Now, don't get me wrong, I think that megacorp is looking to be a great DLC, but one thing that I find strange is the fact that most of the megacorp civics look... bland and dull? Like, except for megachurches, criminal syndicate and indentured servants (which is a slaver guilds analog) all of the civics are very boring "+5% random value" boni. Now, this wouldn't be that unusual up until now, but the devs seem to be decidedly moving away from these kinds of dull civics post 2.2(and with good reason), and a bunch of normal civics are getting spruced up to feel more unique. They don't all need to be game-changing, but look at, for example, the new science directorate, aristocratic elite and agrarian idyll civics - they don't fundamentally change how you play, but they will definitely affect your playstyle in an interesting way. "+4 starbase capacity" is neither interesting nor does it affect your empire in any truly significant way. I realize that the devs have limited time and resources and can't rework every civic into something unique, but for a first pass at least giving megacorps lifeseeded, post-apocalyptic, mechanist and syncretic evolution analogs would be a significant improvement.
Boring megacorp civics
- Thread starter Hapchazzard
- Start date
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Hm, this made me wonder about the others:
Machine Intelligence:
- Rogue Servitors.
- Determined Exterminator.
- Driven Assimilator.
Hive Mind:
- Devouring Swarm.
Normal ethos civics:
- Life Seeded.
- Post Apocalyptic.
- Syncretic Evolution.
- Barbaric Despoilers.
- Fanatic Purifiers.
- Feudal Society. (Able to remove later)
- Inward Perfection. (Able to remove later)
- Mechanist
Did I miss something?
Machine Intelligence:
- Rogue Servitors.
- Determined Exterminator.
- Driven Assimilator.
Hive Mind:
- Devouring Swarm.
Normal ethos civics:
- Life Seeded.
- Post Apocalyptic.
- Syncretic Evolution.
- Barbaric Despoilers.
- Fanatic Purifiers.
- Feudal Society. (Able to remove later)
- Inward Perfection. (Able to remove later)
- Mechanist
Did I miss something?
2.2 has changed some boring civics to actually use the new pop mechanics. Future expansions may revitalize some boring civics with new gameplay mechanics, such as internal politics.
Not sure what you mean but I didn't mention those because It was more or less just a % increaser.
With Agrarian Idyll and Citizen Service walking the edge with unity attached to certain buildings.
Agrarian Idyll is now less housing for city districts and more housing for mining, farming, and energy districts, along with farmers producing amenities
I'm really looking forward to Megacorps, but I think they could spice up some of the bland % modifier civics. It isn't really about them being weak (+4 Starbases sounds OP to me) but that most are passive and forgettable rather than active. Boring is one of the worst sins of game development. My suggestions:
Private Military Companies:
Army Damage +20%, Army Upkeep -20% Requires some degree of Militarist
NEW: Purchase army units with energy credits. (Also applies to planets with Branch Office+building)
NEW: Strongholds OR Soldier jobs generate trade value
Trading Posts:
Starbase Capacity +4
NEW: Starbase Capacity +1 per Branch Office (max 1 per Empire, perhaps also grant +1 to target empire).
NEW: Trade modules add +1 to administrative capacity
Brand Loyalty:
Monthly Unity +15%
NEW: +5 Max trust per branch office OR +5 opinion per branch office
The other option is a little harder to show on the civic selection screen, but the phrase "adds new Policies, Edicts and Event outcomes" to each civic would also work wonders for increasing their variety and depth if implemented.
Policies:
Naval Contractors gain a policy allowing you to switch the contractor changing the +15% bonus cap to +33% build speed or perhaps something with a trade-off like +10% HP but increased ship construction and +10% maintenance costs.
Media Conglomerates gain the policy "propaganda" which determines the type of propaganda they distribute. They could all give +% happiness but focus on different strata and have a different secondary bonus. Also influencing strata political power (e.g. reducing worker strata political power and increasing ruler power with a +5% bonus to ruler happiness instead of the +5% happiness to all and -5% war exhaustion, or +5% to workers with +30% ethics shift chance).
Edicts:
Free Traders gain the ability to boost the trade in certain goods. Stimulating the market through "Conventional Unconventional Policies" Our megacorporation is investing in bold new ideas, our central banks have created money with the aim of influencing other market-determined interest rates such as the longer-term yield on government bonds. Everything from Alloys and Consumer goods to Volatile Motes can be influenced with one small change in Policy.
