PREFACE
The concept of choice, option, and balance.
In order to have a choice, there must be more than one option. Each option must have it's advantages and disadvantages. If all options are the same, then there is no choice. No option may be clearly superior than another option, otherwise there will be no balance. When all options are balanced, choice is irrelevent. It becomes a matter of preference.
Option A and Option Green-A
When arguably the first great RTS game was released, it offered players two options, the Humans, and Green Humans. The game of course was Warcraft. The choice was a superficial one. While some differences did exist between each side, they were cosmetic at best.
A matter of Choice
In order to choose, the choices have to be different. And not just a little different, very different. Enter the great game that introduced the power of choice to the RTS genre: Starcraft. Each side different, each with it's own identity, it's own strategy, it's own... soul. Since then few games followed the mantra that was presented so clearly. One such game: Conquest: Frontier Wars was a masterpiece in it's own right. A once in a few beauty that allowed for player to connect with the factiont hey chose and adopt it's play style. Another game that followed was Warcraft 3, a giant in the genre, but one not as refined as the grand daddy of the indivdual identity: Sowrd of the Stars.
WORK AT HAND
I love Sins, that is apparent I believe. But your devotion to the thing you love should not end once you get it in bed, sort of speak. What I wish to do is take the thing I love and make it better. Yes many have done such a thing with various objects of their affection. And though their aspirations were admirable and pure of heart, the did not often resault in anything short of crap. So I begin my journey, and if ever should I find myself treading the wrong waters, heading to a steaming pile of... something ghastly and smelly, I shall pull the plug.
Core changes
The core idea behind my mod is to change how each faction functions economically, and possibly strategically. But I start with economy, because this is an area where I think I can make the most impact the fastest. As is, sins has few economies that are possible. They are however themselves not clearly defined. Each economy is not powerful to stand on it's own most of the time, but rather requires that all economies are used in concert.
I chose to move to a 3 economy model. Each economy will be different, and each will be favored by 1 of the factions. The remaining factions will be bared from these economies, which will make it unique.
3 ECONOMIES
Advent: Population + Allegiance Model: Resource: Good Credit: Good
Uses high planet populations combined with Allegiance bonuses to boost natural planet income and credit extraction.Each level of Culture Upgrades will add 5% max Allegiance, for 10% per tier. with 4 tiers this will give your homeworld +40% Allegiance for 150% total.
Add Pop upgrades for all planet types, including Asteroid which will get 50 population maximum! Remove tradeport. Remove resource extraction bonus upgrades.
Replace the resource focus on tradeport with one on the temple of communion. This gives incentive to build many of them, but at the same time will not cause for too much culture push as you have to turn them off to get the bonus.
The Advent will retain current cost for ships/buildings. As their economy will be msot balanced in terms of credits to minerals production ratio. This is why I chose them to be first, as they will be my template to which I will compare the other 2 factions.
Tec: Trade Economy: Resource: Poor Credit: Great
Uses Trade Ports as primary source of income. All TEC Ships are now Credit Expensive, cheap in resources. Reduce resource cost by 50%, convert the resoruces to credit cost at 3x. (Rough numbers)
Possibility: Trade Port increases Empire-wide credit income by 1%. Still thinking if it is possible to be implemented, or if it's necessary.
Remove Refinery. Posibly remove extraction bonus techs. Might increase Black Market discount.
The TEC do not build the bulk of their fleet, but merely refit old ships. This process uses lot of capital (to buy the ships and to pay for workers to refit them) but it does not use as many resoruces.
Vasari: Resource Extraction/Mining Economy: Resource: Great Credit: Poor
Uses combination of neutral extractors, refineries, and resource extraction bonus tech to achieve high resource income. All Vasari ships/structures now cost more Resources, reduced credit cost. 50% more resources, Convert the cost of added resources and subtract that total of credits at 2.5x multiple. (Rough numbers)
Possibilities:Refinery increases resource income by 5%/refinery. Increase refinery quotas for all extractors to 5. Add more extraction boost research.
Vasari do not use labor to assemple their ships, they use nanites. In all Vasari Emprie has no need for credits, because their technology is so advanced, but they still need credits to deal with their slaves and pupet politians of the worlds they enslave. This is reflected in credit cost for their ships/structures. Though it is not big, it remains present. The bulk of the cost remains raw minerals needed to assemble the ships.
[Work in Progress]
Advent: Mostly done
TEC: In planning stage
Vasari: Not touched
