01-09-2011, 04:46 PM
Well, to get the ball rolling, here is a draft of a very simple initial set of rules. Very preliminary and full of gaps, but maybe it will get a conversation started.
1. Play takes place in a 3D star cluster.
2. Each star will have 0 or more planets.
3. Each planet will have 0 or more moons (natural satellites).
4. Each planet can be terrestrial, gas giant, or asteroid field.
5. Each player is an independent race of intelligent beings within that cluster, with one home planet.
6. Players can place a single base on any terrestrial planet.
7. Players can place a single space station in any orbit of a planet (of any type).
8. Each player race will have a habitability number. Planets also have a habitability rating. Players whose rating matches a given planet will be able to build open terrestrial bases on those planets, and farm food.
9. Players will build ships of the following standard types: colonization, transport, space superiority, planetary assault, and surveillance.
10. Players will extract resources from planets using mines.
11. Players will use factories to construct production goods.
12. Players will use assembly yards to build finished goods.
13. Finished goods will include ships, mines, factories, and technological advances.
14. Players will be able to communicate with other players at all times, through the game or through email.
15. Technological advances will allow players to build more efficient mines/factories and larger/more deadly ships.
16. Combat will take place in space (space superiority combat), space-to-ground (planetary assault and bombardment), and ground-to-space (bombardment).
17. Player races will grow at standard rates per turn, up to a ceiling for a given planet, adjusted for habitability ratings and (possibly) terraforming.
18. Players will have awareness of all fleets and bases within any star system that they occupy, but no further.
19. Players may trade resources, production goods, and technology, but not population.
20. The game is won when one player or alliance controls half the potential habitability (for their races) of the star cluster.
This is a fairly simple rule set, with lots of room to grow. Yet it should be deep enough to let us build out a decent user interface and perhaps some 3D mapping tools.
Fire away!
1. Play takes place in a 3D star cluster.
2. Each star will have 0 or more planets.
3. Each planet will have 0 or more moons (natural satellites).
4. Each planet can be terrestrial, gas giant, or asteroid field.
5. Each player is an independent race of intelligent beings within that cluster, with one home planet.
6. Players can place a single base on any terrestrial planet.
7. Players can place a single space station in any orbit of a planet (of any type).
8. Each player race will have a habitability number. Planets also have a habitability rating. Players whose rating matches a given planet will be able to build open terrestrial bases on those planets, and farm food.
9. Players will build ships of the following standard types: colonization, transport, space superiority, planetary assault, and surveillance.
10. Players will extract resources from planets using mines.
11. Players will use factories to construct production goods.
12. Players will use assembly yards to build finished goods.
13. Finished goods will include ships, mines, factories, and technological advances.
14. Players will be able to communicate with other players at all times, through the game or through email.
15. Technological advances will allow players to build more efficient mines/factories and larger/more deadly ships.
16. Combat will take place in space (space superiority combat), space-to-ground (planetary assault and bombardment), and ground-to-space (bombardment).
17. Player races will grow at standard rates per turn, up to a ceiling for a given planet, adjusted for habitability ratings and (possibly) terraforming.
18. Players will have awareness of all fleets and bases within any star system that they occupy, but no further.
19. Players may trade resources, production goods, and technology, but not population.
20. The game is won when one player or alliance controls half the potential habitability (for their races) of the star cluster.
This is a fairly simple rule set, with lots of room to grow. Yet it should be deep enough to let us build out a decent user interface and perhaps some 3D mapping tools.
Fire away!