Policy Cards Jumble
Moderator: Oberlus
Policy Cards Jumble
Policy cards jumble, for everybody to throw in policy cards ideas for future work.
In principle, the policy cards I imagine would be rules that apply empire-wide, with benefits and drawbacks, that are mutually exclusive with some other policy cards.
____________________________________________________________________
Faster vs Further: sth to allow further supply-away traveling at the expense of slower engines, and viceversa. Limited to a certain/many/all hull line(s). This is already in the game via the different fuel capacities and speeds of the available hulls, but this could increase diversity in strategies.
__
Happines vs Productivity: better PP output at the expense of lower happines (which probably will imply higher influence expenses and lower resistance to extern influence, rebellion, etc.).
In principle, the policy cards I imagine would be rules that apply empire-wide, with benefits and drawbacks, that are mutually exclusive with some other policy cards.
____________________________________________________________________
Faster vs Further: sth to allow further supply-away traveling at the expense of slower engines, and viceversa. Limited to a certain/many/all hull line(s). This is already in the game via the different fuel capacities and speeds of the available hulls, but this could increase diversity in strategies.
__
Happines vs Productivity: better PP output at the expense of lower happines (which probably will imply higher influence expenses and lower resistance to extern influence, rebellion, etc.).
- Geoff the Medio
- Programming, Design, Admin
- Posts: 13603
- Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2003 1:33 am
- Location: Munich
Re: Policy Cards Jumble
A few basic policies would give small bonuses like +1 to a single meter on all planets, or a slightly larger bonus on a more resrricted set of planets. Some of these would replace most of the existing bonuses to meters from techs.
Another set would give reductions in the costs of certain parts, like a colonization policy that makes colony pods cheaper, which players would intermittantly slot in or remove at times corresponding to waves of colonization.
Another set would give reductions in the costs of certain parts, like a colonization policy that makes colony pods cheaper, which players would intermittantly slot in or remove at times corresponding to waves of colonization.
Re: Policy Cards Jumble
Not a policy card idea per se, but for the general mechanic: changing policy cards should cost influence.
Re: Policy Cards Jumble
Do you mean that the policies would control the form/scope of bonus to meter from techs, or actually replace them? (I am having a hard time really envisioning how the latter would work.)Geoff the Medio wrote:A few basic policies would give small bonuses like +1 to a single meter on all planets, or a slightly larger bonus on a more resrricted set of planets. Some of these would replace most of the existing bonuses to meters from techs.
If I provided any code, scripts or other content here, it's released under GPL 2.0 and CC-BY-SA 3.0
Re: Policy Cards Jumble
They could also give pop-based bonuses. As you suggest, they could be coupled with the inhibition of certain tech bonuses (I really like that) and also could have flat/pop-based maluses that do not counteract any specific tech.Geoff the Medio wrote:A few basic policies would give small bonuses like +1 to a single meter on all planets, or a slightly larger bonus on a more restricted set of planets. Some of these would replace most of the existing bonuses to meters from techs.
Micromanaging alert. Just saying.Geoff the Medio wrote:Another set would give reductions in the costs of certain parts, like a colonization policy that makes colony pods cheaper, which players would intermittently slot in or remove at times corresponding to waves of colonization.
The application or switching of policy cards should have drawbacks to make no-micro-style always at least on par with micro-whoring-style. What Vezzra suggested (influence cost for each policy card change) seems straightforward and to the point:
I assume this would be like an influence project, that once it's filled with Influence Points (IP) makes effective the policy card change.Vezzra wrote:changing policy cards should cost influence.
Some policy cards could, also or instead, require a constant influence upkeep (i.e. a sink of IPs, but it can also be considered as a malus for influence production, same result).
Some policy cards could have other forms of upkeep, like (a) introducing malus to PP/RP generation, supply range, etc., (b) as Geoff suggested, repealing or nerfing the bonuses from certain techs (and not from others, which opens doors to some more combo/focus strategies) and (c) forbidding certain actions (like the use of bombardment or concentration camps, certain planetary focus settings, breaking of treaties, etc.).
