Make pirates more significant

from GalCiv3 Forums

At the moment pirates are nothing more than an annoyance for the first fifty turns or so when you have the bad luck to encounter them that early:

- Their ships never move more than 2 tiles per round (as far as I remember my games, although I have to say I didn't play a lot of them yet because my games normally last many, many hours each).

- They never have a lot of ships.

- Their ships are always weak (them seem to get a little better when time passes, but not much).

- They never do much besides attacking ships of fleets that happen to literally stumble over them.

It shouldn't be too difficult to tweak them a bit so they actually pose a threat, e. g.:

- Give them faster ships from the beginning, with greater sensor range.

- Give them more and better ships (increase production capacity of their shipyard, give them more than one shipyard), let them inprove their ships at a faster rate.

- Let them not only attack nearby ships, but let them raid planets (attack a planet, if defence is defeated, take some credits from the treasury and go back to their base; use the money to build even more ships).

- Let them hide their bases in nebulae and give them the ability to be immune against nebulae effects.

- If the new Scavenge ability in the game, that's an ideal ability for the pirates to snatch ships for themselves when attacking ships and fleets.

- Even give them the chance to get a tech if they scavenge a ships with techs they don't own yet.

- Give them variety, that is there is a certain chance for all of the above abilities and possibilities to which degree an individual pirate group has those.

- Give them personality by giving their leaders a face (that is, portrait) and showing messages, possibly with choices ("We have wiped away your puny defence fleet at Larion III and enjoyed our stay there so much that we will surely return soon, har har!" or "We are showing your precious governor of Keri our hospitality at the moment, but for unknown reasons he prefers to return to his world soon. To account for our expenses to deliver him there please be so kind to send us the moderate sum of 2000 credits." -> if you don't pay, the governor is killed and with him all bonuses he gave to his world).

And if you think about it there are surely more possibilities here of which I didn't think yet ;)

76,560 views 18 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Cool ideas :thumbsup:

Reply #2 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Perhaps it just me but I get seriously annoyed when these slow-moving pirates destroy my colony ships, simply because the UI does not tell me the colony ships are in danger. This leads me to the following logical solutions, which reinforce the annoyance factor:

  • Moving all colony ships manually (major pain the larger the map)
  • Reviewing all colony ships manually each turn (major pain the larger the map, not to mention I wish the game could just tell me they are in danger via the UI or the Schafer button)
  • Escorting colony ships, which is impossible early game because colony ships are used as scouts (and a major pain the larger the map)
  • Rage-quit

I had complained about this earlier in this thread: https://forums.galciv3.com/465527/page/1/#3550543

Perhaps I need to relax but for some reason, this one issue chaps my hide.  X(

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Reply #3 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Interesting.

I hate the pirates, as implemented, and disable them.  An enemy in deep space that requires no supplies, water, oxygen?

To each their own, I suppose.

Reply #4 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting AlLanMandragoran, reply 2

Perhaps it just me but I get seriously annoyed when these slow-moving pirates destroy my colony ships, simply because the UI does not tell me the colony ships are in danger. This leads me to the following logical solutions, which reinforce the annoyance factor:

 

    • Moving all colony ships manually (major pain the larger the map)

 

    • Reviewing all colony ships manually each turn (major pain the larger the map, not to mention I wish the game could just tell me they are in danger via the UI or the Schafer button)

 

    • Escorting colony ships, which is impossible early game because colony ships are used as scouts (and a major pain the larger the map)

 

    • Rage-quit

 


I had complained about this earlier in this thread: https://forums.galciv3.com/465527/page/1/#3550543

Perhaps I need to relax but for some reason, this one issue chaps my hide.  X(

See my other post, I asked for an auto stop of automatic movement when enemies enter sensor range: https://forums.galciv3.com/471197/page/1/#3586751

Reply #5 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting drakkos137, reply 3

I hate the pirates, as implemented, and disable them.  An enemy in deep space that requires no supplies, water, oxygen?

That's the reason they go raiding ships and planets ... and should actually do so.

