User:Eleazar/Multi-Species/Natives
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Contents
Introduction
("Indigene" is the noun form of "indigenous", it sounds more appropriate than "native")
A galaxy consisting of empty planets and with only a handful of distant player species feels unnecessarily barren - especially in the opening stages of the game. To mitigate the dull vacantness of the galaxy, i propose adding two or three times the number Indigene species as empire-building player species (including AIs). 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. Though they won't a star-faring civilization on their own, joined with a player species they can make a big difference. They have fewer positive pics than the player species, (which provides the great benefit that they don't have to be balanced against the player species, or even each other.)
The advancement of indigenous culture and technology varies, which effects how great a force (for good or ill) they can be within your empire.
- Indigene species may need to have a simpler Ethos, i.e. one with fewer elements to properly fit in a multi-species empire.
Indigene Interaction
With Indigene planets you have up to 3 special options, Study, Communicate, and Educate, in addition to the normal military options. All these options may require a special type of ship to be present.
Study
An item is added to the science queue. Once a modest number of RP have been spent, you'll learn the Indigene's language and pics (stats). Communicate is now unlocked. Study may be helpful even if you wanted to exterminate or exploit, because you'll learn how they might be exploited, or how well they could fight.
Communicate
A simplified diplomacy screen is opened. The topic of negotiations is getting the planet to willingly join your empire. The Indigene's initial opinion of your empire is based on the compatibility of your empire's actions with their ethoi. Planets with more advanced tech and whose local strength is closer to yours will drive harder bargains. The empire may offer better status and/or Tech Level advancement as inducements. The empire may also bribe or threaten.
If the indigene planet ultimately accepts, it is added to the empire, and any status, education, and/or bribe promised is automatically given. If the planet doesn't accept, the empire may attack, or simply come back later. Status may be lowered later, that will naturally annoy them, but not end the deal.
Attack
Invasions generally spark a ground war. The Indigenes get a fighting bonus from being on their homeworld(?), and while technologically inferior, may be able to hold out a long time. Some mid-game bio-warfare techs may allow you to exterminate them without a fight.
Educate
This is available only after a planet has been added to your empire, assuming the planet is not already high-tech. Education advances the tech-level which allows more population, allows the planet to be more productive, but also makes it easier to effectively rebel, should they become unhappy with you.
Educating a species takes some time.
Unanswered questions:
- If a species has been spread to multiple planets, are they educated en mass or one planet at a time?
- Within the time-frame of the game will indigenes advance their tech-level on their own?
- Or should education only be available at first contact, to peg a total species at one tech-level?
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.
- TL1 ) Primitive: Haven't invented more than basic tools.
- TL2 ) Tribal: (need better name) Approximately Medieval tech level.
- TL3 ) Civilized: Approximately 19-21 century tech level.
- TL4 ) High-Tech: Similar to a starting player.
Production
These are the types of production that can be produced at each tech level. This is not meant to imply that (for instance) only TL4 planets engage in any kind of industry, but that only the industry of a TL4 planet is useful for your interstellar empire.
- TL1 ) Food, Minerals
- TL2 ) Food, Minerals, Trade
- TL3 ) Food, Minerals, Trade, Science
- TL4 ) Food, Minerals, Trade, Science, Industry (all)
Population
Indigenes get the "homeworld" special for their starting planet. However, at lower tech levels they can support less population, something like:
- TL1 ) 20%
- TL2 ) 40%
- TL3 ) 70%
- TL4 ) 100%
Combat
I don't know how ground combat will work so the following is rather sketchy.
Though everybody gets a bonus to defend their homeworld, lower tech-level Indigenes should be less effective fighters, however the decentralize nature of their society may make them ore resistant to bombing and other such attacks. TL3 and 4 might also have planetary defenses.
NOTE: This whole section has been re-shaped to make things simpler. In my mind "Uplift" has been abandoned, or at least postponed until after 1.0.
