Hi!

4X sci fi (space empire builders) games normally has spaceship combat. Im planning a game and i'm not sure i want to have a "ship designer" feature. It's common to place all the components: weapons, shields etc in slots of ship classes/sizes (such as frigate, destroyer etc). This is cool but finicky and often you find an optimal and just go with that anyway (so the gameplay becomes tedious: you just always replace components with the latest research once replaceable, laser->better laser->best laser).

Another problem is that the largest "ship hull" is often just overall "best". Once you research battleship there is no point in building cruisers or destroyers for example.

In a empire builder like 4X, is it possible (and fun) to instead try a rock-paper-scissors kind of meta game? Im thinking e.g.:

1. Carrier (sends strike bombers). Good vs capital ship
2. Frigate (has "flak" guns). Strong vs carriers
3. Capital ship. Strong vs frigate.

Another example is Homeworld, but its system with classes and counters would be too complex for a empire builder. I'm thinking to have fleets enter battle (different view from moving on the map) line up against each other and semi-automatically resolve combat by shooting their optimal targets. Battlefield movement was mostly pointless in these games anyway.

Another way is to separate ships into front-line ships (tanks) and artillery ships (dps/damage dealers that are fragile) or a mix thereof. Or have shield generation ships that protects other ships.

Thoughts?

I like Lendrigan Games idea, I also agree with you that each ship should have its own strengths and weakness but this will then require some fine tuning and balancing.

15 hours ago, Ianuarius said:

Hey suliman!

I'm not a big fan of direct upgrades. I like lateral changes (eh... latgrades?) a lot more! So, you end up not just having hull, hull+1, hull+2 etc. but rather slim hull that makes it possible to move faster and unnoticed, bulky hull that has more room for fuel and ammo, light hull that only works well with light components, heavy hull for the tank type etc.

Always rock-paper-scissors that stuff! Players gotta have a catch-up feature. If they notice one player just pushing tanks, they can strike with something that obliterates tanks.

Make every decision cost something other than the resources the player has a ton of. If factories are limited, make the build time high, like Lendrigan Games suggested. If distances are large, make speed slow, so that you gotta really commit to your locations or someone faster will catch you with pants down. Every decision should have a clear cost and the player most balance between how much he/she needs that vs what other alternatives there are.

I love this idea, maybe you should use this one instead of others as this can make everything more simple yet better

This sounds good but could you give a less abstract example?

How would this translate to unit types/rock paper scissors fighting in a line battle?

My plan is now:

1. Escorts. Frigates and destroyers. Fast tracking laser turrets that is strong Vs strike crafts.

2. Strike crafts. Corvettes. Fast moving with torpedoes. Strong Vs capital. 

3. Capital ships. Cruisers and battleships. Heavy armour and mass driver weapons. Strong Vs escorts. 

This seems to make sense and would balance well with upgrades and research.