Planets (project cancelled)

[Periculi]

I have long desired to be able to interact with planets in transcendence. And some good folks have made attempts at making planets more a part of the game. Unfortunately, I have never found the planetary landing mods very engaging.

I don't really see a need to land on the planet, and looking at some of the models for ships I wonder where the landing gear have been hidden. I also don't see a need for more 'shops' in the game- stations provide plenty of action on that level.

So I set out to make a mod that dealt with planets from on high- that is to say from orbit, and required special commitments to gain the best results.

I started with building some new planet stations that developed their own data when they were created in a system. The data that I chose to include in the planets is based on the planet classes- Cratered, Desert, Volcanic, Frozen and all the rest.

Then I got excited and whipped up some new planet graphics in blender to experiment with varying the sizes- I built several dozen planet varieties in varying sizes and applied them to the station elements.

When a planet is created, data on the planet is set- Size and Density on a scale limited by the planet class are first created then a gravity value is calculated. After this, the function sets the planet image based on it's size- that way, if I am orbiting a planet that considers itself 'small', the image for that planet is small too. Fancy.

I found a way to distinguish moons from planets- and find the planet that a moon is in orbit around, so that the orbit screen can actually tell you that too.

I also got tricky and found a way to count the orbits out from the star- the planets note which position they are in- such as "the first planet in orbit around [star]".

Planet classing helps to make further decision down the line- such as atmosphere, core and crust compositions. I can use this information to gauge the value of a planets industry if it is populated, or if it qualifies for development at all.

I built my scales for the planet classes as close to real astronomic data as possible. It's interesting to see the results and I enjoy orbital dialog just to see how the planets came out- at first the results were a little strange, so I refined the system and now feel that I am generating some interesting and even possible data on the planets. Planets now tell a story, and the spectrum is large enough that many planets end up fairly unique.

Digdug was kind enough to make some more planet images for me to add in, some of which are used for the 'rare' ends of the scale to really graphically demonstrate the planet's rarity. All in all, I now have quite a lovely collection of planets and moons to add to the mix.

I also included a name generator- primitive, but easily expanded. It first checks to be sure that a planet isn't already named. Did you know that George put names in for many of the planets in the unique systems? If a planet doesn't have a name, a name is generated for it to add to the content. Every planet also gets a commonwealth catalog number, and I am working on adding a discovery and survey date- sort of like a little extra historical data.

Now, all this is simply in order to give the planet orbit screen some things to tell me. I have added several ways to interact with a planet- based from equipment specialties that the playership could have:

Scanning - playerships have basic scanners, and these are able to return basic data on a planet. Better scanners and more specialized scanner types will return more data- such as mineral compositions for potential mining operations. Life signs, energy readings, temperature and pressure on the surface, and much more can be made available.

Many planets will already be explored, at least in the New Beyond and systems close to the commonwealth. But in the case of a larger game where a complex network is used, frontier planets could be found that are only partially surveyed and even undiscovered/uncharted worlds could be found. The data gathered from scanning an unexplored world could have value to the commonwealth and other sovereign, especially if the planet in question had valuable resources to make it worth developing.

Landing- I decided to make landing require specialized equipment, such as a shuttle. Several types of landing vehicles are available, from single use robotic explorer craft, to freight hauling heavy duty shuttles that can carry loads down and back up.

Most worlds are already claimed by some government, corporation or other, but it is possible to find unclaimed sections to send a robotic harvester or start a colony on, especially in the outlying edges of Earth Space.

Bombardment- Sometimes a planet can harbor a pirate outpost or hostile colony that needs to be bombed safely from orbit.

When a planet gets a hostile or armed colony type of installation, orbital approach can trigger an attack in various forms- anything from the planet scrambling fighters to intercept you to launching missiles to attempting to hack into a ship's computer. In these situations, the orbital screen kicks you right back out again to resolve the immediate threat, or gives you the bad news about your failure to survive the threat.

If you do survive, bombardment begins to look like a good idea.

All of the interaction levels of planets are outside of the main game- they would be entirely optional. On the other hand, planets can offer a great deal of depth and require a serious investment in equipment in order to gain the resulting good times.

I expect this is a mod that I am going to pour some real love into, anyone interested in offering up some help, suggestions, or encouragement- post below!

[evilbob]

sounds great. if there's anything I can help with, just ask.

[Periculi]

Well, I could use some naming ideas to improve the name generator.

I am using a primitive set of lists for now- but I was thinking of making a more interesting name builder that could generate unique names for each planet in the entire game, each game. Part of that would be prefix/suffix type tables perhaps- I am not really too sure how to go about making up names that work, so any ideas there would be great.

[evilbob]

you could go right down to syllable level and mix and match syllables for each name

[F50]

syllable level is good.

Shouldn't planets send fighters/missiles at you on <OnObjReconned> instead of on docking?


Perhaps some planets would give you quests (generally obtain item/kill things)? I think all settled planets should have some sort of (small, commodities only) shop if they give out obtain item quests though.

[Periculi]

Well that all depends, F50. They might be hoping you fly by. They might have to prepare a little surprise for you.

