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Space Myth II: Pre-Game Show
Scooter
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So Urban Myth ended a bit early, could've gone better, but to be honest even I was starting to lose interest in it. However, I enjoyed Space Myth, and I know you enjoyed Space Myth, so I'm bringing it back for another go. Given how busy I am these days I'd expect probably a good two weeks before I can get SM II going, but in the meanwhile there's some discussing to be done. This thread has two purposes: changes I am planning for SM II, and to get an idea of who wants to play so I can see how many we'll have. I don't need race descriptions or anything, just a "sure, I'll play".
Now, here's some flaws in SM I I'd like to address in SM II:
1. Inability to have an effect on distant systems, for good or ill
2. Difficult to aid allies
3. Not enough progression for non-violent races (trade was designed to give a reason for violent races to not immediately crush the weak traders & miners next to them, but I'd like to find other ways for them to not become slaves)
4. Akward transition between exploration phase and afterwards, with far-flung colonies in the middle of nowhere and doing weird things with the exploration stat
5. Inability to have serious effects on systems, like destroying them
Now, I think I have a solution for most of these that I think is pretty elegant; construction of superprojects. These would be major things like ringworlds, special portals, space stations, etc, that would either give a bonus or ability to the race, or do something special to the system that it is built in. There wouldn't be a new construction stat, rather the points would come from your current exploration, research and mining rolls - you can choose how much to redirect, except that after exploration phase all those would automatically go towards construction.
Things superprojects could do:
1. Stat bonuses
2. Huge 1-way Jumpgates that allow you to send fleets to distant systems for attacks or defenses
3. Giant system shields that give a huge defense bonus to the system when attacked, but also makes it almost impossible to attack out of (probably with smaller options without the attack penalty)
4. Self-destruct tools that allow you to turn a sun nova when the system is invaded (or you get in a bad mood), destroying it
5. Trade posts that allow you to directly trade points to other races
6. Cultural posts that make the system impossible to conquer culturally, while giving a bonus against nearby systems
Etc, feel free to add more suggestions. All superprojects would be located in a specific system, meaning if it is conquered, so is the project, adding a more strategic method to planning invasions. They'd also be connected to the tech tree, some things everyone will be able to start with, while things like the system shields will be related to the defense branch.
Other changes planned:
1. No freebie rolls (being that I'm busier)
2. A much larger map - the last had ~200 systems for 20 players, or 10 each, I'd like to double that. Two reasons for this: to allow for the ability to destroy systems or do other funky things to them, and to allow for larger wars with a back-and-forth (The Combine and Wargh last game could've probably taken over most races in a single turn or two, if they didn't have to worry about borders and distance)
3. Due to the huger map, races will probably start off with contact
4. During exploration, no more unattached colonies unless you have a specific treaty with the race whose territory you'd be passing through (although I may put in a project that lets you colonize a random empty system)
5. Turns will be ~5 days long.
That's about everything I have off the top of my head. Comments, suggestions, sign-ups?
Now, here's some flaws in SM I I'd like to address in SM II:
1. Inability to have an effect on distant systems, for good or ill
2. Difficult to aid allies
3. Not enough progression for non-violent races (trade was designed to give a reason for violent races to not immediately crush the weak traders & miners next to them, but I'd like to find other ways for them to not become slaves)
4. Akward transition between exploration phase and afterwards, with far-flung colonies in the middle of nowhere and doing weird things with the exploration stat
5. Inability to have serious effects on systems, like destroying them
Now, I think I have a solution for most of these that I think is pretty elegant; construction of superprojects. These would be major things like ringworlds, special portals, space stations, etc, that would either give a bonus or ability to the race, or do something special to the system that it is built in. There wouldn't be a new construction stat, rather the points would come from your current exploration, research and mining rolls - you can choose how much to redirect, except that after exploration phase all those would automatically go towards construction.
Things superprojects could do:
1. Stat bonuses
2. Huge 1-way Jumpgates that allow you to send fleets to distant systems for attacks or defenses
3. Giant system shields that give a huge defense bonus to the system when attacked, but also makes it almost impossible to attack out of (probably with smaller options without the attack penalty)
4. Self-destruct tools that allow you to turn a sun nova when the system is invaded (or you get in a bad mood), destroying it
5. Trade posts that allow you to directly trade points to other races
6. Cultural posts that make the system impossible to conquer culturally, while giving a bonus against nearby systems
Etc, feel free to add more suggestions. All superprojects would be located in a specific system, meaning if it is conquered, so is the project, adding a more strategic method to planning invasions. They'd also be connected to the tech tree, some things everyone will be able to start with, while things like the system shields will be related to the defense branch.
