This thread will be about the creation of the universe; what it would look like in this game, and what people think of the idea presented. I will start with a in-depth design, and we can point out flaws of concerns and address them.
Chapter 1: With everything, there is a foundation.
The foundation of the universe is the collection of the planets, stars, (among other things) known as a solar system so this is where we will start.
Solar systems
Key items
Asteroids : Used by miners; contains ore’s.
Planets: Often the place of stations, defenses etc.
Stations** :** Used for commerce, Questing, and safety.
Stars: Purely cosmetic. Cant fly into, but can orbit it.
Nebula: An excellent place for hiding
Outposts : Player created station. Can allow or deny people access or charge a fee.
Control Beacon(s): used to contest power over a system.
Challenge zones:
each time you enter, or clear a zone, causing the zone to respawn. you get a “challenge button” Quests will automatically be assigned when starting a zone. Additional bonus’s applied if you meet specific conditions.
Mining Zone
Put engaging the challenge, you start to beat an npc in a good old fashion mining race. completing this challenge in a specific amount of time grants bonus rewards and changes for loot (Based on record times) A bar will pop up to show your progress.
Combat Zone
Put engaging the challenge, you start a combat-based fight. completing this challenge in a specific amount of time grants bonus rewards, and changes for loot. This pits players in a giant area like battle.
The Race Track
Whats a game with out one of these? This location will enable you to participate in a race. the track is simple, but requires you to fly through hoops to the finish line. If you fail to do so, you have to go back. Beating the record grants bonus rewards, and changes for loot. Gold, Silver, And bronze record times are kept.
In each challenge mode, you have a chance to spawn a faction-based event, which will lead you to bonus reputation gain.
Constellations
Other then the solar systems we have constellations, or a collection of star systems.
Constellations will consist of 5 to 10 star systems. Control over a constellations will grant additional bonus’s to its governing powers.
Regions
Other then the constellations we have regions, or a collection of constellations
regions will consist of 3 to 5 constellations. Control over a region will grant additional bonus’s to its governing powers.
Bonus’s For control
Control Level 5 (Region control for 3 months or more)
Benefit
Buff: Increased to by 10%, and reduced damage taken by 10%
Buff: Exp and faction gain increased 20%
Defense level 2 Grants drones additional defense (HP) , Now shoot rockets.
Early Detection System 30 minutes after entering a Warning is given to the corporation (via Mail) if players of hostile standings enter a near by system.
NPC LVL 5: Spawns level 5 mobs and level 3 elites and level 2 rare spawns
Control Level 4 (region for 1 months or more)
Benefit
Buff: Increased to by 8%, and reduced damage taken by 8%
Buff: Exp and faction gain increased 15%
Defense level 2 Grants drones additional defense (HP). Drones can now have 4% change to critical strike.
Early Detection System 30 minutes after entering a Warning is given to the corporation (via Mail) if players of hostile standings enter a near by system.
NPC LVL 4: Spawns level 5 mobs and level 2 elites and level 1 rare spawns
Control Level 3 (region control)
Benefits
Buff: Increased to by 6%, and reduced damage taken by 6%
Buff: Exp and faction gain increased 10%
Defense level 3 Grants Drones additional defense (HP). Drones can now do 4% more damage
Detection System 30 minutes after entering a Warning is given to the corporation (via Mail) if players of hostile standings enter the system
NPC LVL 3: Spawns level 3 mobs and level 1 elites. Each kill gives X credits/Exp/loot.
Control level 2 (constellation Control)
Benefits
Buff: Increased to by 4%, and reduced damage taken by 4%
Buff: Exp and faction gain increased 5%
Defense level 1 Grants Drones shielding (10,000 base) , Drones can now have 4 % faster attack speed
Detection System 30 minutes after entering a Warning is given to the corporation (via Mail) if players of hostile standings enter the system
NPC LVL 2: Spawns level 2 mobs. Each kill gives X credits/Exp/loot.
Control Level 1 (Solar control)
Benefits
Buff: Increased damage to npcs by 2%, and reduced damage taken by 2%
NPC LVL 1: Spawns level 1 mobs. Each kill gives X credits/Exp/loot.
Chapter 2 Mesh Potatoes …
How PvE and PvP Work together
General activities
Doing activities like questing, killing npc’s or selling (trade) will grant clan experience. Doing them in clan controlled area will give 100% More experience to the guild, and 10% more to the player.
Mining
Miners will mine ore, which will not be used to build, but will be used to sell for credits and granting experience for the pilot and the guild. The ore can be reprocessed at stations. The ore is turned into power crystals which are used to power Clan defenses and alliance defenses.
Miners will almost always be in asteroid belts, however there is nothing in them except rocks, and the occasional roaming gang. for this reason, miners are left alone unharassed unless by a rival clan raiding your space. as you mine, you take damage because of micro-asteroids hitting your hull. (a mechanic to be used to stabilize the economy). Every time a miner sells ore, the guild gets 5% of what they make in credits, on top of clan tax rates. this is to help miners support their clan.
