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Home » Stars! 2.6/7 » The Bar » Story-Driven Games? (Discussion on RP-centric games.)
poll.gif  Story-Driven Games? Tue, 10 January 2017 09:36 Go to next message
Entropicurity is currently offline Entropicurity

 
Petty Officer 1st Class

Messages: 62
Registered: November 2007
Location: Northern Indiana, USA

Hello everyone!

It has been ages since I've ran my own game and now that I'm getting back into the game itself I'm exploring what I'd like to do after I get at least 3 games under my own belt. I recall 9+ years ago a number of games that were really enjoyable (sadly where my HP SS was consumed by a neighboring WM race) was built around the idea of using diplomacy and one's imagination to keep "in character" during the game.

Since that time it seems the game has evolved quite a bit and there is a slightly smaller community. What has everyone's experience been with story-driven games so far and what galaxy settings were involved? I'm thinking a "healthy" dose of planets for each players is between 25 and 30 to each player, and using a map tool if that becomes desirable (galaxy clumping could be a simpler solution as well)

Furthermore, are there any of you out there who would enjoy a game like this? Thanks all for any and all input!



--
"A gem is not polished without rubbing, nor a man perfected without trials." - Chinese Proverb

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Re: Story-Driven Games? Tue, 10 January 2017 10:46 Go to previous messageGo to next message
talkingbologna is currently offline talkingbologna

 
Senior Chief Petty Officer

Messages: 86
Registered: November 2016
Location: 1947
I've no experience for suggestions, but would most definitely be interested.

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Re: Story-Driven Games? Wed, 11 January 2017 21:06 Go to previous messageGo to next message
neilhoward

 
Commander

Messages: 1112
Registered: April 2008
Location: SW3 & 10023
I like the idea. I will look for some examples.

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Re: Story-Driven Games? Thu, 12 January 2017 09:17 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Entropicurity is currently offline Entropicurity

 
Petty Officer 1st Class

Messages: 62
Registered: November 2007
Location: Northern Indiana, USA

There was one game someone had started (don't think it was Autohost related, WAAAAAY back 10+ years ago) where the Host was running a race with all the other players.

Everyone was required to have Mineral Alchemy set to max and low starting population in a no-AccBB game on their first turn, to which his race allowed a larger start. I think he played as a IT set to ally with everyone (think the Ancients from Stargate Atlantis), and force-Gened a number of turns that were pre-established by the host so that players had an idea of what %GR to choose. I believe it was something between year 2410 or 2420?

After this point, players would start the game with a plethora of minerals, "standard" starting tech, and an "allied" stargate that connected throughout the cosmos. SS players wouldn't get anything as the Host would not research anything at all until game start using the starting tech from IT and the secondary Planet to transport what was needed.

Players would then start the game alongside the "allied" Host race (limited number of planets) and could chose to attack them or not as the benefit from the gates worked for and against opponents. I can't recall what ended up happening to that game as I sadly was only able to get into the briefly before life caught up with me.

Would this be something that could still work? I'm mapping and doing the numbers now, and it seems it could work, reshape the map into a galaxy and then selectively colonize key planets, put up a gate, and then be ready by game "start."



--
"A gem is not polished without rubbing, nor a man perfected without trials." - Chinese Proverb

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Re: Story-Driven Games? Thu, 12 January 2017 13:20 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Altruist is currently offline Altruist

 
Commander

Messages: 1068
Registered: August 2005
Location: Berlin
Entropicurity wrote on Tue, 10 January 2017 15:36
Since that time it seems the game has evolved quite a bit and there is a slightly smaller community. What has everyone's experience been with story-driven games so far and what galaxy settings were involved? I'm thinking a "healthy" dose of planets for each players is between 25 and 30 to each player, and using a map tool if that becomes desirable (galaxy clumping could be a simpler solution as well)


There were several story driven games. Just a few:


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Re: Story-Driven Games? Thu, 12 January 2017 15:54 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Entropicurity is currently offline Entropicurity

 
Petty Officer 1st Class

Messages: 62
Registered: November 2007
Location: Northern Indiana, USA

Thanks Altruist!

