More Megastructures

[Sibericus]

I was a little dissapointed in the list of megastructures coming in Utopia. Don't get me wrong, it's great that we're getting them, but it felt like there were some missed opportunities. Here are a few ideas. Please suggest more.

Citadels - Stationary titanic battlestations equivalent in power to leviathans, like the enigmatic fortress. Fleets could potentially dock around these.

World Forges - Planet-sized construction yards for creating or assisting in the creation of fleets, capital ships, other megastructures, and possibly superweapons.

Stargates - Networks of massive wormhole portals providing near instantaneous transportation to directly connected systems. Construction restricted to wormhole empires.

 

[Mitchz95]

I'm astounded that city planets like Coruscant weren't included in Utopia. Especially now that we have global food, making agri-worlds possible.

(Do those count as megastructures? Whatever, I still want them.)

 

[Alblaka]

Citadels - Titanic battlestations equivalent in power to leviathans, like the enigmatic fortress.

Technically could be viable, but only if you, for some reason, have the ressources to spare to spend countless years on building a defensive structure along a border, instead of just killing off whatever is on the other side of the border with the same ressources invested into a fleet.
And that all under the pretext that you even NEED a defense, and yet survive without it for the time it takes to construct.

World Forges - Planet-sized construction yards for creating or assisting in the creation of capital ships, other megastructures, and possibly superweapons.

A superstructure that builds superstructures.
Do I need to elaborate my 'No'?

Stargates - Networks of massive wormhole generators providing near instantaneous transportation to directly connected systems.

was actually a pretty decent suggestion and, barring a general FTL rework, would be a fine way to implement improved travel by means of expensive structures. But then you added

Construction restricted to wormhole empires.

and I merely facepalmed again.

 

[Hauntmachine]

And also Player buildable Titan's. Those should totally count as megastructures. I know there's already mods that let you board titans as well as add a bunch of unique big ships, but I'd like official artwork and assets for them.

 

[gluck3d]

and I merely facepalmed again.

I would say it is a correct restriction, cause otherwise all empires will lose the difference of three different FTL approaches.

We just need something useful for other FTL types as well.
For example a structure to create/destroy star lanes (and/or improve or slow down/lock existing ones) for star lane empires.
And something to slow down or make warp drives faster in systems or even regions.

May also create something like FTL traps. For example a star base that will catch any ship travelling around the system (not exactly into this system) and put it near to the enigmatic defense platfrom from above

 

[joe9594]

I would say it is a correct restriction, cause otherwise all empires will lose the difference of three different FTL approaches.

Mega structures are only available late game and by then you can potentially just research the other methods (haven't played for a while so this may not still be possible) anyway so that doesn't really matter.

 

[Magnificent Genius]

The World Forge idea would be okay, if it was just limited to being a shipyard. Multiple lines, increased construction speed, something like that, it would be a pretty decent idea. But those other ideas are meh. If you can survive long enough to build a megastructure defense station, then you don't need it, and wormhole empires really don't need the help.

 

[Hauntmachine]

The World Forge idea would be okay, if it was just limited to being a shipyard. Multiple lines, increased construction speed, something like that, it would be a pretty decent idea.

So, the star forge pretty much.

 

[Lowlin]

Interesting discussion on the FTL. I agree that more variance is needed. Jump drive is a variation of Warp drive after all. Late game tech could be to be able to forge your own temporary or permanent hyperlane and as suggested some kind of supergateways. How about a tech that allows travel between all black holes?

Although personally I would prefer a bit of a revamp where everyone starts as pre-ftl. Possibly choosing between different forms such as multi-generation, cryogenic, embryos artificially grown into adults when landed. Then only by early mid-game being able to research one of the current forms of FTL. But that might be a discussion for another forum.

 

[Slarkon]

ye having mega strictures without a mega d-fens structures is mad ted.
i think the FA defence structures should be 100K

 

[GC13]

Players need to be able to construct additional hyperlanes at a high Energy cost. I do like the idea of a large, mobile spaceport. Make it automatically level six with all ship-building upgrades, the ability to fly around, and the ability to build, say, six things at once. It should feel sufficiently advanced to be a smaller, hab complex-sized megastructure.

No navy capacity though.

 

[gluck3d]

If you can survive long enough to build a megastructure defense station, then you don't need it, and wormhole empires really don't need the help.

I tend to disagree. From all mega-structures streams, it is assumed that other empires may also build mega-structures. So it is just a next level of technology.