N.b. the constant upkeeps I suggested above would not help against this possible micromanaging issue comented before, these are just intended for diversity of strategies.
In case certain policy cards result more prone to micromanaging or difficult to balance the cost of the change and the benefit of the policy card so that they are simultaneously an interesting game asset and not a call for micromanagement, it could be used extra card-change drawbacks, probably related to the card theme.
Lets search for some examples even if they are nonsensical or utterly unbalanced, just to check out in which page we are. Mind the names, checking dictionaries.
- Mentat conscription: the (organic, or non-robotic, etc.) population with better intellectual prospects are abducted from their families at young age to sustain and specific physical and mental trainings to make them different kinds of intellectual badasses that live their whole lives connected to machines and locked in research centers. The practice of the science is restricted to this kind of social class. Gives (to all organic-species worlds, or non-robotics, etc.) a -25% pop malus and +0.5*pop RP bonus (after or before the pop malus), and disables the planetary research focus and all the pop-dep RP bonuses from techs.
Apart from the influence cost of the policy-card application project, and that it could/should require a minimum number of turns to complete, this policy card would imply a loss of population each time you apply it, so shouldn't be calling for micromanagement.
- Military conscription: all the population is forced to participate in military training at their young age, and required to participate in military exercises every few years, to be ready to get into combat when the need comes. (A) Disables the planetary defense focus and doubles the maximum and the regeneration rate of planetary forces. Or, I like this one more, (B) adds +1*pop to the maximum troops and +0.1*pop to troops regeneration rate of defense-focused planets.
In any case, gives a +50% to deffensive and offensive troops (cumulative, not multiplicative, with the species bonuses) but requires constant influence upkeep and gives a -0.2*pop to research and production in planets where there are pop-dep bonus in place (I mean, it should not affect flat bonuses, it should affect pop-dep, not-tied-to-focus bonuses). Should not be an option for certain governments, and maybe imply a happiness malus on certain species (not really related to metabolism but to psychology/mental traits of the species, so that Cray, Humans and Abaddoni would be affected while Replicons, Egassem and George wouldn't), and maybe not applicable to good/great troop species (because they already do it?).
Sidenote for policy card design: the descriptions/explanations of the policy cards should be made as abstract as possible to make them applicable to different cultures, government types, species, etc. For example, those military and mentat conscription descriptions look like applicable to humans but not so much to George, while for George this kind of policy would imply just some extra parts of his worm-made, distributed body devoted to military stuff.
The descriptions should also try to limit themselves as much as possible to the effects of the policy card, so that there are less chances of contradictions between policy cards that should be compatible (no example for this yet).
- Geoff the Medio
- Programming, Design, Admin
- Posts: 13603
- Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2003 1:33 am
- Location: Munich
Re: Policy Cards Jumble
That is absolutely not micromangement, even if adjusted every turn. Chosing empire policy cards is by definition an empire-level "macro" strategic choice.Oberlus wrote:Micromanaging alert. Just saying.Geoff the Medio wrote:Another set would give reductions in the costs of certain parts, like a colonization policy that makes colony pods cheaper, which players would intermittently slot in or remove at times corresponding to waves of colonization.
I did not suggest that. I proposed that (some/many) bonuses that are currently attached to techs be moved into policy cards. Researching a tech would, in some cases, unlock a new policy card that the empire / player could then use. Some of these cards would produce effects similar to current tech effects. Whether these are fixed bonuses or pop-dependent or infrastructure-dependent isn't important....as Geoff suggested, repealing or nerfing the bonuses from certain techs (and not from others, which opens doors to some more combo/focus strategies)
As an example, Algorithmic Elegance could unlock an "AI Research Integration" policy which gives the effect that the tech currently gives. Other techs could be similarly converted. The player would then need to pick which of these to adopt, and which not to.
