User:Eleazar/Multi-Species/Natives

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Revision as of 17:23, 11 December 2008 by Eleazar (Talk | contribs) (added 4 technological stages. need more revising)

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Don't mark up this page. If you wish to discuss these ideas, please use this topic.


Indigenes (natives)

("Indigene" is the noun form of "indigenous", it sounds more sci-fi than "native")

Introduction

A galaxy filled mostly with empty planets and handful of distant player species all franticly trying to build an empire feels unnecessarily barren— especially in the opening stages of the game. To mitigate the emptiness of the galaxy, i propose adding two or three times the number Indigene species to empire-building player (including AI) species. Each indigenous species if left alone would never make it to another star. Basically they are minor characters in the game rather than players of the game— NPCs. They have no chance of galactic domination on their own, but can help or hinder the PC species. They have noticeably fewer positive pics than the PC species, which provides the great benefit that they don't have to be balanced against the PC races, or even each other.

There are 2 types of Indigenes, "Pre-sapient", and "Sapient." Both occupy their homeworld, but their population expands at a slower rate than PC species.

  • Note: To simplify, implement only Low-Tech Sapients, and/or implement Pre-sapient Indigenes without uplift. Uplift could always be added later, and i'm not sure the "High-Tech Sapients are a good idea anyway.
  • Indigene species may need to have a simpler Ethos, i.e. one with fewer elements to properly fit in a multi-species empire.


With Indigene planets you have 2 special options, Study and Communicate, in addition to the normal military options.

  • If you choose "Study" (which may require certain ship types) an item is added to the science queue. Once a modest number of RP have been spent, you'll learn the Indigene's racial pics. This is helpful even if you wanted to exterminate or exploit, because you'll learn how they might be exploited, or how much of a fight they'll put up if you try genocide. Sapient Indigenes will have overall better picks that pre-sapients.
  • You still have the choice if or how to incorporate them into your empire. Strategically Pre-sapients offer a small, immediate benefit if exploited v.s. a larger delayed benefit from Uplift. With sapients the benefit of incorporation is about equal to uplift of pre-sapients, but without the delay. However, sapient exploitation is more profitable than exploiting Pre-sapients.
  • If you choose to Exploit or Exterminate you have a chance of a ground war— a higher chance from Exterminate. The chance is based on how war-like the species is, and the compatibility of your ethos, or some such not-yet-devised meter. With either choice your colonization begins immediately. Some mid-game bio-warfare techs may allow you to exterminate them without a fight.

EDIT: The following needs to be revised to allow for the 4 stages of tech listed at the end.

Pre-Sapient Indigenes

Pre-sapients are on the verge of sapiency, more intelligent than any mere animal. With a little help from an advanced species, they will be able to take their place among the stars.

  • To Uplift:
    • After the initial study is complete, and if the appropriate tech is known, an "Uplift, phase 1" option becomes available. (A term other than Brin's "Uplift" should be chosen.) If initiated, the player is offered the choice of removing a negative social pic, adding a social positive one, or perhaps changing an element of the ethos. This represents educating and some genetic tinkering, but not wholesale genetic reengineering. If FO allows genetic engineering of species it should also be possible to do it to your main or conquered species at any time, however, this is a different issue, and not addressed here. At the completion of "Phase 1" the player may include the species as a regular citizen of his empire, or continue to Phase 2 and 3, which are the same as Phase 1 but require exponentially more RP than the previous phase(s).
    • During uplift the Indigene's population may continue to increase. The player has little control over the planet, except perhaps to build defenses. Once uplift is complete, the new client species is added to a multi-species empire, at the level determined by the player and with a allegiance bonus for each phase of uplift completed.
  • Or not to Uplift:
    • If the player doesn't wish to take the time to uplift the indigene, he may still take control of the planet, however due to the primitive nature of the inhabitants, they can only produce food and minerals (and possibly trade). However the pre-sapient offer an extremely low chance of rebellion and are highly resistant to the effects of low moral.


Sapient Indigenes

Sapient Indigenes are (in Star Trek terms) a pre-warp civilization. For whatever cultural, genetic, or situational reason they will never discover Starlanes on their own. However, their planet is already somewhat developed. Their racial picks are not as good as player species, but better than pre-sapients.

When entering a sapient Indigene system, the player may:

  • Ignore
  • Attack: as any other planet, but their defenses will be weaker than PC species, but naturally stronger than the average pre-sapient. The purpose may be to enslave or exterminate.
  • Study: will take longer than it would for pre-sapients.
  • Communicate: The player may offer the Indigene a place in his empire. This place may vary between full citizenship and slavery. Unlike Pre-sapients, these Indigenes may refuse, but will be more inclined to agree to agree than a PC species planet in a similar position, and of course would look more favorably on better offers.
Low-Tech Indigenes

These Indigenes never get around to inventing more than the most basic tools. They never discover space flight or leave their home planet on their own. They do not put effort into the science meter.

These planets, if added to your empire, cannot produce Research.

High-Tech Indigenes

These Indigenes have some interest in science. They can put effort into making any resource. Their AI behaves as a PC species AI would, however since they cannot discover Starlanes, they cannot leave their system, but may try to colonize it. For simplicitie's sake it may be best to confine them to their homeworld. The player may have the option of giving them Starlane tech and unleashing them on the galaxy-- though there are potential problems with this.

If a player enters their system the indigene may open communications on their own.


Technological Stages

To break down the info in another way, a species may fit in one of 4 technological stages. This determines which resources they can produce. Species in the lower stages are easier to control, but less productive

  • 1 ) Pre-Sapient: Food and Minerals
  • 2 ) Barbaric: Food, Minerals, Trade
  • 3 ) Civilized: Food, Minerals, Trade, and Industry
  • 4 ) High-Tech: Food, Minerals, Trade, Industry, and Science