Yes... yes... and um yes... . I can see all three of those and probably a few other cases. I know how I intend to use them and have used this sort of thing in other games. So I'm sure there are plenty of nifty ways for the AI to employ them as well. One question that I'm sure will be answered once we can play the beta (yes the day you announced the open beta I bought mine) is whether or not spy cost goes down if you lose a few. If it does then I'm most likely to stockpile them using them to counter other agents (hoping that is an option) and then when war is imminent send most of them off to cripple my would be adversary before I start sending in the troops. Can't wait to see all the underhanded things they'll do.

Do spys gain experience? If so maybe it is better to keep them all in the field so they are powerful when I need them to do a lot of damage. Oh so many possibilities. And of course I'm sure no matter what you'll be tweaking them even after we get our grubby hands on them.

Definitely looking forward to this!

A bit off topic, but your blogging interested me so I looked it up, and then from link to link I read your "background" post...

and funny thing, I'm a proof operater too!!! Yes, its mind numbingly repetitive to the extreme, but every day I just daydream about the PC games I'll play when I get home... lately GalCiv2 has been the only one that keeps me sane Anyhoo, very interesting reads, even if I don't agree with everything you say... also, some of what you've said is very thought provoking and challenged me to examine some of my own beliefs.

Good stuff.

I'll probably keep mine for defence. Espionage has never really interested me in other games, like the MOO series. It's just another level of micromanagement I can do without.

Same here,I always found that to be the least interesting aspect of the MOO series. I also will just use them for defense only as I did in MOO. I view it more as an annoying aspect to have to deal with rather then something that makes the game more enjoyable. I prefer to destroy my enemies in a straight up fight, my military against theirs.

Would it be possible to set off a 'mega-event' due to hording agents?

What I mean is that by having agents idle / in defence for long periods could potentially destabilise your own world. For example the event could result in the alteration of morale / productivity due agents acting against (or in the supposed interests) of your own people.

I almost wish I wouldn't have read your blog. It was depressing. I agreed with almost nothing you said (except for the point that there should be no income tax on incomes less than $30,000). The Republican party is about one thing: greed. What can I get and how can I screw over everyone else to get it. The last 6 years prove that. Reagan and Bush went to war on the Middle Class. Neither cares about democracy. They want (ed) the powerful to stay powerful and their friends to get rich. I agree that Democrats can also be corrupt. All politicians suffer from this. But at the core the Republican agenda is greed. In the last 6 years they went too far. They took too much. It is sickening. They were in control of the executive, and both the house and senate, and what did they do? They ripped off America. Greed unchecked is a disaaster. - Livonya PS: Actually, I agreed with one other thing, the Republicans deserve to lose.

Well I woudln't want to get into a political debate here but let me make one suggestion: It is never a good idea to ascribe motives to people you don't understand.  I'm not a Republican (or a Democrat) but I can tell you that it's not about "greed". It's about wanting to keep the government (any government) out of people's lives in any form (with taxes being one example).  It's not about the money, it's about the principle of putting in hours a week for some far off government beauracracy. 

Do you really feel that I'm screwing you over by writing Galactic Civilizations? I didn't make the game because of the money. I made it because I love these kinds of games with the hope that others would agree.

Getting back to the expansion pack...

The hording of agents issue is going to be something very interesting in the beta to see how that works out. In The Political Machine, in multiplayer I used to horde up operatives to great effect.

 

Actually what I have said is that I don't want the GOVERNMENT to be the one to do that. I want individuals to control how their earnings are spent.

If you define greed as not wanting the government to re-distribute income to other people then I guess I'm greedy.  But I think you are misusing the term greed.

Like I said, it wasn't "greed" that motivates me to come in in the morning. It is making cool and fun stuff.

If you don't want to live in a society with governments then move into the woods and don't participate in society.

..Or alternatively I can vote for people who have a similar philosophy.

I wish we could incorporate more political features into the actual game so that the political parties had more of a role in the gameplay.

I would like to add to the debate that if a Republican or conservative is not spending some of his money or time or both to aid his fellow man,then he has no right to complain about redistribution of wealth.An ideology that doesn't address a problem in a practical matter is just that,empty ideas.
I would say the overall problem is materialism in general and not greed.


On spys.Will you be able to use spies to thwart others and what will happen then as far as consequences,degradation in relationship status etc.

I would like to add to the debate that if a Republican or conservative is not spending some of his money or time or both to aid his fellow man,then he has no right to complain about redistribution of wealth.An ideology that doesn't address a problem in a practical matter is just that,empty ideas. I would say the overall problem is materialism in general and not greed.

I agree.

For a GalCiv III, it would be nice to expand the political factions further so that there was actaully internal competition in keeping your empire under your control.

That would be very cool.

http://draginol.joeuser.com/

While not trying to stir up any animosity, I just wonder where the heck did the center go off to? Nowadays it doesn't seem to be about debating an issue and finding a compromise, it's about beating your opponent so far into the ground he or she winds up in China.
Ever wonder if the metal detectors in the Capitol building are the only thing from keeping the politicans from putting holes in each other?

Personally I wish there was a third party, so that the Reps and Demos could both be punished for their blunders and inability to find common ground.

These are just my thoughts,
Have a nice day.

Oddly enough, the game you are designing/produce doesn't support your political agenda.

In Galactiv Civ II you have to raise moral by build things for the people so that you can RAISE taxes.

Taxes are the key to victory. If you don't raise taxes you will lose. Period.

The sucess of your empire is dependent on your taxes.

It doesn't matter if you play as a hostile evil invading nation or as a peaceful diplomatic nation, you must tax your people or your society falls apart.

It is true that it is a good strategy to lower taxes initially so that you can build moral to build population, but in the end the goal is to raise taxes to 80%.

Once you have your tax rate at 80% without killing moral then you have pretty much won the game.

It seems ironic to me that you are against taxes in real life, but the basic fundamental strategy of your game is to raise taxes as high as possible so that you can re-invest in your infastructure and build military.

Anyway, I have said my piece, and don't feel I need to say more, but I did find this observation of interest.

- Livonya

Interesting... 2 things you never discuss with strangers or friends unless you want them to become strangers: Politics and Religion. Now you see why .

I hate to say it but any system based on human beings is flawed because at our fundamental core we are flawed. For me personally I tend towards things that hold up under common sense scrutiny regardless of which side of the political spectrum it originated from. Something a lot of people are lacking I know but sometimes it just boggles the mind some of the ludicrous things politicians and general populace say and take as truth. Here in AZ recent attack ads during campaigning just show how screwed up most politicians really are.

I think the biggest problem our system of government in the US has is the delusion that some how the politicians have your personal best interests at heart. Politicians care about one thing: staying in office. That is their job. They care about keeping it the same way every other gainfully employed person cares about keeping theirs. Fear of losing that job motivates them. Just because they were elected into office doesn't immediately turn them into saints which is what some want to believe about their chosen candidates while wanting to believe the other guy is pure evil. Show me an honest politician and I'll show you the tooth fairy.

On to the game. Personally I prefer the simplistic role government plays in this game. After all I'm supposed to be the supreme ruler of the galaxy anyway. What fun would it be to have to stop waging war with my massive fleets to have to go make nice with the systems under my thumb so they'll allow me to continue to play? I'll just gladly go about building my amusement parks and casinos to keep the populous happy so I can tax the heck out of them to keep my war machine rolling.