The Nemesis-mechanic of the same-named DLC feels very unsatisfactory and linear, without that much replay-value.
So here are some ideas I had, on what could be changed, to make it more interesting:
1. The Threatlevel-Screen:
The threatlevel-screen should no longer be locked behind the ascension perk and fullfill a slightly different purpose:
It shows, how much of a threat to the galaxy you are and gives varius buffs (and debuffs) depending on your current threat-level /-value.
Different from before, the threat-value can no longer only accumulate but also go down over time depending on your actions, active edicts etc.
This would help to further flesh out the differences between different empires.
The different effects come in effect depending on your current threat-value.
At a low threat value, there could be an attraction for the pacifist-ethik and that attraction gets lower, the more of a threat to the galaxy you are until you have an attracition to the militarist ethic instead.
Other bonuses (and maluses) could be:
-Goverment-Ethics-attraction (when you are pretty much isolated from the rest of the galaxy because of their fear)
-new wargoals can be used against your empire (if the threat-level is to high): threat suppresson (weakens your ability to be threat to others, if you lose)
-diplomatic modifiers
-maybe a bonus for armies and fleets as well as starbases
-a high enough threat-level could be a condition to select the nemesis ascension-perk
How to influence your threatlevel:
-some edicts and policies could influence the threat level for as long as they are active.
-military technologys can add a smal permanent value towards the threatlevel as well as a temporary empire-modifier
-most military actions can add a temporary empire-modifier, which adds some points to your threat level, with the specific amount and time until it gets removed / expired depending on the specific action.
2. The nemesis-ascension-perk:
Instead of unlocking the threat-level-screen, the overhauled nemesis-ascension-perk would unlock a number of dangerous new options to research:
Different world-ending machines (megastructures, that can be build multiple times, but are very expensive:
Superweapon:
-a superweapon capable of destroyen itself and alle the surrounding starsystems once used
-also effects your own territory, but you dont HAVE to activate it
-the range increases the more you upgrade it (but you can activate it even on level 1)
-other empires in range will be much more willing to listen to your diplomats and demands
-maybe you can build defensive buildings on planets / starbases to somewhat lighten the impact (of a low-level superweapon), but you would still suffer massive damage on the "protectet" worlds (unprotectet starsystems and planets get completely obliteratet in stareater-stile).
+similar to nukes on earth: using such a weapon is far less beneficial the simply owning one as a deterent
Aetherophasic Engine (currently the only nemesis-exclusive "megastructure")
-also needs psionic ascension
-your empire will be able to interact much more with the shroud (interval gets shorter the more you complete the engine)
-maybe a bonus for all your psionic pops (which gets stronger the more you complete the engine)
-debuff for other psionic empires in the galaxy (which also gets stronger the more you complete the engine)
-jump-drives could be less effective for others whilest yours are becoming more effective
-once fully upgraded you can end the game to enter into the shroud and destroy the galaxy
Virtual Universe / Hypercomputer:
-also needs technological ascendancy to be built
+you can fully transfer the conscioucness of your people into the virtual universe where they can rule as gods, massively strengthening the loyalty of your people to the one who makes such a thing possible
+"using your tremendous knowledge of the universe you are able to create your own"
-science-bonus
-bonus for every pop in your empire
-maybe bonus for your armies and fleets
-maybe you can share these bonuses with your allies /vassals
-the more you complete the megastructure, the stronger these bonuses beome
-once complete you can write the existence of this virtuel universe into the laws of the real universe, making your own universe indestructible and everlasting. Sadly such an act *might* destroy the space there such an act takes place.
Genedominator:
-also needs genetic ascension
+by guiding the evoultion of every organism in the universe until they effectively become your species, it will be impossible for your race to ever go extinct
-gives big bonus for popgrowth on all your planets in range of the Genedominator
-bonuses to terraforming planets in range of the Genedominator
-(genetic) speciesmodifactionprojects are much easier to complete for your empire
-enemy planets in range of the genedominator get a debuff for popgrowth
-maybe empire-modificator, that lessens the effects of negative genes in your biological pops
-chance that spaceborne organics or maybe even "smal" fleets of the scourge-crisis spawn in (enemy) space influenced by the Genedominator
-once completely upgraded you can destroy the galaxy to make the effects of the Genedominator reach the entire (or at least nearby) universe
Simulationbreaker:
+inspired from the precursor-empire that beliefs that the entire universe is a simulation
+once your empire learns about this or has advanced far enough to proof this, your people do not fall into despair but instead attempt to hack the simulation
-maybe unlocked depending your scientific progress? or only unlocked if you have completet the matching precursor-empire-event-chain?
