Perfect leaders idea

[Archael90]

Playing today and throwing leaders in search of a leader with the "spark of genius" trait belonging to my main species (because they live longer), I recruited and dismissed about 100 leaders. Then I came up with a thought.
Does anyone here do anything different?
Because it seems to me that most of us do exactly the same, flipping piles of leaders in search of the best (but I can be wrong).
Therefore, the problem arises:
a) It is unnecessary, but in some way enforced, nuisance.
b) it is an abuse of game mechanics.

Either way, we have to do something about it.
If it is:
b) Change the way leaders are refreshing for a monthly, instead of each time you hire a new one. We will have to live with randomness and hardly anyone will have fun with the flip.
a) Create the opportunity to choose a leader:
Somewhere next to the "recruit" button, there should be a "choose" button, and there a new screen, allowing you to choose available leadership features such as species or selected traits, including special ones like "psychic" or "brain slug" if available with this species.

Of course, nothing for free!

Every trait has a certain probability of being drawn (I do not know what are the probabilities, so I will give examples only, please do not cling to numbers), if the main species is 70% of the empire population, then the leader of this species is drawn 70%, further the "spark of genius" trait having 20%, then "brain slug" 5% and "psychic" 25% (as I say, I do not know how often they appear), everything should be multiplied so 0.7 x 0.2 x 0.05 x 0, 25 = 0.00175. If the basic cost is divided by this number (let us assume that the basic cost is 200), then 200 / 0.00175 = 11428.71 rounded up to 114286, Then all the factors that influence the price of leaders should be counted. That's all we would have to pay for the chosen leader.

So the final prices can be really cosmic, and some will still prefer to flip the piles of leaders in the hope of drawing the right ones.

There is a problem with the "eager" trait, I think it should always be counted as 100% and have an impact (-50%) on the final price of the leader.

What do you guys think, is it good idea? Can we ask devs for something like this?

 

[InvisibleBison]

I like the idea, though I think you may be going too far in increasing the price. Custom leaders should be maybe 5 to 10 times more expensive than regular ones, and you should be limited in how often you can recruit a custom leader. It would also be nice if this system would allow you to hire higher level leaders. Having to replace a dead level 7 scientist with a level 1 scientist sucks, especially once you've run out of things to survey.

 

[Archael90]

I think that we have to deal with some sort of randomness, so we have to pay huge price or to choose not all of the traits to minimize costs, like species, or so.
Also, this is a average price, at the moment you still pay around that much to get leaders you want, only different will be that you will pay it at once, rather that buy and dismiss 100+ leaders.
And, bio ascended empire could be able to make perfect leaders without special cost in credits, but with some socio reaserch points, maybe they could pick up to two from normal traits... but this is not a topic xD

 

[Wolfgang I]

Personally I just play with what I get.
Often some of my leaders end up with spark of genius and multiple other research traits anyway.
If you are into optimizing your leaders don't forgot to place your research leaders on survey or assist research duty before they level up otherwise they will not get additional traits.

I find brain slugs annoying though as the game never seems to add that trait to my ruler. Rather annoying as I always imagine that my ruler is the one who decides to welcome the slugs.

 

[Korvash]

The only reason to do it, is to min max better. But that's not really intended gameplay and imo does not make the game better.

So I'd say no, not neccesary.

 

[EvilTom]

I do not recruit and dismiss leaders just to get the one I want.

Isn't the cost of you doing that your own time and energy credits? I just chose the best one of what I want out of the pool and accept that.

Perhaps a compromise would be to have a "re-roll" of the pool button, which costs says 100 credits per person who is there, but you just don't have to hire and dismiss them, but they're lost forever, but there is still the same chance of getting useless (or useful) candidates. That'll get reduce your micro-management.

Alternatively (or additionally) how about a "promote admiral" or "general"? You lose a ship or armies experience in exchange for a slightly better than normal leader? This would be scaled on ship or army experience?

 

[The Boz]

I *loathe* the leader system. Hate it with the burning passion of a thousand suns. *ANYTHING* that can be done to change it in any direction would be a good thing.

 

[Archael90]

Do not fixate on solution "a", bcs there is an alternate one:

[...]b) it is an abuse of game mechanics.
[...]b) Change the way leaders are refreshing for a monthly, instead of each time you hire a new one. We will have to live with randomness and hardly anyone will have fun with the flip.
[...]

 

[InvisibleBison]

The only reason to do it, is to min max better. But that's not really intended gameplay and imo does not make the game better.

So I'd say no, not neccesary.

It's absolutely possible to have role-play reasons to want to be able to specify your leaders' traits. You could, for example, play an empire that values diversity, and consequently wants its leaders to have a diverse set of skills, and so refuses to hire a leader that has the same trait as an existing leader, or an empire that thinks engineering is the best form of science, and won't hire a scientist who doesn't have an engineering specialization.