Other changes planned:
1. No freebie rolls (being that I'm busier)
2. A much larger map - the last had ~200 systems for 20 players, or 10 each, I'd like to double that. Two reasons for this: to allow for the ability to destroy systems or do other funky things to them, and to allow for larger wars with a back-and-forth (The Combine and Wargh last game could've probably taken over most races in a single turn or two, if they didn't have to worry about borders and distance)
3. Due to the huger map, races will probably start off with contact
4. During exploration, no more unattached colonies unless you have a specific treaty with the race whose territory you'd be passing through (although I may put in a project that lets you colonize a random empty system)
5. Turns will be ~5 days long.
That's about everything I have off the top of my head. Comments, suggestions, sign-ups?
Scooter on
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As far as suggestions go I think you've taken some steps in the right direction, for sure. Interacting with distant races will be a great step forward, as last time I was very much involved with my neighbours and compeltely ignorant of the existance of half of the other species. Whereas this may be realistic in some respects it meant I missed out on some interesting opportunities.
SoogaGames Blog
This was the main reason I lost interest in the first game.
Rather than just playing it again with new rules, maybe we could find a way to play together within the created world... getting down to a more detailed level where the actual planetary systems matter and are more than dots on the map.
Not everyone did this, I suppose, but some folks took some time to not just name their systems but also describe the stars and planets in some detail. I think it might be more interesting if the GM picked a few systems for a "smaller scale" thing, where players would use the existing races to play more specific factions, like Wargh Pirates, Combine Militia Splinter Groups, Doman Kwiet Zealots, FerP Merchants, Space Whale Herds, or whatever.
If we're just going to play the last game again I'm out... but other players want to, they can feel free to play my old race, the Wargh... basically if you like the idea of a genetically engineered klingon/orc type of race you'll have fun.
INNS, any suggestions? I don't really want to make things too hard or people won't play, but even if I wanted people to spend an hour on a turn I'm not sure what I'd add to do that.
You mean pick systems to have multiple races/factions in it, and have them trying to take control of that system? While it might add more depth, it basically sounds like playing two games at once, and while players might have time for that, I unfortunately don't have time to run two games.
If you can get past the problems of only owning a handful of systems, go for it. :P
Just idle thought. (Basically ripped right from our old Waargh comrades.)
But I do also love the idea of superprojects.
Orange dots are habitable systems or whatever.
Also, the idea of a smaller scale game sounds cool, but I'd honestly prefer a galaxy-spanning game. My worry is that once you get down to the level of single star systems, the potential for non-conflict-based play is diminished.
But then, perhaps that's more work than it's worth.
SoogaGames Blog
While that might be an interesting game, it'd be a completely different game from Space Myth. I'll put it on the list of possibles after this one.
Hah, sorry, guess I misunderstood. Yeah, it'd definitely help encourage creativity; but I'm not sure to what extent on its own. I really think actually making it a rule that you have to post a brief sentence or so describing the tech would help cement that.
And I'm down with the larger size, yup.
The one requirement I think I may do is requiring any system building a superproject to have a name and description on the wiki first.
Edit: About the minor races, those were a possibility in the first game as well. I believe the Wargh conquered one, and FerP turned some into workers or something. If there's a call for wider usage of minor races I could plan on a few single-planet NPC races that never got the signal but still have some strength.
Oh, and I'll play.
I want to take part in this new round, and the superprojects are a step in the right direction, especially with the race I have in mind.
Something I'd like to see is a 'Necessity is the Mother of Invention' accomodation where you could use points from your other rolls to supplement other areas. For instance, taking points from the Expansion roll to go to Military Offense or Defense (Those Cargo ships are needed at the Front, not carting around civilians who want to be dirt farmers!), or a vital Research project taking the lion's share of resources to complete.
In order to keep it balanced, the cost to transfer a temporary +1 bonus would cost as much as the level of the ability being enhanced (including bonus modifiers). So a warlike race with a Military of 8 and +2 to Offense would need to spend 10 points out of Expansion or Research to gain a +1, while a pacifist with a Military of 2 (and no other bonuses) would need to spend 2 points for the same bump. Just enough to get that sought-after Technology, or expand into that contested area before everyone else, but at a price.
Further increases would include the temporary bump in power. Using the above example, the pacifist with the Military of 2 would pay 2 points for their first +1, 3 points for another +1, 4 points for a third, and so on.
Preferably human.
Am I right or am I right
Presumably they'd all start near eachother.
Been there. Done that. :P
You're welcome to look at the Hshshshshshahsha wiki page and the old SM thread, however. It's not great writing, but it might prove interesting reading.
Colonising planets normally is just boring.
SoogaGames Blog
It would be neat and I will rob every other race of their people.
Salt and I seem to be in agreement on several things lately... I'm not sure what that means. Anyway, like Salt says there might be more of a "Risk" or "Deadlock" element to the game... a limited number of systems with a certain number of planets in each. You get a certain amount of credit for each planet you hold, and bonuses for each system you hold would be the "Risk" version.
However... if we're just plaing the same dang game over again and there's going to be as little rp as before, I can't declare any interest in this.
However, if anyone wants to play my old race, then best of luck and Glory to the Wargh Empire.
Make it so Alliances can work together. The Trinity Alliance would have been pretty powerful if we had the ability to actually work as an alliance.