Production
Building in this game will not be based on ore, ore is there purely to support clans, that is the objective of a miner.
building in this game will depend on buying the components from a vendor in the stations. plans will be found from looting (at the end of victorious games).
Trade
the market will be basic, but will be effected by the amount of items in the station. These items will be items players can use. Traders will not trade basic goods (like milk etc) but will trade things like weapons, shields etc. This encourage trade-production dedicated players. It also helps the economy in a great way.
If trading is based on the supply of the station (or region) and these items are being bought, sold and produced by players, then the economy will be self supporting. From here the Developers can make changes to the economy by changing the price of the parts in the npc part vendors.
Market
Trade market will be accessed from in a station, but will be based on station supplies, however the entire region can be seen. 10% Fee for all transactions on the market (sell)
Chapter 3: Conquest At last
Conquering systems
Capturing a system
In each system there will be 3 control beacon’s scattered. If Pheonix clan owns all three, and Marshmellows clan wants the system, marshmellows will capture them. Upon attacking the guild will be notified. At 1/3 nodes the system go’s into "Under attack. After 2/3 are captured, the system go’s into “contested mode” which means any benefits provided by ownership of the system is lost. Upon taking all 3 nodes the system can be claimed by attacking the station. At this point the station can be attacked, if it reaches 50% full, the sims will surrender the system to the attacker. a system can only be taken once every 12 hours.
Defense of a system
Each control point (Beacon) Has its set of drones, which also are upgradable via the guild interface tab.
Each upgrade will cost a set amount of credits. If a guild go’s from level 5, to level 4 control, they lose the upgrades until they reclaim the appropriate level. Upon re-reaching the level lost, they must pay a reclaim fee (25% of the normal amount of the upgrade) to get it back. Additionally each control level grants access to features that can be added, Like permanent mine fields.
In addition to the increase of drones etc, there is items and upgrades that can be bought. Further, Outposts, and control beacons will have “item slots”. these can be accessed by the alliance leaders via the control panel.
Items that can be bought
Just a few examples.
Orbital shield (require Sov 2)
: Puts a shield around the outpost, or control point containing a bubble that protects anyone from fire who is in it. comes in various sizes. enemies cannot enter the bubble, and must kill it to get inside, players in the bubbles cannot attack, but the drones (defenses) can.
1.km - small
3 km - large
Orbital inhibitor (requires Sov 3 )
Players in 7.5 km cannot warp.
Alliances and Diplomacy
Title says it all
Alliances
the reason for alliance is purely to help bring the community together in a larger way. Space based games that are purely clan level do not work or prosper well. for this reason alliances are peramont to a long-term game. Alliances will have the following
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a shared mail system
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a shared chat
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a control panel
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access to claiming territory
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a diplomacy standing
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a governmental type (One of three: Imperium (Ran by an elected leader) Democracy (ran by a council) Empire (Ran by the founder)
Imperium
this style of government is ran by the founder of the alliance, he will have access and power always, until he so decides to pass or disband it. this government will gain the unique panel “Dominion” which will be used to
imperiums get 10% reduction in fuel costs for solar defenses.
Democracy
Alliance leader is voted for a term (30 days, 60 days, or 90 days). once that ceo is elected, he becomes the owner for that period. he cannot kick, but he can invite. The alliance will gain a unique panel “Votes” in here the alliance leader can put votes up. each vote will last a day. After this all ceo’s voted, the effect will take place, if the vote is to kick a member from the alliance, and is passed, the clan will be removed. the removal process is manual and needs to be finished by a member of the senate.
Democracies get a buff granting 10% more income from market selling or mining.
Empire
clans will have an option in a control panel to declare their support for a clan. if 60% of the alliance declares loyalty to one clan that Ceo becomes the leader. and can kick, invite, and so forth people to the alliance. The alliance will gain a unique palen “Loyalty” where their loyal can be changed or declared at any point.
Empires get 15% more income from trading.
Diplomacy
diplomacy will be set via a panel in guild/alliance tab. it will be based on a standings. Specific standings have specific colors, and cause other players to display as such.
+3 alliance member (Gold)
+2 allied (Blue)
+1 friendly (light blue)
0 = neutral
-1 unfriendly (orange)
-2 hostile (Red)
-3 At war (Dark Red)
Declaring War
declaring war allows you to attack another corporation in npc controlled space. It will cost 1,000,000 credits a week to war against another clan, and 2,500,000 against another alliance. War does not need to be set in none-npc controlled space.
cannot be at war with more then 3 other political bodies at once. (this prevents abuse)
Ending a war
if you are getting camped, or grief’d by another body which you cant defend against, you should be able to meet a condition that is automatically done by the game for all wars. this prevents people from quiting the game. So if i war-deck your care bear corporation, the game should say "alright mike, you might out power this other corp, maybe they are care bears, so if they want to get rid of you, they have to pay 1.5m credits to end the war or agree to enter a subjection treaty for 1 month, alternatively you can access their conditions.
clans should have to offer conditions while declaring war on another body. some conditions might be
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Release of a star system(s) (automatically transfers control of a system)
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Entering an alliance (Subjection treaty)
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A set amount of credits.
