05-06-2014, 09:11 PM
I have run into the same trouble repeatedly. While I agree that a certain amount of player error can enhance the game and contribute to the Fog of War, there comes a point where the unforgiving interface can doom someone to dust. And since this is a play-test, this is a good time to make suggestions like this.
I would also add some more suggestions for Vern:
1. Can we make this a 1-week turnaround instead of 2-week? I am schedule-challenged to begin with, and it would actually be easier for me to stay on-schedule if it ran weekly.
2. Will there be a second test game starting up at any point? I have made so many mistakes this game that I would love to run a new position the "right way". I don't know how labor-intensive this is for you, so feel free to shoot this down.
3. Tech levels seem to be going up too vigorously. At this point, I am making close to 30M research per turn, which is letting me jump old techs up very quickly. Maybe this is a feature? Maybe raising certain techs becomes ineffective due to the law of diminishing returns? I don't know. I remember reading hints of Energy-weapon-60 last game, and thinking maybe this was going too far or too fast. Maybe tech level costs should go up faster?
4. Was there ever a point where factory groups could enjoy an economy of scale? Like if you have at least 100k factories building something, they get a 10% discount? Or you could give them a small-but-growing discount the longer they make something?
5. Given that it takes 4 turns to produce a good out of a factory, I think it should take 4 turns to build the hull of a ship, depending on the size.
6. I still think hydroponic farms should consume life support capacity. Besides, life support (along with automation) becomes an early-game production end-zone. If you produce enough LFS (or AUT) to support, say, triple your current population, then you never need to make it again. Making Farms depend on LFS would keep LFS in the supply chain.
7. There ought to be an "armor" thing, at least for ships and orbiters.
8. Same thing for fighters. We ought to be able to build space fighters and carriers.
9. Same thing for space mines, automated weapons platforms, cloaking devices, etc. -- all the typical sci-fi ship technologies from the space operas.
I would also add some more suggestions for Vern:
1. Can we make this a 1-week turnaround instead of 2-week? I am schedule-challenged to begin with, and it would actually be easier for me to stay on-schedule if it ran weekly.
2. Will there be a second test game starting up at any point? I have made so many mistakes this game that I would love to run a new position the "right way". I don't know how labor-intensive this is for you, so feel free to shoot this down.
3. Tech levels seem to be going up too vigorously. At this point, I am making close to 30M research per turn, which is letting me jump old techs up very quickly. Maybe this is a feature? Maybe raising certain techs becomes ineffective due to the law of diminishing returns? I don't know. I remember reading hints of Energy-weapon-60 last game, and thinking maybe this was going too far or too fast. Maybe tech level costs should go up faster?
4. Was there ever a point where factory groups could enjoy an economy of scale? Like if you have at least 100k factories building something, they get a 10% discount? Or you could give them a small-but-growing discount the longer they make something?
5. Given that it takes 4 turns to produce a good out of a factory, I think it should take 4 turns to build the hull of a ship, depending on the size.
6. I still think hydroponic farms should consume life support capacity. Besides, life support (along with automation) becomes an early-game production end-zone. If you produce enough LFS (or AUT) to support, say, triple your current population, then you never need to make it again. Making Farms depend on LFS would keep LFS in the supply chain.
7. There ought to be an "armor" thing, at least for ships and orbiters.
8. Same thing for fighters. We ought to be able to build space fighters and carriers.
9. Same thing for space mines, automated weapons platforms, cloaking devices, etc. -- all the typical sci-fi ship technologies from the space operas.