Simplicity Mod (alpha 0.99 is out)

[civ2buf]

simplicity mod

Simplicity mod was basically my attempt to capture some of the elegance of Se2 shareware. I always enjoyed the limited complexity of that game because it forced you to think harder about the choices you did have.

There are also other things I have done in this mod.

Made experience more important by taking away most of the bonus to hit and to defense components. Only one component and small ships have those now. Plus experience no longer can be trained with facilities.

Balanced resources. This is only somewhat true, Organics will probably be the new mega resource for min maxers. But they are certainly more balanced than before.

Hopefully make it easy to have good AIs. I've only written a poor Default ai so far.

I can actually list out the stuff in this mod, its been shrunk so much (130ish kb, thats with an AI folder)

Research is slower and the amount that facilities produce has been lowered. mineral miner I's produce 100 minerals now. Your economy at the start of the game is rather pathetic compared to the cost of a colony component.

Intel is gone, all units are gone. Bases are gone but I may put them back.

Population is somewhere between stock and proportions in size per million.

Weapons are the main thing you have a choice in.

No racial traits.

And other changes.

A whole bunch of tech areas are gone, and some weapons and components were placed in a remaining tech area.

The stuff that is left is either stuff I thought was core, or stuff that allowed an interesting choice without a lot of complexity.

I'm willing to add back some stuff if it seems too boring.

Right now normal empires don't have race files, the neutrals seem to work at least adequately though. Mainly I'm testing in games against myself. I hope to work on the ais and get them done soon though.

[Urendi Maleldil]

This is a good idea.


Have you ever thought of removing maintenance costs, or letting colony components generate automatic population like in SE2 and 3?

How about adding some old fashioned components too?

[Fyron]

Do you have a site for the game, or would you just like this thread linked to in the SE4 mods list on malfador.com?

Also, please write a concise description to put up there. For now, I will just use:

"Simplicity mod was basically my attempt to capture some of the elegance of Se2 shareware. I always enjoyed the limited complexity of that game because it forced you to think harder about the choices you did have."

[ November 02, 2003, 08:54: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]

[civ2buf]

deleted (accidental simulpost)

[ November 03, 2003, 15:04: Message edited by: civ2buf ]

[civ2buf]

deleted (accidental simulpost)

[ November 03, 2003, 15:03: Message edited by: civ2buf ]

[civ2buf]

deleted. (accidental simulpost)

[ November 03, 2003, 15:03: Message edited by: civ2buf ]

[civ2buf]

I don't have a site for the game. I've played it a bit, and it still needs a lot of tweaking. The economics and weapons are still in need of balance.

I uploaded the mod to a site I use for other purposes, I guess I can fix that up tonight.

And the game starts with every empire as extremely limited in resources. Its got a rather different dynamic than any other mod I've played. Playing against myself, both empires almost ran out of organics a few times.

Urendi: I've never played SE3. This isn't strictly a Se2 mod, I just want to see how well balanced it can be, and how well the AI can be without cheating. Also I hope keeping well experienced ships around will be a worthwhile tactic.

Do you guys think Bases should be added back in?

For weapons I have:

Phased Polaron Beam (low damage, skips shields)
Space Cannon (no research cost, only one level)
Shard Cannon (Like PPB for armor, not racial now)
Missiles (powerful, but stopped by two ways)
Point Defense (stops missiles)
Anti-Proton Beam (longest range normal weapon, high tech levels)
Meson BLaster (short range high damage)
Null Space Weapon (low low damage, skips shield and armor)

All techs are available from the start. Armor and Shield both provide weapons and armor or shielding. Armor is more efficient by kiloton, but doesn't have the advantages of shielding (shields recharge after combat, destroyed armor doesn't)

For supply, quantum reactor is gone, but solar collectors still exist.

Ship sizes:

Escort
Frigate
Destroyer
Cruiser
Battlecruiser
Battleship

[ November 03, 2003, 15:01: Message edited by: civ2buf ]

[Moonsword]

While the shareware Version of SE2 didn't have fighters, the full Version did. There's a little support for the concept there, at least.

[gregebowman]

civ2buf, I tried to play a game, but the components costs way too much compared to the hull sizes. I couldn't even get an escort ship started, because after I added the bridge, there wasn't room to add anything else. Am I missing something?

[Fyron]

There might be scale mounts necessary.