I'd still join it with my other idea above of FTL trap. So any enemy fleet passing around this system will be intercepted and put near to this station.
With a significant station power (like 100K for example) and significant range of this FTL trap, you would be able to protect important areas of your empire without building stations in each individual system (which doesn't make sense late game as borders tend to move quickly and FTL range is huge).

 

[Ikael]

Cool ideas! I love to play the builder type in my 4X games! As for which things could be added:

Turn world into city planet: Increases the number of tiles of any given planet by 30%, the planet ceases to produce food, but it recieves bonuses to unity and production output. It needs a huge amount of minerals, the bigger the planet, the bigger the effort needed for a full-scale urbanizaton . However, once urbanized, the planetary city will become impossible to terraform, with Gaia planets being downright impossible to submit to this modification due to their semi-sentient biosphere. This will differenciate these two endgame enviroments, with Gaia worlds being more hospitable and versatile, and city planets being more productive and specialized.

The Ender (Halo-esque device): Secret superweapon avaible only for xenophobe empires, if activated it will erase all the life from the galaxy except for only one single chosen lifeform (your own species, of course). Needless to say, this will be a victory condition into its own, a full flegded endgame crisis where you will play the role of the ultimate villain, with its own storyline and the like.

Matrioska Brain: Well, this is kinda what the research station should have been I think.

Consciousness uploading center: A planet-sized supercomputer in charge of preserving the minds of the members of your species after their organic life expire or if they decide to exist without a body for a short period of time. This incredible device is also able to recreate historic personalities from your species pasts, thus being an incredible source of experience and leaders. Needless to say, only materialistic empires will be able to access this megastructure.

 

[Melendor]

I would like to see a permanet wormhole. You would have to build two structions and they will be connected forever.

 

[Sibericus]

Technically could be viable, but only if you, for some reason, have the ressources to spare to spend countless years on building a defensive structure along a border, instead of just killing off whatever is on the other side of the border with the same ressources invested into a fleet.
And that all under the pretext that you even NEED a defense, and yet survive without it for the time it takes to construct.

I can think of a few reasons.

First of which, is fallen and awakened empires. In anticipation of a war with them, one could build these in advance.

Secondly, leviathans. Sometimes, one's fleet will take heavy losses when fighting them, and it will leave one vulnerable to attack from a neighboring empire. Setting these up prior to leviathan hunting could potentially save one's systems should one's fleet be decimated.

Thirdly, for role-playing purposes. I want to have the choice to be able to do it, regardless of cost/time effectiveness. I want my xenophobic, militaristic, authoritarian empire to set up battlestations in every system they can, just because they are that paranoid. I can do that with fortress flowers, but it just isn't as impactful or visually appealing.

I'm certain there are some other reasons that I've overlooked. But these things would be situational, not useless.

A superstructure that builds superstructures.
Do I need to elaborate my 'No'?

Yes you do. What reasons shouldn't there be a megastructure that helps build other megastructures? I am curious of your perspective on this. Your lack of input on the matter does not move the discussion forward.

 

[Es57]

I would like to see a permanet wormhole. You would have to build two structions and they will be connected forever.

Yeah, that would be a Stargate megastructure, as already suggested above.

 

[Sinister2202]

I personally think they should rather add practical ancient mega-structure ruins, with ties to some background stories - something one has to find and can actually put to use rather than build.

- Star gate ruins that can be used to travel to other 'fixed' star gate locations, one of the random locations being where the "ancients prophesied a doom will approach.", thereby helping the player to move against endgame crisis more efficiently. (Things like extradimensionals spawning near and around the gates, but no one knows near which one of the many gates). Or it can just be something that happens to be there, all around the galactic core, for unknown purpose.

- A world forge ruin that gives events as player discovers it. And research projects that allows players to repair it along the way with high costs. Events let players know it's something capable of mass production with massive mineral storage and reserves. After repairs, chances are: the world forge creates a very large armada of rogue mining drones; the world forge gets destroyed; or the world forge becomes the player's, along with mineral storage cap and more minerals. It allows multiple parallel productions... so long as players can find a reason to mass produce ships. Yet another help from the ancients - a tool against endgame crisis.

- A citadel by a shielded gaia world that can act as a refuge against the hordes of enemies, somewhere you can make a last stand, but not particularly useful for defending the borders of an empire. Events would follow after the colonization of the gaia world, such as the discovery of tiny furry primitive creatures living on giant trees and an ancient bunker that transfers energy to the citadel above. Including some backstories about how ancients once fled to this planet from a great crisis of the past.

 

[Shin Yodama]

I'd like to see a mobile megafortress. It would move at a slow crawl, but you could slowly reposition it to best effect. Seriously, static defences need a mid game buff.

