So Arioch mentioned there are vague plans to look at espionage systems for any DLC 3 and culture for DLC 4. First, I want to assure Arioch and Sven that I'll be ready to support them by buying those DLCs when they come about; I'm also curious if they have any general thoughts about what they wanted to do in the future that they could share. I haven't been as active on this forum lately, but I assure you I'm still happily following the development of the game and very pleased with what's happened so far.

(If I were to have a 'wish feature', it would be something to reflect the institutional differences between the different star nations of the local region, and possibly ways to tweak around the edges of your domestic institutions while keeping the fundamental character of your native society- but that's hardly a necessary feature, and I fully understand if Sven and Arioch don't feel it can be effectively implemented.)

nweismuller wrote:(If I were to have a 'wish feature', it would be something to reflect the institutional differences between the different star nations of the local region, and possibly ways to tweak around the edges of your domestic institutions while keeping the fundamental character of your native society- but that's hardly a necessary feature, and I fully understand if Sven and Arioch don't feel it can be effectively implemented.)

Well, that's more or less what I meant by "culture": a model for social systems (political, cultural, etc.). Ideally, these mechanisms would be customized to each faction (not all options would be available to all factions), and would include "story points" where there are choices to make about the direction of development of the society. But it's just a very broad concept at present.

Regarding DLC plans, we don't have any firm plans beyond DLC2, and we're still not sure exactly what will be in that. Priorities change. I can give you a rough outline of my ideas about what features might fit where in hypothetical future DLC, as long as you keep in mind that it's just my own ideas, is highly speculative, and of course is subject to change. For example, I'm not entirely sure whether an espionage system could appear in DLC3 or 4, or whether it's worth doing at all. We won't know until we get into it.

DLC2

New Playable Faction: Gardeners

"Spike" ships
Terraformers
Metamorphs (Colonist Morphing)
Incongruous (Special Diplomacy Rules)

New NPC Faction: Scarlet Company

Black Holes and Nightmare Worlds
Human Arkship and Super-dreadnought
Terraforming System Revamp

Terraforming Points and Infrastructure
New Planet Specials

DLC3

New Playable Faction: [“Fiirkaz”]

"Kite" ships
Psionics
Starfighters
Interdimensional
New NPC Factions: ESK and Melam

Hyperspace and ESK Dimension Map Layers
Crystalline Nodes and Melam Ecology, Twisted Crystals
New Feature: Hero Units

Activated Special Abilities
Passive Bonuses
Hero XP, Class-based Ability/Bonus Trees
Persistent Fleets? Crew Grade?
Espionage?

DLC4

New Playable Faction: [“Kugha”]

"Glass" ships
Underground Habitats
Persuasive
New NPC Faction: Umm
New Feature: Politics/Culture

Civics
Internal Events
Story Points
Cultural Diplomacy
Espionage?

And here's a Fiirkaz ship concept for fun:

It's cool to hear your general plans, and hope that development will continue so that we see that culture system you proposed. I'm looking forward to it! Given that concepts are fairly vague yet, I nonetheless mulled over an idea where (at least) the Phidi Combine and Ashdar Colonial Republic might be more driven by their institutions to need higher population happiness, given that they have more consent-based models of governance than the more autocratic norms that seem widespread otherwise. That said, I can imagine that even for non-Phidi, the Combine would be likely to be a better place for commerce given its institutions. Can't say these even rise to the level of 'suggestions' at this point, more just idle musing.

I'll see if I can't get a few more people into the game, so that you have purchases continuing to support your development. Thanks again for both of your great work!

Really like the plan: hope you will get to make them a reality

Thanks for the bonus image: you guys are really crushing it with the game concepts and ship desigs and this ship is no exception:
It is colorfull, sleek, unique, just awesome to look at

The Human Ark ship sounds also really intriguing and if it is Human eclusive ship type I am sensing a rise in that factions replayability due to a new mechanic I was hoping that Humans would get some more love but didnt hope that would extend beyond some minor balancing so that they fare better/have more options: even more excited now for hte DLC!

DLC 3 and DLC 4 sound a lot like Star Control 2 influenced. I can recognize each race there
But I was more impressed with DLC2 Metamorphs - Silverberg Lord Valentine's Castle. My favourite ocean planet of Magipoor and the aboriginal Methamorphs. Oh that is so great

I like that list.

