Mod idea: The Shrinking Galaxy

[Wydraz]

This idea was partly inspired by the Event Severity thread. It makes for an interesting strategic twist on the game, and is simple to implement.

Events.txt uses only one event - Close Warp Point. Change Settings.txt to make the event chances 1000, 2000 and 3000 (These should be tweaked, but they worked well for testing).

Now the game becomes a race to colonize away from the homeworld as quickly as possible as the warp point network breaks down. Stellar Manipulation technology becomes a high priority.

I originally included Open Warp Point as an event, but that one doesn't seem to do anything. It would have been interesting just to have the warp point network changing constantly...

[Fyron]

Hmm... not a bad idea. I might have to start a PBW game using such a mod.

[PvK]

I'm confident that I've seen warp points open as random events - maybe it's a slightly different name?

PvK

[narf poit chez BOOM]

interesting.

[Wydraz]

Originally posted by PvK:
I'm confident that I've seen warp points open as random events - maybe it's a slightly different name?

PvK

Only two Warp Point events are mentioned in events.txt.

Warp Point - Closed
Warp Point - Opened

I even cut and pasted them to make sure I didn't miss something. The 'Opened' event never seemed to happen. I tested it once with a small galaxy, and saved tha map after 80 turns. All the WPs had vanished, and no new ones had opened.

If someone else wants to try it out...? Maybe I screwed up the events entry somehow, but I have no way to tell.

[PvK]

Hmmmmm... it's possible my memory is confused. Maybe I was just remembering having warp points close randomly.

PvK

[Alneyan]

I could see a potential problem with the System Gravitational Shield Facility, if the game is long enough to allow the players to have access to that facility. (Level ten in Shields, not that easy. )

The problem with this facility is that it prevents any warp opener to this system (among other abilities), so the system would be virtually unassailable. And I would say you could still open warp points from this system to others, I am not sure though. If it is the case, then you could be impossible to attack and still able to launch offensives. (If you remember to close one of the warp points you used, just in case)

Apart from that, this mode would be very fun, shame that there is no warp opener in the events.txt. But maybe it could be done? I will have to check it out.

[Wydraz]

Well, in case anyone is still interested, here is the events.txt I used. Has anyone had any success?

================================================== =====================================
*BEGIN*
================================================== =====================================

Type := Warp Point - Opened
Severity := Low
Effect Amount := 1
Message To := System
Num Messages := 1
Message Title 1 :=
Message 1 :=
Picture := WPOpened
Time till Completion := 0
Num Start Messages := 1
Start Message Title 1 := Cosmic Surge
Start Message 1 := A surge in the cosmic currents has created a new warp point in [%SystemName]. We should send a ship to study this phenomenon.

Type := Warp Point - Closed
Severity := Low
Effect Amount := 1
Message To := System
Num Messages := 1
Message Title 1 :=
Message 1 :=
Picture := WPClosed
Time Till Completion := 5
Num Start Messages := 1
Start Message Title 1 := Cosmic Surge
Start Message 1 := A surge in the cosmic currents has been detected. [%WarpPointName] is fluctuating, and may collapse within the next few months.

Type := Warp Point - Opened
Severity := Medium
Effect Amount := 1
Message To := System
Num Messages := 1
Message Title 1 :=
Message 1 :=
Picture := WPOpened
Time till Completion := 0
Num Start Messages := 1
Start Message Title 1 := Cosmic Surge
Start Message 1 := A surge in the cosmic currents has created a new warp point in [%SystemName]. We should send a ship to study this phenomenon.

Type := Warp Point - Closed
Severity := Medium
Effect Amount := 1
Message To := System
Num Messages := 1
Message Title 1 :=
Message 1 :=
Picture := WPClosed
Time Till Completion := 2
Num Start Messages := 1
Start Message Title 1 := Cosmic Surge
Start Message 1 := A surge in the cosmic currents has been detected. [%WarpPointName] is fluctuating wildly. It will collapse within the next few months.

Type := Warp Point - Opened
Severity := High
Effect Amount := 1
Message To := System
Num Messages := 1
Message Title 1 :=
Message 1 :=
Picture := WPOpened
Time till Completion := 0
Num Start Messages := 1
Start Message Title 1 := Cosmic Surge
Start Message 1 := A surge in the cosmic currents has created a new warp point in [%SystemName]. We should send a ship to study this phenomenon.

Type := Warp Point - Closed
Severity := High
Effect Amount := 1
Message To := System
Num Messages := 1
Message Title 1 :=
Message 1 :=
Picture := WPClosed
Time Till Completion := 1
Num Start Messages := 1
Start Message Title 1 := Cosmic Surge
Start Message 1 := A surge in the cosmic currents has been detected. [%WarpPointName] is fluctuating violently. Our scientists conclude it will collapse within the next month.

Type := Warp Point - Opened
Severity := Catastrophic
Effect Amount := 1
Message To := System
Num Messages := 1
Message Title 1 :=
Message 1 :=
Picture := WPOpened
Time till Completion := 0
Num Start Messages := 1
Start Message Title 1 := Cosmic Surge
Start Message 1 := A surge in the cosmic currents has created a new warp point in [%SystemName]. We should send a ship to study this phenomenon.

Type := Warp Point - Closed
Severity := Catastrophic
Effect Amount := 1
Message To := System
Num Messages := 1
Message Title 1 :=
Message 1 :=
Picture := WPClosed
Time Till Completion := 0
Num Start Messages := 1
Start Message Title 1 := Cosmic Surge
Start Message 1 := A sudden surge in the cosmic currents has been detected. [%WarpPointName] has collapsed!

================================================== =====================================
*END*
================================================== =====================================

[Fyron]

System Grav Shield prevents ALL WP manipulation on a system. WPs can't be opened to or from it, and they can not be closed to or from it.

[dogscoff]

To get around the fact that wps don't open randomly, you could "borrow" some code from the devnullmod and grab those WP-opening monsters. They can easily be made pretty much invulnerable to attack or capture, and if you were to strip away their weapons they could be reduced to simple map-meddlers.