A pacifist race?

Lucas · #1 October 25th, 2001, 01:30 AM

After reading Anne McCaffrey's "Acorna" series, I started to wonder if it would be possible to create a SEIV race based on the Linyaari in the books.

Has anyone ever attempted to make a pacifist race?

By "pacifist" I mean a race that will not use weapons to destroy ships, kill populations, or harm planets, and will not use troops to invade anything. (mines probably aren't happening either, though I'm not sure)

They could use any methods that destroyed portions of a ship (weapons, engines, etc.) or caused extra reload time in combat. They could convert enemy ships and planets to their own side. Point defense units are probably Ok. They could probably destroy individual facilities on a planet(spaceport, resupply depot, etc). They could entice other races to move against their enemies.

I expect that in order to have a viable race of this nature, they would have to have various weapons added to the game that fit in with their philosophy.

Ideas I've had for new weapons:
Chaff bomb - a missile that increases its target's reload time.
More effective repulser beams.

I don't know if it would be possible to create an AI race like this, since the computer doesn't seem to properly use these weapons, but a human played race could probably be done.

So, what do you think about this?

Cyrien · #2 October 25th, 2001, 01:43 AM

You would have to be psychic to even stand a chance in an unmodded game.

Probably have to have strong intel ops as well. It would be difficult and hard and interesting to play.

[This message has been edited by Cyrien (edited 25 October 2001).]

chewy027 · #3 October 25th, 2001, 02:24 AM

that would definetely be a challenge not destroy any ships or planets wow how could anyone survive that. I mean even if you converted a bunch of ships you really couldn't use em cause they'd have weapons of destruction and would have to be retrofitted or scrapped. And PPP would be a decidning factor of course since a homeworld can't be PPP'd how would you win?

Cyrien · #4 October 25th, 2001, 07:28 PM

If you have victory conditions you win that way. If not then you go until you have a fleet of X with allegiance subverters blocking each homeworld with all the rest in your posession and then say ok I won and stop playing..

Baron Munchausen · #5 October 25th, 2001, 08:31 PM

It might be possible to make the game winnable in this style, by modifying the AI diplomacy files. As things are currently, any AI will get angry at you just for being larger. Now for a certain type of psychology that makes sense. The militarist always regards anyone stronger as a threat. But for other types this is not so. 'Friendly' races ought to be interested in getting into treaty relations with larger and more powerful empires as long as those larger empires are not aggressive. If the AI would react properly to requests for help you could even get them to fight the aggressive ones for you.

As the AI gets more sophisticated maybe it will be possible to win a "cultural" campaign instead of a military one.

Lemmy · #6 October 25th, 2001, 08:39 PM

quote:
Originally posted by chewy027:
that would definetely be a challenge not destroy any ships or planets wow how could anyone survive that. I mean even if you converted a bunch of ships you really couldn't use em cause they'd have weapons of destruction and would have to be retrofitted or scrapped. And PPP would be a decidning factor of course since a homeworld can't be PPP'd how would you win?

get them to surrender of fcourse

and i would like to see an AI like Baron described, it would make a lot more sense.