Faction-based technology

[Keon]

Tekkit conundrum?

Also, the problem with servers choosing when to connect is that those servers will not connect until they too have a fleet of over 9000 doomships ready to go. Somehow, we need to make it so there is incentive to join the universe at large.

[Ivan2006]

Research.
Put effort into researching mechanics, disableing too quick developments.
If you make research time longer (~40-90 minutes for a relatively easy research), factions will require to prepare themselves for space battle.
Also, I would think about multiple ways of triggering the connection to the universe, namely:
a)build so many sattelites that anyone needs to turn down the volume when pointing their antenna at you because of too much radio waves.
b)build a stargate
c)test-drive a FTL-device
d)build a Antimatter Generator or a ZPM and have someone pick up the energy signature.

[Ivan2006]

The necessity of organization will stop most of your average-everyday griefers. For pirate bands and the like, they'll most likely be stopped by the defensive network.

A solution to the peaceful players having nothing to do would be an economy like none before (in minecraft). Manufacturers would be required to mass produce certain things, like advanced engines and weapon systems.

You mean like class system where you need to be a certain class to craft complicated machines or use certain weapons?

[Chairman_Tiel]

Just building an Orbital gate sounds elegant and simple enough to work perfectly. If there's one thing I didn't like about the original OP it would be that a lot of the stuff was ripped straight from Stargate.

As far as research goes, I think we could have an 'Analyzer' block to detect substances within common blocks, an 'Extractor' where you would put that substance as a template for drawing the resource out of the basic blocks (think Iron from cobblestone), and a 'Fabricator' block which would then take large amounts of the substance and attempt to create meaningful blueprints for technology that cannot be crafted without placing the blueprint in a workbench in a new slot for it. This way we don't have people just posting it on the interwebs and completely raping gameplay.

All of these would take a long time, like five minecraft days or so, to complete their respective tasks. Also, note that these aren't, well, 'blocks', persay, but rather classifications for them. Blocks of one class could be linked to their own kind to expedite the process.

Alternatively, for the Fabricator instead have a dropdown of research projects that can be done and then feed it resources periodically to make progress on them. Same concept, but different execution in that there's less chance involved in it.

The Extractor block could also be done away with, and instead when a new resource is discovered through the Analyzer the game replaces pockets of Stone with ore of it. This might be a bit expensive, though.

[Keon]

Just building an Orbital gate sounds elegant and simple enough to work perfectly. If there's one thing I didn't like about the original OP it would be that a lot of the stuff was ripped straight from Stargate.

As far as research goes, I think we could have an 'Analyzer' block to detect substances within common blocks, an 'Extractor' where you would put that substance as a template for drawing the resource out of the basic blocks (think Iron from cobblestone), and a 'Fabricator' block which would then take large amounts of the substance and attempt to create meaningful blueprints for technology that cannot be crafted without placing the blueprint in a workbench in a new slot for it. This way we don't have people just posting it on the interwebs and completely raping gameplay.

All of these would take a long time, like five minecraft days or so, to complete their respective tasks. Also, note that these aren't, well, 'blocks', persay, but rather classifications for them. Blocks of one class could be linked to their own kind to expedite the process.

Alternatively, for the Fabricator instead have a dropdown of research projects that can be done and then feed it resources periodically to make progress on them. Same concept, but different execution in that there's less chance involved in it.

The Extractor block could also be done away with, and instead when a new resource is discovered through the Analyzer the game replaces pockets of Stone with ore of it. This might be a bit expensive, though.

So explain why I wouldn't wait to build my Orbital gate?

[cats]

The necessity of organization will stop most of your average-everyday griefers. For pirate bands and the like, they'll most likely be stopped by the defensive network.

A solution to the peaceful players having nothing to do would be an economy like none before (in minecraft). Manufacturers would be required to mass produce certain things, like advanced engines and weapon systems.

You mean like class system where you need to be a certain class to craft complicated machines or use certain weapons?

No. NO! OH GOD NO! No. It should be really difficult to build a dreadnought engine by yourself. If you don't have the know-how or resources, you hire someone else to do it or just buy one off the market.

[Chairman_Tiel]

Just building an Orbital gate sounds elegant and simple enough to work perfectly. If there's one thing I didn't like about the original OP it would be that a lot of the stuff was ripped straight from Stargate.

As far as research goes, I think we could have an 'Analyzer' block to detect substances within common blocks, an 'Extractor' where you would put that substance as a template for drawing the resource out of the basic blocks (think Iron from cobblestone), and a 'Fabricator' block which would then take large amounts of the substance and attempt to create meaningful blueprints for technology that cannot be crafted without placing the blueprint in a workbench in a new slot for it. This way we don't have people just posting it on the interwebs and completely raping gameplay.

All of these would take a long time, like five minecraft days or so, to complete their respective tasks. Also, note that these aren't, well, 'blocks', persay, but rather classifications for them. Blocks of one class could be linked to their own kind to expedite the process.

Alternatively, for the Fabricator instead have a dropdown of research projects that can be done and then feed it resources periodically to make progress on them. Same concept, but different execution in that there's less chance involved in it.