Policy cards could also have negative effects when the policy is adopted, which isn't currently acceptable for techs.
The test policies in the government dev branch (already) do have an adoption cost scripted.
Re: Policy Cards Jumble
I want to emphasize the importance of that feature of policy cards. This is something we currently only can accomplish by attaching such negative effects to buildings which the tech unlocks (because then the player is able to switch the effects on/off by building/destroying the building). Which is fine for some cases, but probably only a not very pretty workaround in others. Buildings are, after all, not really intended to be built and destroyed frequently to switch on and off certain effects you (temporarily) want to have in your empire.Geoff the Medio wrote:Policy cards could also have negative effects when the policy is adopted, which isn't currently acceptable for techs.
With policy cards, having techs that provide empire wide positive and negative effects can be handled much better.
- Geoff the Medio
- Programming, Design, Admin
- Posts: 13603
- Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2003 1:33 am
- Location: Munich
Re: Policy Cards Jumble
Also there can be effects that would be beneficial in some cases and very problematic in others. For example, the test policies in the branch include No Growth, which most empires wouldn't use much but which could occasionally be very useful to adopt.Vezzra wrote:With policy cards, having techs that provide empire wide positive and negative effects can be handled much better.
Re: Policy Cards Jumble
Influence. OK, just as long as it's nothing like 'Stellaris' Influence.Vezzra wrote:Not a policy card idea per se, but for the general mechanic: changing policy cards should cost influence.
One of the several things I hate about that game.
Re: Policy Cards Jumble
Please, tell me more about that. I never played Stellaris. I've just now read in their wiki about their resources and some basics of the mechanics of the game. To start with, I don't like the stockpiling capacity that every resource (even influence) have in that game. I won't speak about what is and what is not FO Influence (because I have no idea about and haven't finished yet to read all the material from devs in the forum about that mater, that is in early developing stage it seems), because it seems the concepts are similars in regards some of the intended uses.EricF wrote:Influence. OK, just as long as it's nothing like 'Stellaris' Influence.
One of the several things I hate about that game.
What are the problems you see in the way Stellaris manage that influence resource?
Re: Policy Cards Jumble
Your 'Policy' is more like Stellaris 'Traditions'. You can buy 'Traditions' after you
accumulate a certain amount of 'civics'. They are Empire wide bonuses. It is
actually one of the things I do like about the game. Their 'Influence' is
something else. They did improve things in the latest Beta update, but that's
off topic here.
accumulate a certain amount of 'civics'. They are Empire wide bonuses. It is
actually one of the things I do like about the game. Their 'Influence' is
something else. They did improve things in the latest Beta update, but that's
off topic here.
Re: Policy Cards Jumble
Okay so I have some a whole lot of thought on policy cards.
namely thinking about Civ VI's system, and how Free Orion is different and what I think would be the most logical way to handle and organize policies.
Policy Slot Categories
Now my initial thoughts about "governments" was very much in-line with the Civ VI model, however after playing Stellaris, and being able to create some pretty creative combinations I have a bit of a different idea.
Governments could be "built" in stages as the game progresses and your society "evolves". The starting government, maybe just a generic "Global Government" would get an Academic, Economic and Diplomatic policy slot, and that's it. Maybe some of the playable species might have a special trait that lets them start of with an extra slot. However as you went on, you'd build your government into more advanced and specialized forms. Basically leveling it up though "civics". You'd only get one at each level and it should probably be a more or less permanent choice.
Starting Policy Cards:
1st Level Civics: Political Authority
2nd Level Civics: Foreign Relations/Xenorelations
Xeno-subjugation buildings:
4th Level Civics: Social Ideology
Institutional Buildings:
namely thinking about Civ VI's system, and how Free Orion is different and what I think would be the most logical way to handle and organize policies.