[Psycholis]

sounds like archspace to me. a mmo text based space game where you build classes of ships to explore planets and use those planets resources to fuel your economy. there were 5 ranges of planet time from ultra-poor to ultra-rich and 5 ranges of planet type from very small to huge. it was the succesor to archmage . the colonized planets reminded me of this game. if you invaded a non-species planet, you'd xenocide the entire population and move in your own. if you invaded a species population, you'd mass kill about half the existing population. all the battles took place with triangles on a 2d grid with green and red lines representing attacks.

[Periculi]

Can't find it, it's dead.

But this is not about empires in space, it's just about creating planet data.

The spectrum I am using for data seems larger than your description of what archspace used:

Code: Select all

;planet size values-
	(switch 

	   (leq sizeVal 1)
		(setq desc "Moonlet")
	   (leq sizeVal 2)
		(setq desc "Small Moon")
	   (leq sizeVal 3)
		(setq desc "Moon")
	   (leq sizeVal 7)
		(setq desc "Dwarf")
	   (leq sizeVal 10)
		(setq desc "Tiny")
	   (leq sizeVal 15)
		(setq desc "Very Small")
	   (leq sizeVal 20)
		(setq desc "Small")
	   (leq sizeVal 23)
		(setq desc "Medium")
	   (eq sizeVal 24)
		(setq desc "Terran")
	   (leq sizeVal 26)
		(setq desc "Medium")
	   (leq sizeVal 30)
		(setq desc "Medium Large")
	   (leq sizeVal 42)
		(setq desc "Large")
	   (leq sizeVal 54)
		(setq desc "Extra Large")
	   (leq sizeVal 60)
		(setq desc "Huge")
	   (leq sizeVal 66)
		(setq desc "Majestic")
	   (leq sizeVal 72)
		(setq desc "Super Majestic")
	   (leq sizeVal 95)
		(setq desc "Giant Class I")
	   (leq sizeVal 130)
		(setq desc "Giant Class II")
	   (leq sizeVal 185)
		(setq desc "Giant Class III")
	   (leq sizeVal 240)
		(setq desc "Giant Class IV")
	   (leq sizeVal 290)
		(setq desc "Super Giant I")
	   (leq sizeVal 340)
		(setq desc "Super Giant II")
	   (leq sizeVal 399)
		(setq desc "Majestic Super Giant")
	   (leq sizeVal 400)
		(setq desc "Brown Dwarf")


	)

;and also density rating-

	   (leq densityVal 1)
		(setq desc "Unique Ultra-Light")
	   (leq densityVal 3)
		(setq desc "Very Light")
	   (leq densityVal 7)
		(setq desc "Light")
	   (leq densityVal 9)
		(setq desc "Medium Light")
	   (leq densityVal 10)
		(setq desc "Medium")
	   (leq densityVal 12)
		(setq desc "Medium Compact")
	   (leq densityVal 15)
		(setq desc "Compact")
	   (leq densityVal 17)
		(setq desc "Very Compact")
	   (leq densityVal 19)
		(setq desc "Extremely Compact")
	   (leq densityVal 20)
		(setq desc "Metallic")
	   (leq densityVal 24)
		(setq desc "Dense")
	   (leq densityVal 27)
		(setq desc "Very Dense")
	   (leq densityVal 29)
		(setq desc "Extremely Dense")
	   (leq densityVal 30)
		(setq desc "Ultra-Dense Crystaline Metallic")

;which combine to create gravity values-

		(leq getTotal 25)
			(setq grav "Negligible")

		(leq getTotal 49)
			(setq grav "Slight")

		(leq getTotal 99)
			(setq grav "Very Low")

		(leq getTotal 159)
			(setq grav "Low")

		(leq getTotal 200)
			(setq grav "Below Normal")

		(leq getTotal 280)
			(setq grav "Normal")

		(leq getTotal 360)
			(setq grav "Above Normal")

		(leq getTotal 600)
			(setq grav "Medium Heavy")

		(leq getTotal 899)
			(setq grav "Heavy")

		(leq getTotal 1500)
			(setq grav "High")

		(leq getTotal 4200)
			(setq grav "Very High")

		(leq getTotal 7200)
			(setq grav "Extreme")

		(leq getTotal 9999)
			(setq grav "Crushing")

		(leq getTotal 15000)
			(setq grav "Destructively Extreme")

The size values establish 'zones'- Terran has 24 zones as a base, similar to our division of the globe for time zones. Density is a generalization of the primary composition of the planet's materials. (multiply size density) to get a general value for the gravity. Density class also establishes the primary resources available- heavier densities offer more variation (which is also adjusted based on planet class a little)


Planets get a spectrum limit based on their class:

(modPlanetCreate "Volcanic" 8 72 6 20 "Yes" "Molten" "Mixed" "No")

Passed to a create data function:

(setq modPlanetCreate (lambda (class minSize maxSize minDensity maxDensity atmoSwitch coreSwitch surfaceSwitch lifeSwitch)

To help them prepare the choices off the tables.

