Space 4x World Development Mechanic

Yes. I want to focus on more the economic aspect, but try to keep it as simple as possible.

I have used the Star Wars universe as an inspiration and in that universe the galactic economy is ruled by trade between different planets.

The idea is to create dependency relationships between planets which will result in greater wealth for both planets if trade was not available. It can also lead to situations where if, for example, if a planet relies on food from another, this interruption in supply can cause grievous problems.

I want to try to introduce interesting decisions where a planet can be self-sufficient with a lower population, but produce less and be less wealthy or push the population to the maximum resulting in more wealth at the cost of being totally reliant on imports.

My goal in terms of game length is 2 hours or less.

The fighting between space ships will be greatly abstracted out. I definitely want resource management to be a significant factor, but not so much where it really takes a long time to play.

I actually want to focus more on the political aspect of different players working together.

Yes, the optimal population size will be the maximum population a planet can support. I realize this may not be realistic, but at least for now, I would like to *not* simulate over population (happiness reduction, efficiency loss and so on).

ElKobold, thanks for the input.

ElKobold, I think that is a good idea.

So how about this:

- A column of just the excess resources produced.
- Inside the column, a circle with a icon for each resource where multiple resources of the same type have a circle. For example, 3 water then 3 circles.
- Just under the icon indicates the population level required to create the resource. For example, a "2" indicates for this resource to be produced the planet must have a population of two cubes.
- A cube of the resource or some token is placed on the appropriate icon squares when the specified population number is reached thus producing the resource. When the resource is traded, it is obviously removed and placed on the traded partner's planet. By having cubes or tokens, it will show at a glance what resources are left.

So for example, if you have a column of five circles:

Food with a 1.
Water with a 1.
Food with a 2.
Water with a 2.
Water with a 2.

Then at population of 1, the excess resources is 1 food and 1 water. At population level of 2, the excess resources is 2 food and 3 water.

Now, like before, if you want to take into account the consumption of an increase in population (1 population takes 1 water and 1 food), then as above moving to population level 2 would take 1 of the excess food and 1 water with a net of excess 1 food (2 food - 1 population increase), and net excess of 2 water (3 water - 1 population increase). This can be "hidden" by doing the following:

Food with a 1.
Water with a 1.
Water with a 2.

Does this seem better?

--DarkDream

Nice thinking. In the example you gave, I think you are saying that at a population level of 2 then you would have a total of 1 water and 2 food output, correct?

I think I would prefer, when you get to a population level of 2, you would get an additional 1 water and 2 food for a total of 2 water and 3 food. I would like to it that way, as when you move up a population level you gain that amount of cubes to distribute.

[Edit: I missed the part where you mention you choose the amount based on total population. I think I now understand the diagram.]

The only problem, is that by concentrating on simplifying it to concentrate on the excess production, I have hidden the population consumption.

For example, for a Terran population on a water world planet. It maybe this:

[___][___][___] - Population
(_1_)(_1_)(_1_) - Water output
(_1_)(_1_)(_0_) - Food output

Now behind the scenes, a Terran population uses up 1 food and 1 water. So initially, for example, the total amount of resources for the planet is 2 food and 2 water. As 1 water and 1 food is used up by the Terran population, you are left with 1 water and 1 food as excess and fits the diagram.

As a water species on a water planet only uses up 1 food and no water, the diagram changes to this:

[___][___][___] - Population
(_2_)(_2_)(_2_) - Water output
(_1_)(_1_)(_0_) - Food output

A robot species that uses no food or no water (uses energy as its fuel) would turn it to this:

[___][___][___] - Population
(_2_)(_2_)(_2_) - Water output
(_2_)(_2_)(_1_) - Food output

Maybe the planet should have this final profile, and place little resource cubes equaling the amount in the ( ). To add a population cube you consume some of the resources (the amount is the species type) by removing the cubes (or moving them onto the population square to show the consumption) and the amount of cubes left in the output section is the excess.

Or maybe have an "input" section which shows the resources needed to support the population (in the above example the cubes can be moved to the output to the input)?

Any ideas? Seems like getting really close here.

Thanks again.

--DarkDream

I understand now. You are using the population cubes themselves as a bonus to be added. Very neat. This seems to work.

Let me put my thinking cap on for a little longer just to fill in the rest of the details in terms of the exact card look and other situations.

Let me think, as an example, the situation where there is a desert planet which has no water and no food resources. I guess it would look like this:

[____][____][____] - Population
(_-1_)(_-1_)(_-1_) - Water output
(_-1_)(_-1_)(_-1_) - Food output

This indicates to support a Terran population you would need to import both 1 food and 1 water per population to let it survive (rule would be you are not allowed to have a population if the excess is in the negative).

In this case there would be no excess resources. A desert species, could for example survive with no water (absorbs moisture from the atmosphere into their skin), and thus would have a bonus making the excess at 0 for water making it so no water is needed for import.

Thanks.

--DarkDream