Alpha Centauri 2

Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri & Alien Crossfire => Modding => Topic started by: MercantileInterest on September 02, 2020, 08:54:34 PM

Title: Progenitor pop-booming
Post by: MercantileInterest on September 02, 2020, 08:54:34 PM

Currently, the Usurpers can't run democracy, so they can't pop-boom without a golden age. What if Caretakers also couldn't run democracy and neither alien faction could make use of the golden age mechanic, except during perihelion, when it would activate automatically?

I'm aware the progs aren't a big concern for most people but this would be a characterful and fun mechanic to distinguish them from the human playstyle.

Title: Re: Progenitor pop-booming
Post by: bvanevery on September 02, 2020, 10:48:16 PM

The Aliens aren't plants.  Why is this rational?

I understand wanting to impose game mechanics to make the game more "interesting", but I personally wish those mechanics to actually suit the extensive narratives of the game.

Nobody's allowed to do pop booming easily in my mod.  GROWTH is on a serious diet.  I just tried to pop boom with the Morganites in my current After Action Report (http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=21506).  It didn't work.  Ultimately they'll be growing via the Cloning Vats, which is late game in my mod, and extremely expensive.

Democratic in my mod doesn't give any GROWTH bonus.  Neither does Socialist (my Planned).  Theocratic (my Fundamentalist) merely gives +1 GROWTH.  Eudaimonic gives +2 GROWTH.  The intent is no one will be able to access pop booming as a mechanic until mid-to-late game.  Except for the Believers, who have an inherent +1 GROWTH.  Combined with Theocratic, they could pop boom earlier with a Golden Age.  And in mid-to-late game, they could pop boom without one.  In practice, I haven't actually tried doing any of this with them yet.

Pop-booming, in general, is an overpowered play mechanic that shouldn't be much allowed.

Title: Re: Progenitor pop-booming
Post by: MercantileInterest on September 03, 2020, 03:02:13 AM

Breeding cycle, same as the mindworms, but I wrote 'sunspots' when I meant 'perihelion.' Lol.

Title: Re: Progenitor pop-booming
Post by: bvanevery on September 03, 2020, 05:16:32 AM

I actually knew what you meant.

Aliens are not mindworms.  The Caretakers control mindworms.  The Usurpers don't.  Both of them are Planned, not Green.  Their whole story is about them abusing Planet, not singing in harmony with it, or being in any way symbiotic with it.  They imposed themselves and suffered the consequences.