The Extractor block could also be done away with, and instead when a new resource is discovered through the Analyzer the game replaces pockets of Stone with ore of it. This might be a bit expensive, though.

So explain why I wouldn't wait to build my Orbital gate?

Explain why you'd want to connect to the multiverse to begin with? Well, a bigger playing field, a whole galaxy to plunder, places to explore. The same reason humanity is so deadset on reaching space.

On the off chance you just worded that sentence terribly, you couldn't just build a gate. First you'd need to have the technology. Then you'd have to be the dominant faction on the server to build it without risking it being destroyed by your enemies midway through, which would be very devastating as the gates should be extremely costly.

[fr0stbyte124]

We need servers or there is no universe. They can't all be sandboxed until that group feels like joining the rest of the galaxy.

You start up a server, a few new planets appear somewhere in the galaxy. Simple as that.

[Chairman_Tiel]

We need servers or there is no universe. They can't all be sandboxed until that group feels like joining the rest of the galaxy.

You start up a server, a few new planets appear somewhere in the galaxy. Simple as that.

This is a point we disagree on.

I don't think that having everything cloud-based (probably not the right term, but you get my meaning) is going to be sustainable in the long run, or even practical in the short walk (?). By keeping everything server-centered, one box going offline doesn't radically affect all the others or necessitate the use of rather shoddy excuses like 'warp storms', etc. The way I see it, the master server could generate three or more 'servers' on its own that people on independent servers who reach the jump gate stage can connect to. From there, it would be a matter of waiting for other communities to reach the space age and open a physical connection to the master server (they would still be connected beforehand, players simply wouldn't be able to exit or enter that corner of the galaxy without the gate, though).

For a clearer model, consider the game Freelancer. Planets within solar systems are connected by 'Lanes' that facilitate travel, while those systems are in turn connected by 'Jump Gates'. A single server install would be like a solar system there, and they would further connect to other systems via constructing a Gate. So in effect, when a new server starts, a few new planets do pop up somewhere, but they're given the option to either participate in the galaxy at large or stay secluded in their own installation.

Given the choice, I'm fairly confident many people would leap for the former at whatever cost.

[fr0stbyte124]

But things won't be server-centered. We're making it trivially easy to move from place to place on a galactic scale. There is no way people are just going to sit in one place and maintain a sustainable capped population like you would on an isolated vanilla server. People are going to move around, and settle in random places, and crash the servers of planets which get too popular. Pretty much everything but maintain a local community.

Take a look at EVE. You would ever expect a community to develop around a particular star system because locality is a meaningless distinction when you are free to come and go as you please. Communities and organizations will form, but it won't be based on any particular server or a region of space, and if we start assigning ownership of planets to the owners of the hosting server, people aren't going to accept it being controlled by other groups in-game, and there will be no un-owned planets because all of them are being hosted by someone.

It would be so much easier if we ran all the servers, but we don't have that kind of capital, and I have no interest in making Futurecraft into a business venture.

[Talon93]

I'm not too sure on this but I like the idea that you must tame the factions on your homeworld to be very successful at building a jumpgate. Reminds me a lot of how Spore works with the evolution from conquering cities to conquering planets. Then again the whole ownership distinction could prove a problem, organisations will be forced to have multiple planets so losing a homeworld isn't a too big of a deal.

[Avenger_7]

Have new servers join the universe after a set amount of time, say 2 weeks.

[cats]

A server should be connected to the universe from the beginning, but not on any star maps until they build a gate or FTL drive. You could get to the newbie system if you know the IP and have sufficient FTL capabilities.

[Keon]

A server should be connected to the universe from the beginning, but not on any star maps until they build a gate or FTL drive. You could get to the newbie system if you know the IP and have sufficient FTL capabilities.

Leading to hackers jumping in with 9000doomships.

Also, tiel. What I mean is that if you know that there are OP factions in deep space that can and will kill you with their 9000 doomships, you would stay inside your bubble building your own armada of doomships so you don't get overrun. There needs to be some kind incentive to open your homeworld up to attack, like new resources in space, or something. Then we need a "sliding scale of balance", where n00b homeworlds are not a viable target for greifers until they too have those 9000 doomships, yet still can fight battles with the people who only have 6 or so small battleships.

[Chairman_Tiel]

A server should be connected to the universe from the beginning, but not on any star maps until they build a gate or FTL drive. You could get to the newbie system if you know the IP and have sufficient FTL capabilities.

Leading to hackers jumping in with 9000doomships.

Also, tiel. What I mean is that if you know that there are OP factions in deep space that can and will kill you with their 9000 doomships, you would stay inside your bubble building your own armada of doomships so you don't get overrun. There needs to be some kind incentive to open your homeworld up to attack, like new resources in space, or something. Then we need a "sliding scale of balance", where n00b homeworlds are not a viable target for greifers until they too have those 9000 doomships, yet still can fight battles with the people who only have 6 or so small battleships.

The Analyzer might be one. New resources could be discovered by scanning Unidentified Orbiting Rocks that could further development; servers would want that challenge, otherwise they'd end up like the current SMP scheme of things where gameplay is severely hampered by people just running around in full enchanted dia. Part of the fun in PVP is the risk of losing everything, but the rewards would greatly surpass the risks in this case.