-basically everything could be possible, since you try to change the laws of the universe (taregetet buffs possible?)
-as a result of your hacking-attempts there may occur a "glitch", that might random have good or bad effects, like spawning a fleet (enemy, neutral, owned by your empire), duplicating a character, changing the type of a planet, ressources, new / changed ressource-depots on a planet / celestial body, somehow a new empire spawns somethere, a planet / starsystem somethere in the galaxy gets destroyed, you (or somebody else?) obtain new pops out of thin air, a stargate gets createt somethere, two places get connected via wormhole, a wormhole closes...
-the effects get stronger / occur more often, the more you complete it (but maybe a higher chance for positive effects)
once the Simulationbreaker is complete you win the game (but destroy the galaxy). perhaps you have left the simulaton, or maybe the securityprotocolls inside the simulation decided to purge the source of all these errors that are occuring? Maybe both, since you escaped fast enough, and the other empires are left to deal with the securityprotocolls (they cant)?
Other technologies:
Beeing able to build crisis-ships (if you have the relatet ascension-perk)
1. threatships: cheap, easy to replace and highly armed spaceships
2. bioships (scourge-vessels): need food instead of minerals / alloys / energy (and maybe a special starbase-building), fleets can replenish themselves without the need of building addition ships (new / missing ships spawn regularly)
3. projections (unbidden-ships): maybe limitet by the number of spionic pops in your empire instead of normal fleetcapacity. They could also be "build" in a special way (a ritual, similar to the one, that lets you enter the shroud) instead.
4. Automatet fleets (contingency / robot-ships): very small amount of fleetcapacity needed compared to other ships whilst also very high stats and low upkeep
More devastating secret operations (better results or additional debuffs for the target-empire), maybe entirely new operations (uprising on a planet)
Enhanced and / or new purging-modes
Destructively efficient new buildings:
-extremely high output but add planetary devastation
+who cares about a single planet, if you already knwo that you will destroy the galaxy
If I remember correctly, the custodian team said in one of the devblogs, taht they want to take another look at the nemesis-expansion, so maybe this inspires you for some (maybe much cooler?) ideas, if you read it
So here are some ideas I had, on what could be changed, to make it more interesting:
1. The Threatlevel-Screen:
The threatlevel-screen should no longer be locked behind the ascension perk and fullfill a slightly different purpose:
It shows, how much of a threat to the galaxy you are and gives varius buffs (and debuffs) depending on your current threat-level /-value.
Different from before, the threat-value can no longer only accumulate but also go down over time depending on your actions, active edicts etc.
This would help to further flesh out the differences between different empires.
The different effects come in effect depending on your current threat-value.
At a low threat value, there could be an attraction for the pacifist-ethik and that attraction gets lower, the more of a threat to the galaxy you are until you have an attracition to the militarist ethic instead.
Other bonuses (and maluses) could be:
-Goverment-Ethics-attraction (when you are pretty much isolated from the rest of the galaxy because of their fear)
-new wargoals can be used against your empire (if the threat-level is to high): threat suppresson (weakens your ability to be threat to others, if you lose)
-diplomatic modifiers
-maybe a bonus for armies and fleets as well as starbases
-a high enough threat-level could be a condition to select the nemesis ascension-perk
How to influence your threatlevel:
-some edicts and policies could influence the threat level for as long as they are active.
-military technologys can add a smal permanent value towards the threatlevel as well as a temporary empire-modifier
-most military actions can add a temporary empire-modifier, which adds some points to your threat level, with the specific amount and time until it gets removed / expired depending on the specific action.
2. The nemesis-ascension-perk:
Instead of unlocking the threat-level-screen, the overhauled nemesis-ascension-perk would unlock a number of dangerous new options to research:
Different world-ending machines (megastructures, that can be build multiple times, but are very expensive:
Superweapon:
-a superweapon capable of destroyen itself and alle the surrounding starsystems once used
-also effects your own territory, but you dont HAVE to activate it
-the range increases the more you upgrade it (but you can activate it even on level 1)
-other empires in range will be much more willing to listen to your diplomats and demands
-maybe you can build defensive buildings on planets / starbases to somewhat lighten the impact (of a low-level superweapon), but you would still suffer massive damage on the "protectet" worlds (unprotectet starsystems and planets get completely obliteratet in stareater-stile).