Policy Slot Categories
- Academic Policy Slot: this would be for policies that effect research and/or detection
- Economic Policy Slot: this would be for policies that effect production and/or supply
- Diplomatic Policy Slot: this would be for policies effecting the new influence mechanic and stealth
- Open Policy Slot: what it says on the tin
- Academic Policy Cards: for the Academic or Open Policy Slot
- Economic Policy Cards: for the Economic or Open Policy Slot
- Diplomatic Policy Cards: for the Diplomatic or Open Policy Slot
- Wildcard Policy Cards: for any slot, covers things not covered in the other categories
- Special Policy Cards: for only the Open Policy Slot, also covers thing not in the other categories
Now my initial thoughts about "governments" was very much in-line with the Civ VI model, however after playing Stellaris, and being able to create some pretty creative combinations I have a bit of a different idea.
Governments could be "built" in stages as the game progresses and your society "evolves". The starting government, maybe just a generic "Global Government" would get an Academic, Economic and Diplomatic policy slot, and that's it. Maybe some of the playable species might have a special trait that lets them start of with an extra slot. However as you went on, you'd build your government into more advanced and specialized forms. Basically leveling it up though "civics". You'd only get one at each level and it should probably be a more or less permanent choice.
Starting Policy Cards:
- Proprietary Research: Academic Policy Card, gives pop-based research bonus for the capitol planet.
- Creative Commons: Academic Policy Card, gives flat research bonus and detection bonus to planets.
- Capitalist Markets: Economic Policy Card, gives flat production bonus for the capitol plant and supply bonus for all planets.
- Socialist Planing: Economic Policy Card, gives pop-based production bonus on all planets.
- SETI Program: Diplomatic Policy Card, gives flat influence bonus on all planets.
- Encrypted Comms: Diplomatic Policy Card, gives stealth bonus to planets.
1st Level Civics: Political Authority
- Democratic/Electoral: gives a Diplomatic Policy Slot. Sets defensive troops to be population-bonus based.
- Hereditary: gives an Economic Policy slot. Sets defensive troops to be "garrison" flat-bonus based.
- Meritocratic: gives an Academic Policy slot. Sets defensive troops to follow the current alternating pattern.
- Gestalt: for telepathic species only, gives an Open Policy Slot. Telepaths get pop based defensive troops, everyone else gets garrisoned troops.
2nd Level Civics: Foreign Relations/Xenorelations
- Xenophillia: unavailable to Xenophobic species, gives a Diplomatic Policy Slot. All member species get the same bonuses from the capitol.
- Xeno-subjugation: gives a Economic Policy Slot with special government-linked buildings, see below.
- Xeno-engineering: gives an Academic Policy Slot with special linked policy cards, see below.
- Xenocide: for Xenophobic species only, gives an Open Policy Slot. Reduces unhappiness from Concentration Camps (and maybe bombardment weapons too).
Xeno-subjugation buildings:
- Democracy: Cultural Observatory. Reduces happiness on the plant it's placed on, gives influence bonus to surrounding planets.
- Hereditary: Slave Market. Reduces happiness on the plant it's placed on, gives production bonus to surrounding planets.
- Meritocracy: Experimentation Facility. Reduces happiness on the plant it's placed on, gives research bonus to surrounding planets.
- Gestalt: Livestock Ranch (organics), Reclamation Plant (robotics), Geologic Reprocessor (lithics). Reduces happiness and population on the plant it's placed on, gives population bonus to surrounding planets.
- Worker Caste: Economic Policy Card. Allows you to designate one species (not imperial, must be able to colonize and build ships) to get a special production-focus bonus.
- Scientist Caste: Academic Policy Card. Allows you to designate one species (not imperial, must be able to colonize and build ships) to get a special research-focus bonus.
- Priest Caste: Diplomatic Policy Card. Allows you to designate one species (not imperial, must be able to colonize and build ships) to get a special influeince-focus bonus.
- Merchant Caste: Economic Policy Card. Allows you to designate one species (not imperial, must be able to colonize and build ships) to get a special logistics-focus bonus.
