GameAdmin wrote:

The issue here is that I want a player to be able to play with the starting point allowance, and no colonies - if that is what they want. Slowing down galactic movement means they won't bother. Getting to an open system would take an age on the galactic map. So you need to be able to get there quickly. The free building was my initial solution. An alternative would be that if you are moving to an open system on the galactic then it is instant. ie there are fast currents on the galactic leading to open systems or some such. This is maybe bette/simpler. So, on the Galactic you can instantly travel to open systems. But getting to others is slower.

Another option is that ships move on the galactic when orders are received- but only once per galactic turn. Thus a short jump (up to the ship's engines in range) is instant, allowing them to slide into an open system within range or into their own network (homeworld).
From there getting anywhere can be done with fast-time movement, or will waylaid by arrival at some other conflict (but arriving at a conflict is the point!).

GameAdmin wrote:

Hmm. If we leave the galactic movement as now, but restricted to 4 times a day, and hexes=engines then I don't think we are making the game better. I think everyone will still mainly travel on the galactic, because it's simple. A 10 engine ship can travel 40 on the galactic in 1 day. So why would anyone worry about trans-jumping or jump gates. I know I wouldn't. Effectively we add loads of rule complexity for mechanics which won't get used.

The image I have is that the galactic will generally remain the baseline form of travel.

I do like the limited instant movement, it allows a jump to local systems or an instant return to play for those on the galactic- but still limits *where* people can shift their entire fleet. Limited meaning 1 move set per galactic turn in contrast with however many you submit, which is what we have right now, and allows entire fleets to be produced and dropped into open systems on the opposite side of the galaxy without much more than a few turn submissions and no chance of others challenging passage.

I figure that trans-system jumps will be used mainly for players who want more to do with their ships now and are willing to spend the turn submissions to get action now rather than having to wait for the easier, more reliable, and (real time) slower ticking of galactic turns. Another group that will use the trans-system movement is raiders- those players who don't want to mess with colonies and thus intend to get most of their support from sieged trade-gates... Without colonization, and thus currents, they are virtually required to use trans-system movement to get around... however fast-time Trans-system movement can be defended against by placing ships in those systems with access- unlike Galactic movement in all its forms, which requires razing the target civilization to block- as opposed to simply fighting the incoming fleet before they arrive at the target system.

As for JumpGates- the point is again acceleration, Easing some of the time and turn restrictions/requirements that the other two types of movement have. The trade is that it should only be established within an empire, requires preparation, and has a cost.


Now, I disagree that this “adds complexity” to the rules- at least not for most players. Most players will still use the Galactic travel, in all its simplicity. Those who want to explore the other movement options will find other play-styles open to them. Those who do not want to deal with these will simply see jump-ins happen in areas marked differently than their normal jump-out areas.

Thought I give my two cent to an old topic whilst popping through.

The reason I gave up my short stint in ripspace was that it was too complicated to do anything. And very time consuming. It also had no focal point or obvious primary objective. I had a home planet, but no one to invade it. Likewise, the sheer size and scale of the galaxy made finding combat difficult.

To keep my interest certain aspects would need to be simplified and some goals set:

1) Don't have a home planet, have a mothership. This acts as a focal point of conflict and gives players something to attack and defend.

Make them valuable by making them the only craft capable of intergalatic travel. They can jump themselves and their cargo of normal ships to any other system after a suitable time delay. They are defensless apart from the fleets of ships they can hold. They repair in gravity wells automaticallty. They can colonise a planet by planting a totem on it.

So, the goal in Ripspace is to go out and destroy enemy colonies (which gives one cash with which to by more ships) and plant their own (which give them even more ships) and protect, but use tactically their mothership.

So typically combat will be:

Jump in, deploy ships, jump out. Ships win battle.

Or.

Jump in, deploy ships, jump out, ships start losing, jump in, evacuate ships, take a little damage, jump out. Find a planet to go sit by and repair or maybe even lose your mothership in the process. Kudos to the enemy.

Or.

Jump in. Stay in. Lore your eney into a trap....

Etc.

I agree about focal point. I believe that the Epic Blooms have totally solved that one. I also think that future additions to trade gates will also help. But Epic blooms have created very violent conflict that lasts quite some time.

You mother ship idea is a very good one, but it's too late for this game to go that way (at the moment anyway). The current focus is for empire players to get empires, and smaller fleet players to get Epic ships. Maybe mother ships that allow systems to open..hmm.

I really do think the Epic Blooms are working - read some of the recent dispatches and you will see.

Thanks for the comments though.

Jonathan