I've been looking at the hosting sights and everything, so may try something that doesn't require modifying race files to start. Looks like my first "multiplayer" game will start soon if all goes well I'll be in the seat of host before too long. That being said this was the idea I had in mind for something more casual but with enough conflict to keep the other players "tense" between each other:

GAME NAME: Fermis Resurrection

THEME: Defense, Diplomacy, and Economy

DESCRIPTION:
Quote:
The Multiverse was vast and limitless, filled with microcosmic bubbles of space and time each interconnected by mysterious threads of unstable energy. A war between the two superraces known as the Sznip, a race of crustaceans, and the Fermis, a race of nuclear plasmatoids changed all that forever.

Little was ever known of the how or the why behind the war, though one thing was for certain: The "Big Bang" destroyed or scattered these interconnected microcosms to the emptiness of the void. What solar systems that do remain cling to one another, spinning in an endless dance as the rest of cosmos grew ever more distant.

As the countless years passed before present day, the dust of the war had finally settled, the common silence finally shattered as native intelligent civilizations began to reach for the stars. You now command one such civilization, to which you are now tasked to lead all under your command towards a prosperous future.

As your Civilization finds their way through the universe, they and many other civilizations quickly discover that a mysterious artifact has resurrected a spiritual echo of the Fermis, rekindling their desire to claim all of the cosmos for their own. You all are all that stand in their way.


UNIVERSE:
Ideal Size 4-6 Players, with inclusion of AI as detailed below.
Sized so that 32(±5) planets per player
Distant
AccBBS
PPS
Clumping
Computer AI form alliances

STANDARD CHEAT DISCLAIMER:
Only chaff and split fleet dodge are allowed. All other cheats are banned. See Known Bugs (or at HWF) for details.

ALLIANCE & RACE DISCLAIMER:
No Pre-Game Alliances: This is meant to be a casual story-driven game, not a team-based game.
Players are allowed to and encouraged to have open communication with individual races.
Each race is allowed one global message which must be used to declare their acquisition of a Victory Condition, otherwise global messages are not allowed.

I'm on the fence for what limitations to put on race design. As it stands I'd like to limit JoAT and CA entirely (among the most potent "eco" races) and give other PRT a chance to shine.

WINNING CONDITIONS:
Winning conditions will be based on what I hope to be achievable goals by 2460. Given the unique nature of the game and the inclusion of AI races, ALL players "Win" by 2460 but have the ability to "claim" additional Victory Conditions for a secondary victory. At the end of the 60 Years, players will either decide on if they wish to continue or declare a victory. Examples of this will likely include:

  • Owns X% of all planets where X% = 40(±5) Planets
  • Attain Tech Level 12 in 3 Fields
  • Exceeds 2nd Place Score by 50%
  • Has the Highest Score by year 60
  • One Condition for each race that participated in the elimination of an AI Homeworld (must be publicly announced and verified by Host or Co-Host).

Game ends after the elimination of all of the 3 Horde AI planets (Minimum 60 Years, may change to 2 of 3 AI's) or by player vote.

Hosting How-To that I plan to use below:
http://wiki.starsautohost.org/wiki/How_to_Host_a_Game_v2.0_b y_Omonubi
...




--
"A gem is not polished without rubbing, nor a man perfected without trials." - Chinese Proverb

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Re: Story-Driven Games? Thu, 12 January 2017 16:17 Go to previous message
Entropicurity is currently offline Entropicurity

 
Petty Officer 1st Class

Messages: 62
Registered: November 2007
Location: Northern Indiana, USA

AI EXPLANATION: The Fermis, Reborn!
To help explain the use of the AI, I will use the Expert AR Race for reasons related to story as well as early harassment (bombing colonizers!), expansion resistance (requires an armed escort to take out the forts), and they threaten to claim everything around themselves (making HW identification clear for purposes of Victory Conditions).

For every 2 players (minimum 1), the game will include one additional Expert AI. Universe Settings as follows:

4 Players, 2 Expert AR AI: Small Dense (160 planets)
6 Players, 3 Expert AR AI: Medium Normal (288 planets)

With the "artifact" races included provides at the very least 27-32 "real" planets to each player.

The real enemy here is the clock, the potential of the AI "claiming" conditions for themselves, and the race to take out one of the AI while still maintaining a focus on one's "ideal" victory condition.

I welcome any thoughts in the meantime as I work to get this all together!



--
"A gem is not polished without rubbing, nor a man perfected without trials." - Chinese Proverb

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