As for syllable naming- anyone have some ideas for the syllable sets and a swift method to produce decent names? Keep in mind that the script needs to be kept small, as it is being called for every planet object in a system at creation and can tend to stall the game if too much is being done.

[Aury]

I was working on a system similar to escape velocity's back for 98d. I havn't gotten around to working on the 99a version yet (98d was very much unfinished, just some communication screens to interact with planets)

I was also going to make kill-able planets...

I'll see about working on this!
my ideas:

you can communicate w/ an inhabited planet (I had a little nav beacon that was a "communications satelite") by docking at the com satelite and using the special dockscreen to interact.
You could:
- bribe the planet to make them not hostile (some planets would have large weapons on them)
- demand tribute [for enemy planets] (depending on score which I'm trying to access for the "ship main computer" in the playership screen they may either cave in and start paying money every N ticks (like once every 5 mins or something) or they send out a fleet to attack you. (if you defeat it they surrender and they become yours)
- "invite" to empire [for friendly/neutral worlds] (similar to demand tribute, but this is a nice version. They can politely accept or semi-decline (you have to impress them by killing certain enemies before they will join)) You MUST have conquered an enemy world before this becomes avlaible
- request trade/mining permits self explanitory...
- info [generates info about world]

In order to claim a planet as your own that has not been explored, just go up to it, dock with it, and choose "plant flag" or similar option. If you buy a teraforming upgrade or item for your ship, you can use it here in the teraform option (once colonized, only a genesis missile will be able to change the planet type). If you have colonists with you, you can use them in the "colonise" option. Similar works for creating an automated mining outpost.
mining, colonising and teraforming use a similar item system to the heretic stargate- invalid objects won't do anything. Some "weird" objects CAN do things, but will often have interesting results (hint- don't use the radioactive barrel or amunition containers for teraform). And ONLY colonists will work for colonise, and ONLY mining drones will work for mining, so no, you can't colonise a world w/ radioactive waste. You CAN have alien colonists though (if I find a way to integrate that w/ the story line)...

Shooting at a planet:
a) inhabited
with
1) a 0WMD weapon will just anger them
2) a 1-6WMD weapon will lower their population with each hit
3) a 7WMD weapon will destroy all population
4) a planet buster weapon will destroy the world

b) uninhabited
with
1) a planet buster weapon will destroy the world
2) anything else will not have an effect


The more valuable a planet is (ie, more people, more goods, etc.) the more it will pay you if you demand tribute. It will also send a MUCH bigger fleet. Try angering the CW then attempting to demand tribute from st.k's planet. Be prepared to face down lots of CSC's and aquila's...

I was hoping to tie this in with my mod (I was planning on vastly increasing the story and inter-actibility of EVERY faction, from anarchists to CW) and I think they would work well with this...

SO in conclusion, with perculi's data generation and retrieval and my empire-creation/planetary interation scripts... who knows what might happen...

[Periculi]

I am not sure I like the idea of standard spaceship weapons (with WMD) affecting the planets. Planets are big.

Nor am I very excited about making an empire type of game. The player isn't a government. The general themes of transcendence are more personal than that.

I have been a big fan of games such as Civilization and MoO3, which ARE empire games- so it's not that I don't like empire builder games in general.

I just don't feel that the infrastructure of transcendence is geared towards this.

[F50]

Empire Transcendence would be good, but the player has to be a captain in the ranks of a sovereign before you are able to do stuff, and then only when the higher-ups ask you to (nuking a planet without military orders would be considered a serious crime).

[Aury]

Empire Transcendence would be good, but the player has to be a captain in the ranks of a sovereign before you are able to do stuff, and then only when the higher-ups ask you to (nuking a planet without military orders would be considered a serious crime).

not if it's an enemy world... (but they should hate you all the more for it)

[Bobby]

could space-based(anti-ship) weapons even penetrate the atmosphere? i would imagine any directed energy weapon would just diffuse miles above the ground, and most projectiles would burn up.

an enemy world still has a right to exist. but if they threaten you unprovoked, it's self defence.

still, dropping bombs everywhere has potential for some serious civilian casualties, and that is nothing to be taken lightly.

[F50]

could space-based(anti-ship) weapons even penetrate the atmosphere? i would imagine any directed energy weapon would just diffuse miles above the ground, and most projectiles would burn up.

Those planets that do have an atmosphere, yes, they would require specialized rockets. That said, in Transcendence, most of the non gas-giants don't have atmospheres.

an enemy world still has a right to exist. but if they threaten you unprovoked, it's self defence.

to respond with semi-equal force, that is. (ie. destroy their weapons bases but not their civie housing.)

still, dropping bombs everywhere has potential for some serious civilian casualties, and that is nothing to be taken lightly.

Indeed.

[Aury]

could space-based(anti-ship) weapons even penetrate the atmosphere? i would imagine any directed energy weapon would just diffuse miles above the ground, and most projectiles would burn up.

an enemy world still has a right to exist. but if they threaten you unprovoked, it's self defence.

still, dropping bombs everywhere has potential for some serious civilian casualties, and that is nothing to be taken lightly.

CW is more than happy to have you go around killing ares communes...