Suggestion: Gaia special negates influence upkeep

For what's not in 'Top Priority Game Design'. Post your ideas, visions, suggestions for the game, rules, modifications, etc.

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rallytoshelly
Space Floater
Posts: 19
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2018 7:40 am

Suggestion: Gaia special negates influence upkeep

#1 Post by rallytoshelly »

No doubt influence will become more balanced/playable than it is currently as time goes on, but I personally see a lot of benefits in allowing the Gaia special to reduce colony influence upkeep to zero, and also possibly reduce influence debt partisan rebel troops as well.

Currently, even planets with good influence species can find it difficult to even generate positive influence, even with pro influence policies in play, due to colony influence upkeep.

As Gaia special is such a big investment, especially if a planet needs to be terraformed multiple times, having no colony influence upkeep at the end of that journey makes sense. Especially due to the high influence cost of new policies as empires become more established.

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Oberlus
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Re: Suggestion: Gaia special negates influence upkeep

#2 Post by Oberlus »

However, providing an empire with a way to completely negate influence upkeep in all its planets is a bad idea, it would effectively remove that mechanic in late game and make Gaia a must.
Something less drastic, like giving a sizeable bonus to influence production but not removing influence upkeep.

Current base influence upkeep is

Code: Select all

            effects = SetTargetInfluence value = Value -
                (NamedReal name = "COLONY_ADMIN_COSTS_PER_PLANET" value = 0.4) * ((
                    Statistic Count condition = And [
                        Planet
                        OwnedBy empire = Source.Owner
                        Species
                    ] +
                    ((NamedReal name = "OUTPOST_RELATIVE_ADMIN_COUNT" value = 0.25) *
                        (Statistic Count condition = And [
                            Planet
                            OwnedBy empire = Source.Owner
                            Not Species
                        ])                
                    )
                )^0.5)
That is 0.4 * (#colonies + 0.25*#outposts)^0.5

It's better than what it was a few months ago, but it's still a problem for big enough galaxies.
The solution should be something about balancing maximum levels of influence upkeep in big galaxies late game with maximum influence production.

rallytoshelly
Space Floater
Posts: 19
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2018 7:40 am

Re: Suggestion: Gaia special negates influence upkeep

#3 Post by rallytoshelly »

The solution should be something about balancing maximum levels of influence upkeep in big galaxies late game with maximum influence production.
Ah yes, I agree. I was playing with ~150 systems and a large number of AI, which is 'normal' for me, and my frustration was getting halfway through the game and finding that planets set to influence focus often weren't even producing enough influence to offset their upkeep. I didn't attempt to remove colonies and outposts but I imagine that would create an issue with supply, requiring at least a larger number of administrative buildings and causing instability either way.

The multiplier effect of unhappiness with buildings was a real killer a couple of months ago. I remember playing Sly and Gas Giant Generators destablilsing the whole galaxy. I think? that may have been fixed? I have been conservative with replicating any type of building too much.

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