WYRDYSM GAMES

In order to build up interest, it might be a good idea to do a small trial game of some of the features beforehand.

Thoughts? We can probably axe the research and some of the major economic aspects to simplify things. A very small map... maybe half a dozen systems, tops?

Let's hear 'em.

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The trial run will be a scaled down, 'demo' version of what we expect a full-fledged Meta 2 to be.


The differences will be as follows and are up for debate:

1. Smaller map
Perhaps a severely limited version of the one Verm has created so that we do not have to make a whole new one.
One thing I want to take from the trial is to see how the movement system/detection system fairs in this small, controlled setting and be able to decide what works well and what doesn't.

2. No player-defined techs and research
While I doubt we will reach a stage where players go beyond the initial tech trees and start defining their own, we want to use this oppurtunity to test and fix the initial tech trees to be fair and balanced as much as possible. This will be invaluable since techs, abilities and research dictates and contributes greatly to the flow and favour of the game. We gotta do it right the first time.

3. Players will be tossed between two sides.
No third sides. Two teams, many players on each. No NPCs or pirates. No GM-controlled entities of any sort, even on the sides of the players. Just throw in a bunch of players, give them a red/blue shirt, see what happens.

4. Players will not be playing as their factions.
Instead they will be using a barebones template based on either side that has been cooked up specifically for this trial. These templates do not have any specific advantages or disadvantages. Differences will be cosmetic at best, like in Warcraft II.

5. Fairly rigid and easy to achieve win conditions.
Wipe out the other team of players, or until we have decided that the trial has provided enough stuff for us to work off of to make a meta 2 launch a success.

6. Rules keep changing.
We can consider this a beta. We won't (or at least shouldn't) have such a luxury in a full meta 2 game. We can make on-the-fly changes to the game mechanics without upsetting players in here since they aren't really playing 'for keeps' and putting their 'unique player factions' on the line.


Setting: Don't care, but I'll put this out there: Prequal to Meta 2 setting.

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Realism, seriously? It's a space ship game. Realism was thrown out the window a long time ago.

1> Covered that already.

2> Agreed. It shouldn't be hard to come up with a bunch of pre-defined techs that we can port over as "stock" tech options for the uninnovative.

3> I was thinking lumping them all under one banner as admirals and having them fight to defeat an NPC faction, but that works too.

4> Agreed.

5> Makes sense. A simple "hold enemy homeworld/capital/key world for <x> turns" should do nicely as well.

6> Nothing to say here.

Setting> Don't think we need one that badly. Maybe an Imperial Naval Academy Simulator session or something, if we really need to justify it?

_________________
　 ／l、
ﾞ（ﾟ､ ｡ ７
　l、ﾞ ~ヽ
　じしf_, )ノ

I think a build-up to the Meta 2 setting might make give it more 'gravitas'.

It is a roleplay after all.

But a simulator/simple unrelated setting is cool too cause I suspect we may want to keep the Meta 2 backstory in a schrodinger state.

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Realism, seriously? It's a space ship game. Realism was thrown out the window a long time ago.

The main plot has already been let out of the bag a while back, so... yeah. More importantly we want to keep the map in a schrodinger state until it's unveiled.

_________________
　 ／l、
ﾞ（ﾟ､ ｡ ７
　l、ﾞ ~ヽ
　じしf_, )ノ

If you need a new map I can whip one up pronto, especially if it's a small one.

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I have to kill fast and bullets are too slow.

We'll probably just need a fairly simple thing, maybe 10-15 systems at the maximum. I'm thinking three clusters, one three/four-system "home" cluster for each side, and an initially unowned "no man's land" in the middle that has the remaining systems. This way people can get the hang of intercluster/intracluster movement, colonization, and space battles.

The layout should be relatively symmetrical/mirrored as well. It's a simulation, after all.

_________________
　 ／l、
ﾞ（ﾟ､ ｡ ７
　l、ﾞ ~ヽ
　じしf_, )ノ

Prototype TR map:



15 systems, roughly symetrical.

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Funding
Each system generates a fixed amount of PHATCASH per turn.

Production
Each system has a fixed production rate, no upgrading?

System Ownership
Ownership is determined by building an Outpost or Colony on the main planet.

Colony Notes
No population growth at this stage.
No upgrading.

Capture
Destroy and rebuild?
Otherwise, some capture mechanic, based on a ship module?

_________________
　 ／l、
ﾞ（ﾟ､ ｡ ７
　l、ﾞ ~ヽ
　じしf_, )ノ