Nerfed empires

[geoschmo]

We had a discussion a little while ago about playing a game as an empire and purposly not doing any research. Limiting yourself to the techs available at game start, while playing against AI that operated normally. The result would be an empire that relied on swarming techniques to attack. Lots and lots of low tech escorts.

Don't remeber what thread it was, and this is really tangental to that anyway.

What other sorts of "nerfed" empires can you think of. Ones where you have some intentional handicap, yet not so drastic that there is no posibility of survival, at least short term. And what sorts of strategies would you employ to counteract their weaknesses.

Examples:

An empire that only puts colonies on breathable worlds of their native type.

An pacifist empire that only uses "non-lethal" force. Boarding parties, shield depleters, engine and weapon destroying weaponry.

Can you think of others?

Would it maybe be interesting to have a PBW game where all the players played some kind of limited empire like this. Either as a cooperative game against the AI, or without AI. We'd have to of course have some significant discussion beforehand and make sure that the quirks are somewhat balanced.

[Suicide Junkie]

Playing as a neutral empire (no leaving the home system)...
At least until you get the 30-turn warning that your star is going nova.

(See exodus scenario below for SE4 v1.49 )

[ April 29, 2004, 17:14: Message edited by: Suicide Junkie ]

[geoschmo]

Neutral empire would definetly be limiting. It's not real fun though. Plus you are really screwed if you get stuck in a system with only a planet or two.

I could see them being somewhat viable if you allow them to send ships out of their homesystem, only not colonize. And if they find a really nice system with lot's of planets they can abandon their original home system and relocate.

[geoschmo]

A couple new ones.

How about an empire that doesn't refuel their ships? Scrap the resuply depot on the HW and scrap or park all the ships once they run out of supply. No fair using the QR or solar panels, although adding newly built ships with lots of resupply comps to the fleet would be ok.

A "Semi-Neutral" empire. An empire who's people can't bear to be far from home. Colony ships must always colonize the nearest available planet to them, and other ships can never go any farter then one system away from where they were built. This would be a very defensive race. You'd have problems attacking, especially if there were dead systems between you and who you want to attack.

A Hive empire. I tried to do this in the History 2 game, didn't work too well facing regular players though. All ships have to have a colony component. Even war ships. So you can't even build anything but straight colony ships till you research LC. And your big ships lose a lot of space.

[ April 29, 2004, 17:35: Message edited by: geoschmo ]

[mac5732]

In regards to the fuel, how about no quantum reactors, ships have to have supply or take it with them. also starting races, get no racial traits such as organic, temporal, etc, they may pick characteristics like Traders, warriors, etc, only get standard weapons you start with plus, up to missle level 2 only, shields and armor up to level 2 only, no ship research higher then battlecruiser, scanner up to level 2, combat sensors not higher then level 1 same with ecm or maybe level 2, mineral, rads, organics only up to level 2, monoliaths only level 2 or 1,, no stellar manipulation, no ring worlds or sphere worlds, no sun destroyers, high catstropic events, no beam or other type cannons above say level 3, only up to large weapon mounts available, no med or large fighters, only light carriers, PD's only up to level 2 or 3, no other standard weapons above level 2.

just some ideas Mac

[spoon]

Slow Thinkers: Turn off all your ministers, click the Don't Let The AI Play Missed Turns for Simultaneous Games. Then play only every 5th turn. (You can make it more difficult by not queuing up construction orders, and only moving as far as your movement takes you on the current turn).

[ April 29, 2004, 18:49: Message edited by: spoon ]