- Soldier Caste: Wildcard Policy Card. Allows you to designate one species (not imperial, must be able to colonize and build ships) to get a special defense-focus bonus.
- Engineer Caste: Economic Policy Card. For Democracy, replaces Worker Caste, lower production bonus, but also small research bonus, and bonus to nearby planet of other species set to the same focus.
- Warrior Caste: Wildcard Policy Card. For Hereditary, replaces Soldier Caste, lower defense bonus, but also reduced fleet cost, and bonus to nearby planet of other species set to the same focus.
- Administrator Caste: Economic Policy Card. For Meritocracy, replaces Merchant Caste, lower supply bonus, but also small production bonus, and bonus to nearby planet of other species set to the same focus.
- Brain Caste: Diplomatic Policy Card. For Gestalt, replaces Priest Caste, lower influence bonus, but also small research bonus, and bonus to nearby planet of other species set to the same focus.
- Imperial: gives an Economic Policy Slot, and additional happiness and infrastructure to the capitol and surrounding planets. Cannot be used with Democracy.
- Federal: gives a Diplomatic Policy Slot, and reduces empire-wide influence cost on a per-planet basis. Cannot be used with Hereditary.
- Confederated: gives an Open Policy Slot, and reduces empire-wide influence cost on a per-system basis. Cannot be used with Gestalt.
- Unitary: gives an Academic Policy Slot, and reduces pop-based influence cost by local infrastructure. Cannot be used with Meritocracy.
4th Level Civics: Social Ideology
- Absolute Purity: gives an Economic Policy Slot and reduces and reduces the cost of all influence projects based on other empires at war with you. Cannot be chosen with Xenophillia.
- True Egalitarianism: gives an Open Policy Slot and ads happiness-based bonus to Influence focus. Cannot be chosen with Xeno-subjugation.
- Leisure Society: gives an Academic Policy Slot and increases happiness on all planets based on infrastructure. Cannot be chosen with Xeno-engineering.
- Multicultural Harmony: gives a Diplomatic Policy Slot and reduces cost foreign influence projects by number of species in your empire. Cannot be chosen with Xenocide.
- Perfect Totalitarianism: gives an Economic Policy Slot and reduces the cost of internal influence projects by the number of planets in your empire. Cannot be chosen with Democracy.
- Unrestricted Progress: gives an Academic Policy Slot and ads infrastructure and happiness bonus to Research focus. Cannot be chosen with Hereditary.
- Eternal Stability: gives a Diplomatic Policy Slot and ads infrastructure based bonus to Influence focus. Cannot be chosen with Meritocracy.
- Complete Freedom: gives an Open Policy Slot and causes influence projects done on your empire to cost more. Cannot be chosen with Gestalt.
- Great Houses: gives a Diplomatic Policy Slot and reduces the cost of foreign influence projects. Can be chosen with either Democracy or Hereditary.
- Megacorporations: gives an Economic Policy Slot and reduces the cost of internal influence projects. Can be chosen with either Democracy or Meritocracy.
- Collective Though Networks: gives an Open Policy Slot and reduces upkeep of energy hull-line. Can be chosen with either Democracy or Gestalt.
- Spacer Guilds: gives an Academic Policy Slot and reduces upkeep of asteroid hull-line. Can be chosen with either Hereditary or Meritocracy.
- Brood Queens: gives an Open Policy Slot and reduces upkeep of organic hull-line. Can be chosen with either Hereditary or Gestalt.
- Computer Overlords: gives an Open Policy Slot and reduces upkeep of robotic hull-line. Can be chosen with either Meritocracy or Gestalt.
Institutional Buildings:
- Great Manorhouse: happiness boost on planet for number of colonized planets in area of effect, focus boost and troop garrison for planets in area of effect. Hosting planet gains additional infrastructure for associated Vassal Manorhouses.
- Vassal Manorhouse: must be 3 to 5 jumps from Great Manorhouse. Has a 3 jump area of effect, and is less strong.
