Reboot comp: Genus Prima

Started by iWasAdam, March 26, 2020, 08:44:53

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iWasAdam

first lets have a current pic:


So it's a new version of Derron's Genus Prime. Above you can see a simple system with planets or different sizes. The numbers denotes the available ships. Bigger planets have more ships and can build faster too!

The general basics are now complete, the AI is where we are going to start this.
Step 1. How the flap do I do it?
Step 2. Make a start. for every 'occupied' planet have a tick. When the tick is triggered the AI or that planet will try to do something...

Derron

#1
I am not speaking latin ... but I think to be able to use "prima" it should  be "Genu Prima" ?

You can of course use the original name and just append something (so you can kind of "subtitle" it)

Genus Prime
Advanced

Genus Prime
Generations ahead

Genus Prime Deluxe

Genus Prime: Ancestors

Genus Prime II (or 2)

...



Regarding AI: instead of giving individual items (here "planets") a tick I would have an AI which ticks - and knows about their planets. Depending on the difficulty of the AI the AI could skip "steps" (eg it can do 10 steps per tick) or "ticks" (if it is often enough "ticking"). So a slow acting AI can do less per "it is your turn to do something".
Another approach is to simulate different AIs by "characteristics". So an AI could have the property "micro management" which is 1.0 for "perfect". if it was 0.5 it means it has problems handling all the planets. Simple said: randomize the list of owned planets and then only handle "for 0 to Max(1, microManagement * planetCount)" (or do it with a "tan()" or so to emulate "burden" instead of a linear growth).
Same could be done for research and other stuff.
Multiple ways to "lower" or "fasten" what the AI can do.


Keep up refreshing us with information in this worklog.


bye
Ron

Xerra

Are you going to have multiple systems, Adam? Or just stick with Sol? I'm maybe being picky but I'd really love to see that system with the real planets in it, not these made up names. Texturing the planets kind of how they look would also be a huge plus. You could apply creative licence to the fact that none in our system are habitable and maybe also use a few of the more well known larger objects from the Kuiper Belt. Arrokoth, Haumea, Makemake, Eris and especially Pluto !!!!
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Derron

Non-habitable planets require terraforming to become "productive" - else production is rather "slow". Planets might indeed be needed as "interstation" for long-distance travels ...


bye
Ron

iWasAdam

I want to focus on the AI and the game part now, so it all feels fair. otherwise we'll just have something that looks pretty, but isn't fun to play :)

And... It all go ugly really quickly!
Very simple AI:
AI1 - find the closest planet that isn't yours and send some ships to it

it quickly populates and overwhelms you!

But in answer to the systems question. There are lots of systems 'sol' is just where you start  :P


Derron

#5
Sending ships to another planet is always a matter of "how much to send". In my game I only sent amount X.

X could (or should) be the the sum of "(population + population when possibly arriving)" + "planet owner ships seemingly sent to this planet as support" + "additional ships to lower risk"

You could even subtract ships of other races (if they would arrive earlier ... ).



If a race always sends "almost all ships" from all planets to a target planet (like a swarm of grasshoppers) then it would leave the other planets almost defenseless. This is why the AI should split their ships amongst their planets. You could easily have some kind of "this is what I need on my planet, that is what I could spare"-list which then can be used to have a kind of "effectively available ships"-formula (taking into consideration planet distance - as a long distance means it will maybe arrive when a planet already recouperated from a previous attack).


As long as AI fights each other you as a player will have a good chance to win or at least survive a bit :D


PS: Finish soon so you have time to tinker about multiplayer ... fast skirmish action is maybe something enjoyable.

bye
Ron 

iWasAdam

#6
multiplayer being you vs ai1 and ai2?

I'm also thinking about the enemy home. if it's attacked it will enlist the help of neighbouring planets - just a thought :)

Derron

You could have missions in which the home planet is never to loose - there it can come handy to have "save our homes" tactics :D


@ Multiplayer
Human vs Human (over LAN, WAN ... not necessarily hotseat in addition :D).


bye
Ron

iWasAdam

little by little it comes together:


Each system will have a mission, these are now shown and will have all sorts of variations.
In this case it's mission 17 - Runari (Remove all enemies from this system)

Also shown above is the cartography connections map with four different locales/race plus the color and icon.

When you complete a mission you will get 'something' that will make your other tasks easier. Enhance ships, etc

blinkok

That looks lovely. You really have achieved a lot in a short time. Nice work

Qube

Oo, looking way swishy ;D Look forward to giving it a whirl.
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Until the next time.

iWasAdam

#11
Thanks guys - it's slowly coming together...

Here's an interesting thought question:

Sol Prime is desolate, toxic and waterless. But it has a high tech level and rich industry.

So what are they farming and where?

Maybe they are crystal farmers for hologram technology or have large travelling crawlers to collect minerals?

Although it's currently dressing, it has potential to expanded into something - what I'm not sure, but interesting all the same...  ;D

Derron

#12
Do not forget something: keep it simple :D

While it is interesting to have all the various details of the planets - they should be mostly "hidden" or just a little "sugar on top" (so a planet has a little less growth in population etc).
It is good to have this in the "mission screen" or so but it should not become a overly complex strategy game (as you then have to move away from the "fast paced action mode" - might be interesting to play but maybe it does not come together then as you like - and then time is burned).

You could later on extend it into something else - but if you start too early, you might end up with a game not playing as you like - or even not be able to finish it properly (only "half arsed"). I do not want to put myself into the shiny light ... but people liked the kind of "simple" game play. So maybe aim for this too.

you can evolve it into a "Skirmish Master of Orion" mode later :)


bye
Ron

iWasAdam

Yep agrees about the simplicity :) I was just showing some of the random data and how it 'could' be expanded upon later...

Here's the logo - showing on the information display complete with animated communication 'glitch'

Matty

It looks good so far.

Derrons game Genus Prime reminds me of a game I wrote in late 2018 for browser which was this (admittedly very bare bones)  http://www.mattiesgames.com/galaxius/