+similar to nukes on earth: using such a weapon is far less beneficial the simply owning one as a deterent
Aetherophasic Engine (currently the only nemesis-exclusive "megastructure")
-also needs psionic ascension
-your empire will be able to interact much more with the shroud (interval gets shorter the more you complete the engine)
-maybe a bonus for all your psionic pops (which gets stronger the more you complete the engine)
-debuff for other psionic empires in the galaxy (which also gets stronger the more you complete the engine)
-jump-drives could be less effective for others whilest yours are becoming more effective
-once fully upgraded you can end the game to enter into the shroud and destroy the galaxy
Virtual Universe / Hypercomputer:
-also needs technological ascendancy to be built
+you can fully transfer the conscioucness of your people into the virtual universe where they can rule as gods, massively strengthening the loyalty of your people to the one who makes such a thing possible
+"using your tremendous knowledge of the universe you are able to create your own"
-science-bonus
-bonus for every pop in your empire
-maybe bonus for your armies and fleets
-maybe you can share these bonuses with your allies /vassals
-the more you complete the megastructure, the stronger these bonuses beome
-once complete you can write the existence of this virtuel universe into the laws of the real universe, making your own universe indestructible and everlasting. Sadly such an act *might* destroy the space there such an act takes place.
Genedominator:
-also needs genetic ascension
+by guiding the evoultion of every organism in the universe until they effectively become your species, it will be impossible for your race to ever go extinct
-gives big bonus for popgrowth on all your planets in range of the Genedominator
-bonuses to terraforming planets in range of the Genedominator
-(genetic) speciesmodifactionprojects are much easier to complete for your empire
-enemy planets in range of the genedominator get a debuff for popgrowth
-maybe empire-modificator, that lessens the effects of negative genes in your biological pops
-chance that spaceborne organics or maybe even "smal" fleets of the scourge-crisis spawn in (enemy) space influenced by the Genedominator
-once completely upgraded you can destroy the galaxy to make the effects of the Genedominator reach the entire (or at least nearby) universe
Simulationbreaker:
+inspired from the precursor-empire that beliefs that the entire universe is a simulation
+once your empire learns about this or has advanced far enough to proof this, your people do not fall into despair but instead attempt to hack the simulation
-maybe unlocked depending your scientific progress? or only unlocked if you have completet the matching precursor-empire-event-chain?
-basically everything could be possible, since you try to change the laws of the universe (taregetet buffs possible?)
-as a result of your hacking-attempts there may occur a "glitch", that might random have good or bad effects, like spawning a fleet (enemy, neutral, owned by your empire), duplicating a character, changing the type of a planet, ressources, new / changed ressource-depots on a planet / celestial body, somehow a new empire spawns somethere, a planet / starsystem somethere in the galaxy gets destroyed, you (or somebody else?) obtain new pops out of thin air, a stargate gets createt somethere, two places get connected via wormhole, a wormhole closes...
-the effects get stronger / occur more often, the more you complete it (but maybe a higher chance for positive effects)
once the Simulationbreaker is complete you win the game (but destroy the galaxy). perhaps you have left the simulaton, or maybe the securityprotocolls inside the simulation decided to purge the source of all these errors that are occuring? Maybe both, since you escaped fast enough, and the other empires are left to deal with the securityprotocolls (they cant)?
Other technologies:
Beeing able to build crisis-ships (if you have the relatet ascension-perk)
1. threatships: cheap, easy to replace and highly armed spaceships
2. bioships (scourge-vessels): need food instead of minerals / alloys / energy (and maybe a special starbase-building), fleets can replenish themselves without the need of building addition ships (new / missing ships spawn regularly)
3. projections (unbidden-ships): maybe limitet by the number of spionic pops in your empire instead of normal fleetcapacity. They could also be "build" in a special way (a ritual, similar to the one, that lets you enter the shroud) instead.
4. Automatet fleets (contingency / robot-ships): very small amount of fleetcapacity needed compared to other ships whilst also very high stats and low upkeep
More devastating secret operations (better results or additional debuffs for the target-empire), maybe entirely new operations (uprising on a planet)
Enhanced and / or new purging-modes
Destructively efficient new buildings:
-extremely high output but add planetary devastation
+who cares about a single planet, if you already knwo that you will destroy the galaxy
If I remember correctly, the custodian team said in one of the devblogs, taht they want to take another look at the nemesis-expansion, so maybe this inspires you for some (maybe much cooler?) ideas, if you read it
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