Game map: configuration, planet distribution, etc

General discussion for the game Anacreon
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Militia Captain
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What kind of map geometries do people think are good?

Beta II has:
  • a pretty much random distribution of planets, with not a lot of clustering or voids compared to some of the alphas
  • planets are rarely <20LY or >50LY from their nearest neighbor
  • a square map about 3000LY to the side, with the ability for fleets to path outside borders in some cases
  • more dark than light nebulas
  • more open space than nebulas
  • more long, narrow nebulas than round, clumpy ones
  • more nebular space in large nebulas than in small ones
  • a couple regions of open space completely enclosed by nebulas
  • what feels like a lot of rift zones
What are map features that people have liked and disliked in previous games, or would be interested in seeing in future games? I have suggested that a circular or wrapping map would be fairer than the current square map, since corners are a little unnatural and starting in a corner is very different than starting in the center (fewer adjacent potential enemies, less room to expand nearby)
--Imperator--
Militia Lieutenant
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Is the map procedurally generated or hand-made? If the former maybe we could add a function for players to generate their own games however they like it. I think the new Beta 3 map should have more tactical features placed deliberately like rift zone choke points, nebula pockets, etc.

Perhaps an interesting idea would be to have a few resource-rich, high tech core worlds near the center of the galaxy which are very heavily defended (not only by planetary defenses but also AI ships) and then many poorer, low tech worlds on the periphery or outer rim of the galaxy.
starxplor
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Additionally, there appears to be a sort of string of trader worlds across the galaxy. If you are not near them, it could be a disadvantage, if you are surrounded by them, it could limit expansion.

Edit:

Also, if an empire is gone, could planets revert to original scenario name, or maybe just something random, instead of a whole mess of buggatrons and gift worlds?
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starxplor wrote:
Tue Mar 07, 2017 5:20 am
Also, if an empire is gone, could planets revert to original scenario name, or maybe just something random, instead of a whole mess of buggatrons and gift worlds?
+1 to this. So much.
starxplor
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Just had another thought on this: Assuming the planets are originally named based on a list of potential names that are randomly chosen from for each planet on galaxy creation, could that list be set up to allow us to assign a planet named based on randomly pulling from the list?
TheBugKing
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The naming thing though is about as much legacy as old dead and gone empires get though. I rather like it. Plus, It makes it interesting to name a planet what you want, put 10M forces on it and know no one can or will want to touch it for at least a month.
Fire, Fire, Fire;
Streaks of golden light,
Rays of cosmic waves crashing through still dead night.

Gifts of diamond rays,
Strewn pearls of days not measured,
Treasured gleaming quests fade through the absolute oblivion of infinite time, no matter the direction.

And war died the day it noticed itself,
Peace, yet still dead, peace in the void of voids.
starxplor
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Sorry, I didn't notice this reply until just now.

As for the naming, this is why I suggested it be an option, say when designating an independent world, to have it apply a random name from original but unused names. Anyone can rename at any time, but some people are not that creative with names.

Another idea I had was just brought up by a system message at my capital, that I did not see while working in another area of the galaxy. Maybe messages(system, inter-empire, etc) could show up as a new tab on planet and fleet views, after the News or Overview tab, and the tab only shows up when there is a message.
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