 

[Dalinski]

You mean like these?

Massive Endeavors (Wonders)

It would really spice things up to have some Wonder building goals along these lines. Some of these wonders might take a long time to destroy or you can assault them with ground troops and destroy the structure more quickly that way. (act at the very least as a mineral sink, I am often looking for other things to use my minerals on other than more Battleships)

Cruise Ships - Build the largest cruise ship, move it somewhere and it adds 10% happiness which reduces by 1% a month. Every time someone builds it, it gets bigger and costs more. Only the biggest cruise ship can gain the bonus. Can set them to "explore" where they will just jump around every colonized planet.

The Great Galactic Zoo - can only be built after certain anomalies have been completed and a few techs have been researched. The Zoo grants a +5% happiness bonus to the empire that builds it and a +2% happiness bonus to any empire that maintains open borders. Could be tied to new anomalies, the more anomalies your science ships find towards this the better and greater your Zoo compared to everyone else.

The Lunar Bridge - build a giant bridge from a planets surface to one of its moons housing the largest shopping mall in the Galaxy! Increase energy credits by 5% for the nation that builds it and 2% for any other nation that maintains open borders with the building empire.

The Galactic House of Unity - Build a massive space station which creates neutral space for a short distance around it. It acts as a wormhole hub to all other capitals that have open borders with the building nation. All nations can use this as a wormhole hub provided they have open borders with the building nation.

The Grand Galactic Games - everyone puts in a bid if they so desire. Energy = 1, Minerals = .25, Strategic resources = 100 (10 years). The winning bid holds the "Games". The host must build a Great Galactic Games building on time which is an expensive building but gives +5% Happiness permanently for the system. The moment the games start ALL wars with this nation are ended in a neutral white peace and nations are prevented from declaring war on the host for 10 years. The host gains +20 trust with all other nations.

The Halls of Dynamic Thinking - The great minds of the galaxy are attracted to the planet with the greatest library of knowledge. Grow and upgrade this building tile so that it dominates the planet. When a tile reaches level 5 you can expand it into another tile until it covers the entire planet. The owner of most upgraded Hall in the galaxy gains +1 research slot to work with a scientist.

Custom Built Planet - Sentient races need not dwell on natural planets when one can be created from scratch. Requires an enormous number of Terra-forming strategic resources, one use freighters that are sent to the system where the planet is being built. The planet grows - one tile at a time. The Empire with the largest planet gains a superiority bonus. Their core species gains +5% happiness.

The Galactic Grand Prix - Make a ship, add it to the event and watch it compete with the other entries, is it a good idea to just have the fastest engines and optimum power? Resources can be added to your vessel, minerals, energy, strategic resources, leaders, the more added tends to make a faster ship although a certain level of randomness is abound. The race path may lead through several system inhabited by space creatures or worse! The winning nation has a +5% sub light speed boost for 5 years until the next event. They also take the prize energy and gain a trust boost with all nations.

Stellar Citadel Defence Grid - A system spanning mix of defence stations, gun platforms, automated defence drones, path blocking monoliths, hidden crossfire kill zones, sensor jammers and mine systems. All interlinked in a mesh like structure supported by a wave of automated repair tugs. The defence system grows to cover the entire system the more you invest. The largest defence system gains the owner a threat, trade research bonus.

Factorium Al Dente - A tile dedicated to the making of fine manufique delicacies from all living things. The higher its level the more influence it generates for every purged pop in the nation.

 

[scaper12123]

Citadels - Titanic battlestations equivalent in power to leviathans, like the enigmatic fortress. Fleets could potentially dock around these.

I like the idea, but this would probably do better as a generic static defense. Something like an upgrade from the fortress that would be significantly more powerful and expensive to defend key systems.

World Forges - Planet-sized construction yards for creating or assisting in the creation of capital ships, other megastructures, and possibly superweapons.

So, basically a shipyard? I had an idea similar to this as well where the player constructs a supermassive shipyard from which they can construct ships on a very large scale, possibly multiple ships at a time.

Stargates - Networks of massive wormhole generators providing near instantaneous transportation to directly connected systems. Construction restricted to wormhole empires.

A sound idea, but a network of wormhole generators doesn't quite make much sense for a megastructure. Traveling vast distances so easily would be overpowered unless certain restrictions were put into place. Maybe it would work if it was restricted to one direction, like for inserting a fleet into a very distant system.

One idea I had was a sort of space resort, the idea being for the place to function as a center of culture and expression, and the owner would receive a massive benefit to happiness and unrest and would increase their food and consumer good production by a fair amount.