Is there a Skywalker Option in....

from GalCiv2 Forums

...the game set-up, because I just got mugged by Darth Vader in my last game :cylon: !

I'm still new to the game (DL), but learning fast. In my last game, I was finally having some success at getting through the "middle game" to the point of creating some impressive fleets (or so I thought) with some very advanced ship designs, and getting set for a showdown with a Torian/Altarian/Iconian Alliance (me playing the Terrans).

I swear the AI set me up for this, as earlier at a UP conference, I thought it strange that most members there voted for the Terrans to host the "Galactic Prison". I was too busy drooling over the 50% manufacturing bonus for the host planet to notice the warning of possible prisoner riots...which finally occured some time later in the form of a pirate fleet that appeared right next to said planet.

When I first saw it, I thought it wasn't going to cost me too much to take them out...two heavy frigates and a battleship. I had no capital ships in my fleet yet, preferring to have heavy cruisers that pack quite a punch, and with a logistics number close to 50, so I could put a dozen or so into a single fleet. With support from an interlocking system of maxed-out military star-bases, I figured I'd lose several ships and the problem would be taken care of. Not so.

Vader proceeds to trash four...count 'em....four full fleets of my best cruisers and my entire array of star-bases and suffered only four or five HP's lost on one of the frigates........ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?! I was going to continue the game so long as he meandered into enemy territory and proceeded to do the same to them. But the fleet reaches the border and just stays there....and never moved again while the enemy poured across my now nearly defenseless borders.

Needless to say, I quit in frustration, and many hours of gameplay lost to a whim, IMHO. Has anyone ever run into this? An invincible pirate fleet?

Several other observations. The diplomacy funtion in this game is......very strange. In the above game, I had a diplomacy skill aproaching 150 with the GA structure (I've forgotten the name) that makes your trade items appear to be 50% higher in value. And yet, time after time, I would have to offer far more than I was getting (and staying away from military techs, for the most part) to get anyone to trade. And noone wanted an alliance even with the "close" relationship, and of same alignment.

Even stranger was the fact that AI allied partners could stay allied even though one of the partners was at war with the others ally. Now I don't have a PhD in history, but it seems to me that the way it usually works is that one of the members of the alliance has to either choose sides or go neutral. Never seen anything like this in any game I've played with a functioning diplomacy feature.

All of this is not to say I am not enjoying this game...which I am...but there are some strange occurances.....

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Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Needless to say, I quit in frustration, and many hours of gameplay lost to a whim, IMHO. Has anyone ever run into this? An invincible pirate fleet?

The pirates are usually pretty tough, but as far as I remember, I've never seen the prison break pirates do that. Usually, compared to the normal pirate random event and the "mega pirates" introduced in DA, the prison escapees aren't so tough. I also don't recall them moving around like that; pirates usually stay in a small area. The Galactic Prison is one case in general where you'll have to carefully weigh the advantages and disadvantages.

Several other observations. The diplomacy funtion in this game is......very strange. In the above game, I had a diplomacy skill aproaching 150 with the GA structure (I've forgotten the name) that makes your trade items appear to be 50% higher in value. And yet, time after time, I would have to offer far more than I was getting (and staying away from military techs, for the most part) to get anyone to trade. And noone wanted an alliance even with the "close" relationship, and of same alignment.

Others can speak more precisely on this, but what matters in diplomacy is the comparison of your diplomacy ranking to theirs - not just your diplomacy rank in a vacuum. The best way to compare them is the + and - list on the foreign policy screen. Note that if they have a minus for "militaristic", it means they're considered militaristic, not you. As far as alliances go, there's always been a slightly random element towards getting them, but it was at its most severe in DL. Trying to actively pursue an alliance with one specific race can be difficult.

Even stranger was the fact that AI allied partners could stay allied even though one of the partners was at war with the others ally. Now I don't have a PhD in history, but it seems to me that the way it usually works is that one of the members of the alliance has to either choose sides or go neutral. Never seen anything like this in any game I've played with a functioning diplomacy feature.

Alliances in this game are purely defensive pacts. If your ally initiates a war with someone, you don't have to get involved at all, and if your allies go to war, you aren't asked to join in. There was a possibility in the original GalCiv 1 that popular opinion would force you to take a stand, but that's apparently been removed, possibly for being unfun.

Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

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Well, these definitely fell into the "mega pirates" class. Thing is, they didn't have Atk/Def numbers much better than me, and we both had the same armaments and defense, though their photon torp level was a couple ahead of mine. While I certainly didn't expect to get off without some losses, losing 48 heavy frigates without hardly making a dent was rather unreal. Chalk one up for Vader, I guess ;)

As far as pursuing alliances are concerned, it still just seems...not realistic. I suppose for game-play it might make sense to assist the AI in fighting the player, but it's silly to watch an AI "alliance" destroy another race that one of their members was allied to, without consequences, but if the player tries to assist, you are automatically at war with all parties. Seems a bit like the "Black Knight" syndrome (for those familiar with Monty Python) found in the Total War series. Oh well, I'll just stop trying, and wait for such alliances to make the first move, which should reduce the likelihood of having to fight every member of the alliance at once.

Another question I have concerns trade goods. If I trade, say, Micro Bots to another race and they get taken over by someone else, do the trade goods transfer to the new "owner"?

Also, what happens if I choose to leave the Federation? Does every other race declare war? And does this also mean I can't trade with anyone? I ask because in the current game I have going, I decided to try the Dark Side of the force. I'm not only EVIL...but classed as DEMONIC...muhwhahaha! I make my living on trade with a capital T so I can see what's going to come...the 'limit the trade routes' vote in the UP. Had the same thing in the previous 'Vader' game, and even though I took the neutral road that time, I still voted for no resrtictions because I was doing a hefty business with the Korx and Drengi, both. I can see it coming up again, and I will be outvoted because the combined vote of the Altarians and Torians will decidethey are the goody-two-shoes side with an alliance already).

 

[Black Knight??? What Black Knight]

 

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Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

If you leave the United Planets you wont be able to trade with other major races, but can you trade with the minor races even if you leave the U.P.?

Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

I'm going to try this (leaving the UP) at least once to see how it works. I've gotten to the point of having my economy be self-sufficient outside of trade, so the loss of trade with 'majors' won't hurt me as much as it will them. Off-hand, I would suspect that you should be able to trade with minors....they aren't included in the UP o_O

Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

If you leave the UP could the other majors trade with you? like THEY send a trade ship to your planets?