Reply #6 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting lyssailcor, reply 4
See my other post, I asked for an auto stop of automatic movement when enemies enter sensor range: https://forums.galciv3.com/471197/page/1/#3586751

Thanks. It may sound dumb to some (or many), but this one little feature (or lack thereof) annoys the crud out of me and seriously affects my enjoyment with the game.

Reply #7 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

True. There should be multiple pirate factions and criminal organizations; in addition, there should be galactic corporations that spring up from time to time (like pirates but not at war with anybody to begin with) owning shipyards, technologies, and mining bases. Players should be able to purchase a wide range of goods and services from said corporations.

Reply #8 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

I disable them. They serve no purpose except to force me to move my ships one tile at a time. When ships get experience for killing them, then you're on to something.

Reply #9 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting eviator, reply 8

I disable them. They serve no purpose except to force me to move my ships one tile at a time.

That's exactly what I want to make unnecessary with my suggestion in another thread (https://forums.galciv3.com/471197/page/1/#3586800).

Reply #10 from AshesoftheSingularity Forums Top

Quoting lyssailcor, reply 9

That's exactly what I want to make unnecessary with my suggestion in another thread (https://forums.galciv3.com/471197/page/1/#3586800).

No objections. I'd still disable pirates, though, because they are pointless roadblocks.

Reply #11 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Expanding the pirate system:

Giving their leaders a face is my preference too. With limited diplomacy options. Perhaps you can pay them off for a limited time or pay them to attack someone, but you can't ally with them. Extreme trait for this is: Megacruel, they are always trying to extort you for protection money and ships + no permanent alliances 

Fighter escorts for colony ships would be cool, giving them a minor carrier role. 

Pirates go into 4 clans (races) at an even spread, if a clan does well, it becomes a minor.

Quoting Wer900, reply 7

True. There should be multiple pirate factions and criminal organizations; in addition, there should be galactic corporations that spring up from time to time (like pirates but not at war with anybody to begin with) owning shipyards, technologies, and mining bases. Players should be able to purchase a wide range of goods and services from said corporations.


This does sound pretty cool :), galactic corporations, or extremely powerful criminal/religious/political individuals. 

Reply #12 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

I also disabled pirates. the idea was good but its like they are in some strange limbo where they dont really serve a purpose but they are still there.  Id like to see them have a better role in the game.  Pirates tend to go after soft targets. So i would make raid under defended planets, trade routes, constructors, colony ships and give them the ability to steal tech( chance)  when raiding  soft targets. Each of these targets would have a credit value and the credits could be used for the pirates to buy tech or speed the production of their shipyards.

They also should have a better range. Like patrol an area maybe 50 spaces around their shipyard looking for targets and definitely more moves per turn at least 5 moves per turn.

Reply #13 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

This is a cool DLC idea.  Pirates could serve as privateers, maybe even join your side like the pirates at the battle of New Orleans.

Reply #14 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

@AlLanMandragoran - I haven't implemented it myself but you could attempt arming your colonist with a durantium armor and cannon module.  With 2.5x the hps, that should be enough to defend it once vs a single assailer ship.  You need weapons tech and a 2 rock mining base per one, but once each settles the resource (2x red) is freed up again for the next one.  This won't work with altarians, but would certainly do for a drengi civ.  Try it!

Reply #15 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

I'd like it if they would raid a planet, and you have the option to pay them extortion money and go away, and otherwise they bombard your planet and destroy some improvements and create a m morale penalty for a time

Reply #16 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting Gauntlet03, reply 15

I'd like it if they would raid a planet, and you have the option to pay them extortion money and go away, and otherwise they bombard your planet and destroy some improvements and create a m morale penalty for a time

Good god man, What are you thinking?? I would hate it .... but love it at the same time XD

 

How about the raid and make of with a bunch of hostages, ray the ransom (BC, ships, or teck) or loose some population

Reply #18 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting Larsenex, reply 17

This was brought up a while back by me

Your faster and more on top of things than most of us :beer:

Raiding trade routes.              Like it

Extorting funds from all players and AI.  Like it

Disrupting mining operations.  ?? How, they would need much more powerful fleets (OH that how :omg: )

Inciting rebellion/unhappiness on nearby worlds    Like it