Media Conglomerates gain the ability to release propaganda edicts - to change ethics attraction, reduce war weariness or to reduce the influence costs during the next election. (What I'd love here is the addition of a news ticker under the resource bar or on the bottom of the screen, with edicts having custom text and silly news stories... that's pure cosmetic, UI flavour but it would give your corporation a nice Media Theme. Be wasted as a feature if only one civic had it and it doesn't add anything functional... but I want it anyway)
Lastly, more buildings either linked to Civics or Ethics. More like the Smugglers port but instead "Recruiting Centers" "Franchise Subsidiary Headquarters", "Peacekeeping Station", "Emergency Disaster Relief Base", "Automated Delivery Center" etc.
Private Military Companies:
Army Damage +20%, Army Upkeep -20% Requires some degree of Militarist
NEW: Purchase army units with energy credits. (Also applies to planets with Branch Office+building)
NEW: Strongholds OR Soldier jobs generate trade value
Trading Posts:
Starbase Capacity +4
NEW: Starbase Capacity +1 per Branch Office (max 1 per Empire, perhaps also grant +1 to target empire).
NEW: Trade modules add +1 to administrative capacity
Brand Loyalty:
Monthly Unity +15%
NEW: +5 Max trust per branch office OR +5 opinion per branch office
The other option is a little harder to show on the civic selection screen, but the phrase "adds new Policies, Edicts and Event outcomes" to each civic would also work wonders for increasing their variety and depth if implemented.
Policies:
Naval Contractors gain a policy allowing you to switch the contractor changing the +15% bonus cap to +33% build speed or perhaps something with a trade-off like +10% HP but increased ship construction and +10% maintenance costs.
Media Conglomerates gain the policy "propaganda" which determines the type of propaganda they distribute. They could all give +% happiness but focus on different strata and have a different secondary bonus. Also influencing strata political power (e.g. reducing worker strata political power and increasing ruler power with a +5% bonus to ruler happiness instead of the +5% happiness to all and -5% war exhaustion, or +5% to workers with +30% ethics shift chance).
Edicts:
Free Traders gain the ability to boost the trade in certain goods. Stimulating the market through "Conventional Unconventional Policies" Our megacorporation is investing in bold new ideas, our central banks have created money with the aim of influencing other market-determined interest rates such as the longer-term yield on government bonds. Everything from Alloys and Consumer goods to Volatile Motes can be influenced with one small change in Policy.
Media Conglomerates gain the ability to release propaganda edicts - to change ethics attraction, reduce war weariness or to reduce the influence costs during the next election. (What I'd love here is the addition of a news ticker under the resource bar or on the bottom of the screen, with edicts having custom text and silly news stories... that's pure cosmetic, UI flavour but it would give your corporation a nice Media Theme. Be wasted as a feature if only one civic had it and it doesn't add anything functional... but I want it anyway)
Lastly, more buildings either linked to Civics or Ethics. More like the Smugglers port but instead "Recruiting Centers" "Franchise Subsidiary Headquarters", "Peacekeeping Station", "Emergency Disaster Relief Base", "Automated Delivery Center" etc.
I would rather redefine diplomatic relations, and how space is carved out.
more options to vassalize, less easy total war, more internal and governmental resistance
"system security" vs "borders" so that some systems are claimed, but still allow others to cross, while closing off borders needs extra effort
better fog of war mechanics
more interesting warfare with at least abilities, the need to use admirals for larger fleets
adding energy cost to high tech vessels, so minerals only is not the only meta
otherwise megacorps is going to be fluke, or a "team play powercore for another player doing the eradication", and games will continue to be "knock off everyone from the board to win" vs. "everybody lets be friends in a federation for hours" boredoms.
yes i am talking about mp, since single player, you can modify everything with mods anyway.
more options to vassalize, less easy total war, more internal and governmental resistance
"system security" vs "borders" so that some systems are claimed, but still allow others to cross, while closing off borders needs extra effort
better fog of war mechanics
more interesting warfare with at least abilities, the need to use admirals for larger fleets
adding energy cost to high tech vessels, so minerals only is not the only meta
otherwise megacorps is going to be fluke, or a "team play powercore for another player doing the eradication", and games will continue to be "knock off everyone from the board to win" vs. "everybody lets be friends in a federation for hours" boredoms.
yes i am talking about mp, since single player, you can modify everything with mods anyway.
I think they are taking a design philosophy that generic empires get more i'll call them "Mid level" civics(which most civics should be), as most of the game changing is done by the authority itself for gestalts and megacorps.