Emperor of your society! That is really sweet! But I was just hoping that perhaps since you are emperor you can have a direct influence over your governed peoples. Things like religion; you have the option to make all you people have to worship you or maybe make them all agnostic, whatever, it would be cool and you could tie it into the game on how those decisions you make on your governed peoples lives adversly affects population/cultural growth speeds perhaps ect.

I think these suggestions will help fix the problem of the warfare and in general, the gamplay from the detached feeling of pieces on a chessboard to actual ships battling for their dear lives and the lives of their families on their homeworlds and your life as emperor of whatever by simply adding in some attachment to what you control.
30,993 views 16 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top
I actually do love this idea, I'm not sure how indepth they could go but I could honestly imagine some system like it being possibly implanted though I doubt it'll be to the level of where you can pick their religion etc.

I'd definatly like the ability to alter how my planets grow, and get a bit more indepth with the economy / trade etc.
Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top
Meh..... planets are fine.....
Siege of Centauri
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top
If there's one thing about this game that I have learned, it's that IC has taken the 4Xs to the bare minumum. At it's heart, sins is not a 4x game, it's gameplay is very much starcraft or Rise of Nations (which was not a 4x game but was more one than sins is imo) in space (and if anyone actually wants me to explain that just pm me or something). Which is fine, it's going to be a great RTS game, and it will give me and many others many unproductive hours of pleasure. However you are more of a Supreme Fleet Commander or a Chief of Naval Operations than an emperor of an empire.

So I doubt planets are going to change much. Also, one of the reps said that the population on planets is neutral, it's just whose governor and infrastructure is on the planet that determines whose it is.
Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top
but it is a 4x game....

eXplore, eXpand, eXploit and eXterminate

right now it just seems to be missing the exploit part... and the eXpand part needs to be a little more developed.
Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top
Yeah, but I am the customer. If I'm considering paying over $50 or whatever for a game that says "switch between the role of emperor and commander" that is what I want. If it is only 50% of what they say they're selling, then I won't buy it and neither should anyone else with at least 50% of a brain. Giving the planets more options in their growth as suggested above couldn't possibly be that much more work for the developers and perhaps including the more emperial dominance of such things as religions ect. is too much of an "if & then" balancing act, but given that no real graphics work, only calculation programs, would be necessary for more of a cultural hand-grip on things, it becomes hard for me to relate with them or anyone else's excuses for half-butting the final days in the development of the game.
Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top
It's not a 4x game. Not any more than starcraft.

Explore: Find the next support base (planet) location and Expand: Build a Com center/nexus/nursery (colonize a planet) and build buildings around it and exploit 2 (3) different types of resources. Then continue exploring to find your enemies bases (planets) and destroy them (as that is the only way you can win the game). If sins is a 4x game, than so is starcraft, and I think most people would agree that starcraft is not a 4x. Just because a company advertises a game as such doesn't make it one.
Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top

Guys, we're more than 6 months out from release. Don't freak out or assume the game in its current state is final.    These are the types of things we want to learn from the beta and I think the planet experience idea is pretty cool.

It's not technology that prevents us from doing more things, it's what's possible for the player to realistically handle in a real-time game without it becoming a click-fest. It's a pretty fine line.

Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top
I thought this was the gameplay beta though. As in, like 90% of the gameplay elements are out. Even if that last 10% is empire stuff, I don't think you have enough to make it 4x like the civs or GC or moo.
Reply #9 from Sins Forums Top
This is the gameplay beta and we're looking for gameplay feedback. If we were having this discussion during Beta 3 it would be too late.
Reply #10 from Sins Forums Top
I have to agree with the planet experience idea. I suppose that can manifest itself in two ways. XP or building expensive and long to build super enhancements that specialize your planet. Population oriented entertainment centers that double population cap and reproduction rate, Computer Complex that increases logistics by a few points but makes the infrastructure really weak or A Military HQ to increase damage of defense installations.

The specializations are very fire and forget since they are passive and take a long time to build... they are expensive and you will notice them though.

Either works for me
Reply #11 from Sins Forums Top
I like the idea of giving each planet and its people a certain personality.

For example, if you choose to rule with an iron fist some planets and their people will not complain because of their history. However if you impose your dictatorship on a once free and democratic planet, you will have a much harder time imposing your rule and increasing your popularity.

But I have a question: do we get to choose our regime type weither a democracy, a republic, a monarchy or an Empire, etc....?
Please say yes!
Reply #13 from Sins Forums Top
Yes +1
Reply #16 from Sins Forums Top
I definitely support any idea that aims to deepen the strategic portion of this game. Allowing more customisation of the planets etc. is a step in that direction.

I was just wondering... Do planetary defences level up as well? It would be great (and in the spirit of the original post) if the defences also gained experience and performed better and better. Perhaps they too could gain special abilities and had AM reserves.