- Megacorporate Headquarters: limited to 5 total. Each having a different focus-based boost, Research, Production, Influence, Logistics or Defense, with additional infrastructure boost on planet. Hosting planet gains additional happiness for associated Magacorporate Branches.
- Megacorporate Branch: cannot be built in the Magacorporate HQ area of effect, Has a 3 jump area of effect and is less strong.
- Collective Thought Network: bonus to Research, Production or Influence focus for the planet, gives happiness boost to all planets in area of effect.
- Spacer Guildhall: limited to 6 total, must be built on a planet with a metabolism special. Provides a bonus to supply on the planet and ship speed in area of effect. Local focus-based boost tied to Guild associated special. Research from Soup, Positronium or Crystals; Production from Spice, Superconductors or Minerals; and Influence from Fruit, Monopoles or Elerium.
- Great Hive: bonus to Research, Production or Influence focus for the planet, gives troop garrison to all planets in area of effect.
- Administrative AI: bonus to Research, Production or Influence focus for the planet, gives infrastructure boost to all planets in area of effect.
All of my contributions should be considered released under creative commons attribution share-alike license, CC-BY-SA 3.0 for use in, by and with the Free Orion project.
- Krikkitone
- Creative Contributor
- Posts: 1559
- Joined: Sat Sep 13, 2003 6:52 pm
Re: Policy Cards Jumble
I like that set of ideas
One thought... about Xenophilia/phobia and access for Xenophobic species. (and mention of imperial species)
A key feature of Free Orion is that Species doesn't equal Empire.
So presumably it would be if your "imperial species" is Xenophobic, you can/cannot choose those. Or "imperial species" must be Telepathic for Gestalt.... possibly some technology could allow you to have Gestalt without a telepathic imperial species.
Which means there needs to be a means of choosing your "imperial" species (starting as your starting species)... I would suggest letting None be an option (at least if you haven't chosen Xenocide.) that could increase happiness of all species in your empire (choosing an imperial species increases the happiness of just that species...slightly more)
One thought... about Xenophilia/phobia and access for Xenophobic species. (and mention of imperial species)
A key feature of Free Orion is that Species doesn't equal Empire.
So presumably it would be if your "imperial species" is Xenophobic, you can/cannot choose those. Or "imperial species" must be Telepathic for Gestalt.... possibly some technology could allow you to have Gestalt without a telepathic imperial species.
Which means there needs to be a means of choosing your "imperial" species (starting as your starting species)... I would suggest letting None be an option (at least if you haven't chosen Xenocide.) that could increase happiness of all species in your empire (choosing an imperial species increases the happiness of just that species...slightly more)
Re: Policy Cards Jumble
Very true, and something I would keep.Krikkitone wrote:A key feature of Free Orion is that Species doesn't equal Empire.
I suppose I should clarify. The "imperial species" would be whatever species held your capitol. The gestalt one is kind of bit of a wrench-throw for switching your capitol, so maybe it should come with a condition that after taking it, you can only move it to another species that is also telepathic. A bit more-so than Xenophobic, as with them you start wiping out your neighbors pretty quickly, so even if you move your capitol, say to have the Monolith on several planets, it's probably still going to be an Eaxaw or Thrith planet.Krikkitone wrote:So presumably it would be if your "imperial species" is Xenophobic, you can/cannot choose those. Or "imperial species" must be Telepathic for Gestalt.... possibly some technology could allow you to have Gestalt without a telepathic imperial species.
Either that or they probably should come with a "looses bonuses" and maybe "loses policy card slot" function if the requirement condition is no longer met. I was thinking of having the Collective Thought Network, Great Hive and AI Administrator effectively make the population of the planet that they are on "functionally telepathic", but that was more a later-on down-the-road kind of thought. However if we did that, we could allow the "telepathic qualifier" to include both species with the trait, or a planet with one of those buildings, so you could totally run your empire from an engineered Gestalt. Also keep in mind Gestalt is merely an available option if your capitol is owned by a telepathic species, if you start as a telepathic species you can still choose another political authority type, though I do wonder if I should exclude one of them to balance telepathic against xenophobic.
