EDIT: I meant to post this in the Suggestions forum, but posted it here by accident. My apologies to the mods if they need to move it.
I like the idea of space nomads. Lots of people do. But how could they work in Stellaris, a game based on static planet-based empires?
The following five conditions need to be met for Nomads to work in the game:
1. Nomads need to use the same basic mechanics as settled empires.
2. There needs to be a reason for Nomads to migrate between systems.
3. There needs to be a reason for settled empires to not want them in their space.
4. There need to be ways for nomads to make themselves wanted in settled space, but with limits.
5. Nomads need to fit into the same mid-endgame goal structure as settled empires - exercising control over areas of space, and bringing themselves into competition with other empires over control of space.
There are solutions for every problem, and each brings with it fun and interesting gameplay possibilities, which would make nomads a fun alternative to settled empires.
1. Instead of planets, Nomads would use worldships, which function like small but mobile planets. Each would have 5-9 pops, with one larger capital worldship. Each tile starts empty, but the first level of each resource building would be cheaper and more effective for Nomads.
Colonized worlds start with innate advantages; each newly built worldship would have a credits, mineral, food, or tech bonus, derived from the equivalent of the Planetary Admin building on the center tile. Food would be shared throughout all ships in the same fleet, allowing specialization.
Selecting a worldship would bring up the same kind of interface as for planets. Each ship would have the same functionality as a spaceport, including ship construction, with the same interface being used. They would share some modules with normal spaceports, but also have unique Nomad modules.
2. An elegant and logical way to keep Nomads nomadic is to make it impossible for migrant fleets to produce minerals on their own. They have to take minerals from whatever system they’re in, and there has to be a limit to how much they can take before having to move on. Mineral buildings on worldships would just be storage - which would naturally be lower for Nomads, again encouraging migration.
E.G. the Nomad equivalent of a construction ship (rename to salvager?) would be able to perform something like a research project on any asteroid or uninhabited planet with resources; when complete, it would give a lump sum in minerals to the Nomads, and apply a modifier to the asteroid or planet preventing salvage for X years, and reducing resource output from that source for any settled empire for the same amount of time.
To encourage constant movement even when not building new ships or modules, there should be a chance for resource buildings on Nomad ships to break, requiring repair.
Points 3, 4, and 5 will be in the next post.
I like the idea of space nomads. Lots of people do. But how could they work in Stellaris, a game based on static planet-based empires?
The following five conditions need to be met for Nomads to work in the game:
1. Nomads need to use the same basic mechanics as settled empires.
2. There needs to be a reason for Nomads to migrate between systems.
3. There needs to be a reason for settled empires to not want them in their space.
4. There need to be ways for nomads to make themselves wanted in settled space, but with limits.
5. Nomads need to fit into the same mid-endgame goal structure as settled empires - exercising control over areas of space, and bringing themselves into competition with other empires over control of space.
There are solutions for every problem, and each brings with it fun and interesting gameplay possibilities, which would make nomads a fun alternative to settled empires.
1. Instead of planets, Nomads would use worldships, which function like small but mobile planets. Each would have 5-9 pops, with one larger capital worldship. Each tile starts empty, but the first level of each resource building would be cheaper and more effective for Nomads.
Colonized worlds start with innate advantages; each newly built worldship would have a credits, mineral, food, or tech bonus, derived from the equivalent of the Planetary Admin building on the center tile. Food would be shared throughout all ships in the same fleet, allowing specialization.
Selecting a worldship would bring up the same kind of interface as for planets. Each ship would have the same functionality as a spaceport, including ship construction, with the same interface being used. They would share some modules with normal spaceports, but also have unique Nomad modules.
2. An elegant and logical way to keep Nomads nomadic is to make it impossible for migrant fleets to produce minerals on their own. They have to take minerals from whatever system they’re in, and there has to be a limit to how much they can take before having to move on. Mineral buildings on worldships would just be storage - which would naturally be lower for Nomads, again encouraging migration.
E.G. the Nomad equivalent of a construction ship (rename to salvager?) would be able to perform something like a research project on any asteroid or uninhabited planet with resources; when complete, it would give a lump sum in minerals to the Nomads, and apply a modifier to the asteroid or planet preventing salvage for X years, and reducing resource output from that source for any settled empire for the same amount of time.
To encourage constant movement even when not building new ships or modules, there should be a chance for resource buildings on Nomad ships to break, requiring repair.
Points 3, 4, and 5 will be in the next post.
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. Meanwhile the nomad fleet send me a message that they are heading out of the galaxy (so noone is ever going to pick that pure guys who all can't swim of that planet).
