Science, trade and some spies...

[jorgen_cab]

Hello!!!

My first message here on these forums…

This is a quite long post so bear with me…

What’s always bugged me in resent 4x games are the ways trade, science and spies is handled. They more or less produce X or Y number units, but is it so simple… no its not.


Science should be developed mainly by your people, such as social, economical, industrial and commercial sciences. Military science should mainly de funded through a government.
You as a player should only be able to shift science in a different area with some sort of slider system, where there is some cost depending on how much you change it. In addition to this you should be able to fund different sciences to help them along, but the basics should be done by the people or the society at large, and if you don’t keep changing the sliders they should always revert back to some form of standard for your race, government or social belief.

I have no idea how much of this idea could be implemented in this game, but what I have read it seems ok so far, and I hope it turns out great.

Another thing is trade, when two civilisations trade there should be some considerable bonus in social, economic, commercial and industrial science. At least that is the case in our world and I believe it would be the case between two friendly species.
Trade should also be a strong factor in diplomacy, as should the negative effects of intertwined economies be if there is free open border trade between two societies if the trade between them is disrupted, because of war or otherwise. They have become dependant of each other, factories may seize to function because they won’t get any raw material that they need or spare parts or special knowledge etc...

Now over to spies and their domain… Why spies are not spies but always some form of terrorist movement, as in MOO3 (quite pathetic in my mind). Knowledge is more potent than any building blown up by a spy. The only spying they ever did was stealing technology, that is to easy to do in games anyway.
They should be covert ops, trying to gain knowledge more then destroying. The only time when spies should be used aggressively is when you two are at war, and if you are at war spying should be really dangerous.

It is so frustrating when a species with witch you have good relations keep sending offensive spies against you for no reason, some information gathering spies maybe but nothing more. If they are caught the diplomatic and trading repercussions should be severe, as they would here on earth anyway.

I can only plea that my ideas get noted, but I have confidence in you as a developer anyway.

[Zaimat]

Welcome jorgen!

Those are some excellent points you raise (all noted) and I agree with most everything you said and we are trying to make things more 'realistic' as much as possible in Horizon and still keep it simple and easy to play.

It can be difficult to implement at times for various reasons but we can always strive to do as much as we can.

Oh and btw if you have any other suggestions, input don't hesitate, we do listen. I haven't said this before but everyone here who posts has shaped and continously affecting the development of Horizon and we welcome it.
_________________
Horizon - Lead Designer

[jorgen_cab]

I have so many ideas I might just as well go and do my own game, though I have nor the time or the experience to do that. But I would love to be a designer and have an experienced and talanted staff do whatever I told them to do...

I'm pleased thet you find my ramblings interesting.

[Ravana]

I'm hoping that Horizon will adopt a more dynamic spying system similar to IG2. It would be nice to find out information about another empire which relates to how many planets they have, morale, economic and social disposition etc, without the AI considering this as an aggressive action.

Also, hopefully although friendly races will spy on each other (that's par for the course) they/we won't do anything too radical or do something that is considered as an offensive action or prelude to the neutralisation of whatever treaty, agreement or alliance you have standing.

[DeckPrism]

[Sobriquet]

(I've been away for awhile. Please forgive the appearence of spamturbating. I need to get caught up on all of the recent ideas/suggestions/posts.)

r.e. fiddling with player input. . . DO NOT DO IT!!!!!!

Afterall, I am supposed to be emporer, right. Toucha my sliders, I choppa off you head!!!