I don't quite get your "choosing none", Xenocide is only an option to choose. You could still choose Xeno-subjugation or Xeno-engineering if a Xenophobic species owns your capitol. Xenocide is specifically the "wipe out everyone else" option, and Xenophillia (currently) just gives the same ownership boost to happiness to all species from the capitol, probably not something your going for if you are playing a Xenophobe. Also if you really wanted Xenophillia, even though you started out as the Eaxaw (for whatever reason) you could just move your capitol to a planet with another species on it, before you decide to take it.Krikkitone wrote:Which means there needs to be a means of choosing your "imperial" species (starting as your starting species)... I would suggest letting None be an option (at least if you haven't chosen Xenocide.) that could increase happiness of all species in your empire (choosing an imperial species increases the happiness of just that species...slightly more)
All of my contributions should be considered released under creative commons attribution share-alike license, CC-BY-SA 3.0 for use in, by and with the Free Orion project.
- Krikkitone
- Creative Contributor
- Posts: 1559
- Joined: Sat Sep 13, 2003 6:52 pm
Re: Policy Cards Jumble
I was talking about Choosing None as an imperial species. (essentially all species are equal) ...I was just mentioning that "None=Imperial species" wouldn't work with Xenocide (equally exterminate all species in your empire)labgnome wrote:Very true, and something I would keep.Krikkitone wrote:A key feature of Free Orion is that Species doesn't equal Empire.
I suppose I should clarify. The "imperial species" would be whatever species held your capitol. The gestalt one is kind of bit of a wrench-throw for switching your capitol, so maybe it should come with a condition that after taking it, you can only move it to another species that is also telepathic. A bit more-so than Xenophobic, as with them you start wiping out your neighbors pretty quickly, so even if you move your capitol, say to have the Monolith on several planets, it's probably still going to be an Eaxaw or Thrith planet.Krikkitone wrote:So presumably it would be if your "imperial species" is Xenophobic, you can/cannot choose those. Or "imperial species" must be Telepathic for Gestalt.... possibly some technology could allow you to have Gestalt without a telepathic imperial species.
Either that or they probably should come with a "looses bonuses" and maybe "loses policy card slot" function if the requirement condition is no longer met. I was thinking of having the Collective Thought Network, Great Hive and AI Administrator effectively make the population of the planet that they are on "functionally telepathic", but that was more a later-on down-the-road kind of thought. However if we did that, we could allow the "telepathic qualifier" to include both species with the trait, or a planet with one of those buildings, so you could totally run your empire from an engineered Gestalt. Also keep in mind Gestalt is merely an available option if your capitol is owned by a telepathic species, if you start as a telepathic species you can still choose another political authority type, though I do wonder if I should exclude one of them to balance telepathic against xenophobic.
I don't quite get your "choosing none", Xenocide is only an option to choose. You could still choose Xeno-subjugation or Xeno-engineering if a Xenophobic species owns your capitol. Xenocide is specifically the "wipe out everyone else" option, and Xenophillia (currently) just gives the same ownership boost to happiness to all species from the capitol, probably not something your going for if you are playing a Xenophobe. Also if you really wanted Xenophillia, even though you started out as the Eaxaw (for whatever reason) you could just move your capitol to a planet with another species on it, before you decide to take it.Krikkitone wrote:Which means there needs to be a means of choosing your "imperial" species (starting as your starting species)... I would suggest letting None be an option (at least if you haven't chosen Xenocide.) that could increase happiness of all species in your empire (choosing an imperial species increases the happiness of just that species...slightly more)
It also wouldn't work with species at capital=Imperial species (unless perhaps it was a policy card)
You could have none as an option for each of the civics though(none=no benefits)... and you would move to None civic if you violated the requirements for it.
You should have the option to change the civics with an influence cost though (more expensive and longer than switching cards).