Treaties
because each alliance will own their own space, you need to have treaties.standings only offer a visual display so people know to be careful or not, the treaties are what gives the alliances meaning and purpose. here is a few treaties.
Protectorate
this type of alliance is for an agreed amount of time (set up when creating the alliance; Done by a game mechanic that prevents the inferior body of closing the alliance before the set mechanical time is reached). this treaty grants the superior body 15% of the income of all the players actions in that body.
So if you are in alliance a, and i am alliance b, and i the inferior clan ask for a treaty, the game mechanic creates one for 1 month. any selling, trading etc my alliance does go’s into the alliance bank of the stronger alliance. i cant end the alliance before the 1 month, but the stronger alliance can. Another alliance cannot declare war on the weaker alliance when its in this type of treaty, however they can war dec the parent alliance, and agree for terms to war-deck the inferior one if they win.
The purpose of this alliance is
to help encourage stronger alliances to help younger once’s get on their feet. by protecting them.
War
this is the lowest sate of relations you can have. these enemies gain 5% Bonus damage to each other.
The purpose of this alliance is
to help reduce trolling, raging etc and encourage a dynamic pvp setting.
None-Interaction Treaty
these players have agreed to stay away from each other. No benefits or loss. you can attack each other under this treaty (though the other side will be notified of the attack, IE by telling who fired first).
The purpose of this alliance is
Mutual Military Defense. These allies can restock each others power cores.
Subjection treaty
this works in the same way that the protectorate treaty does, however the income amount is increased to 30% from 15.
The purpose of this alliance is
an alternative for people who don’t have the credits to pay 1.5m to end the war or just like being salves.
Trade alliance
This treaty grants an ally the ability to access and trade at their station. this alliance grants increased income based on the amount of days its been active. 1% Per a day. with a max of 35%. These bonus’s only take effect at each other stations.
Defenses will attack allies of this type.
The purpose of this alliance is
to encourage alliance to alliance relationships, and trade.
Military Alliance
This treaty grants all access to stations, and defense structures. While in each others space you gain an additional 15% hull, and shielding.
The purpose of this alliance is
Mutual Military Defense. These allies can restock each others power cores.
Partnership
this treaty is the highest form of an alliance, it is a near permanent, it cannot be done unless both parties agree to it (Mechanic) It contains the benefits of both trade and military alliance.
The purpose of this alliance is
For those seeking to progress their relationship further.
Chapter 5 Racial Influence
How races and factions fit in
A great amount of debate has been issued if players can switch factions, and so forth. If players can have multi-factions in a clan, or not. The solution to this is simple, Bonus’s. and make them extremely good, so there is a great desire for them.
The Solution
Grant a bonus for guilds that are purely once race, purely once faction, and a mix. and make the greatest benefit go to the clans that are for example 100% Warden. For example
Clan Bonus
Granted to any clan. 5% Bonus exp
Racial Bonus
granted to a clan that has Only its factions in it. grants the clan access to racial technologies.
10% Bonus exp and reputation gain.
Racial bonus’s
Jerico: Drones have increased regeneration,
Empire: Mine fields can be cloaked from the sight of enemies. Movement speed increased 10% while cloaked.
Federation: Drones shoot missiles instead of rockets. All movement speed increased by 10%.
Example, my clan is 80% warden, 20% Legion.
Faction Bonus
The highest bonus. 10% Bonus exp and 15% reputation gain.grants the clan access to faction technologies
Example, my clan is 100% warden
Faction Bonus’s
Legion: Warp speed (in system travel) increased by 25%.
Warden: Repair modules heal for 15% more
Armada: Energy regeneration increased by 15%
Vanguard: Cloaking cool down reduced by 50%
Raid: Critical Strike increased by 10%
Techs: Shield regeneration increased by 15%
These effects would be active anywhere, just for being in the clan.
Chapter 6 Game modes
I have though about it and i feel that the game modes will deter people from the world action. further more, the modes are piling up in number, so very tacky. it may be an option to do modes later, but i feel that its dangerous to the universe idea this is something that will either mix very well, or very poorly it will depending on the amount of players in the game.. it prevents people from getting out there and fighting the real fight, for territory.Game modes (PvP) Should only offer loot at the end if winning and credits. No exp or rep should be granted from this except for quests. the only thing the games should offer is a place to go and kill stuff with out starting a war.
im sure i missed some stuff will add more later.