Arioch wrote:Psionics

ability to take over enemy planet without bombing it (I was considering to mod it in, maybe I don't need to) ? (sorry, yet another reference to MoO)

sishelper wrote:But I was more impressed with DLC2 Metamorphs - Silverberg Lord Valentine's Castle. My favourite ocean planet of Magipoor and the aboriginal Methamorphs. Oh that is so great

Sorry to disappoint you, but they're metamorphs in the literal biology sense -- they morph from one life stage into another. They're not Darloks.

siyoa wrote:

Arioch wrote:Psionics

ability to take over enemy planet without bombing it (I was considering to mod it in, maybe I don't need to) ? (sorry, yet another reference to MoO)

My idea is that most of the psionic abilities will manifest themselves as specific Hero-oriented active and passive abilities, rather than population-oriented attributes. I imagine that most will be tactical in nature, but some might be strategic. We'll see.

I think that's a case that might be handled by a non-psionic mechanism, such as cultural diplomacy or psy-ops (espionage).

Arioch wrote:I think that's a case that might be handled by a non-psionic mechanism, such as cultural diplomacy or psy-ops (espionage).

sorry, said "bombing", but meant "invading" ... yeah MoO implementation of Telepatic race was too blunt, overpowered in a way

having psionic race with some psy-ops assigned to planet in previous turns (to start "persuading" them) and than showing up with strong fleet and "telepathically" switch planet to your side is much more interesting approach, I'll be all for this

siyoa wrote:

Arioch wrote:I think that's a case that might be handled by a non-psionic mechanism, such as cultural diplomacy or psy-ops (espionage).

sorry, said "bombing", but meant "invading" ... yeah MoO implementation of Telepatic race was too blunt, overpowered in a way

having psionic race with some psy-ops assigned to planet in previous turns (to start "persuading" them) and than showing up with strong fleet and "telepathically" switch planet to your side is much more interesting approach, I'll be all for this

My concept for espionage is a little more realistic than the typical 4X "send 'spies' to enemy worlds and blow things up"; as if alien agents wouldn't be immediately spotted. My idea is that you use an espionage-oriented Hero to set up indigenous contacts or "cells" on a foreign world, and then use them mainly for intelligence gathering or more plausible mechanisms like psy-ops. So you'd need to set up the conditions for a bloodless invasion ahead of time.

A telepathic race might have a bonus to certain espionage operations, but my concept for the Fiirkaz is that they have more concrete psionic capabilities, and are not necessarily telepathic.

I'd rather see the predicted DLC 4 before the DLC 3- culture excites me more than hero characters- but really, I'm very excited about any further development on this game and have been very happy with it so far. I'm eagerly looking forward to DLC 2!

nweismuller wrote:I'd rather see the predicted DLC 4 before the DLC 3- culture excites me more than hero characters- but really, I'm very excited about any further development on this game and have been very happy with it so far. I'm eagerly looking forward to DLC 2!

The hero unit system is a prerequisite for the culture system.

Arioch wrote:

nweismuller wrote:I'd rather see the predicted DLC 4 before the DLC 3- culture excites me more than hero characters- but really, I'm very excited about any further development on this game and have been very happy with it so far. I'm eagerly looking forward to DLC 2!

The hero unit system is a prerequisite for the culture system.

Well, that's certainly a good reason to do it first.

Arioch wrote:Sorry to disappoint you, but they're metamorphs in the literal biology sense -- they morph from one life stage into another. They're not Darloks.

Oh more like The Chrysalids of John Wyndham or Cocoon Movie. Those were able to make other races genetically mutate and pass trough a new evolution stage and emerge as something new

Any plan to bring back Harpy and Pirate raids with one of the DLCs or via update?

I think they were basically removed during balancing of economy and AI difficulty and though agree that they hindered the AI a lot, if integrated with story and game mehanics they could work.

e.g.: pirate raids being a diplomatic action done via pirates the same way slaves are bought from Marauders (also a great way to sink excess influence, hurt other empires withouth direcly attacking and givign an actual reason for other factions to be angry at Humans when attacked by priates - they could get a bonus to this abiliy making it more likely that they were behind it)
OR: Harpy invasions being a direct result of transgression against their nests or within diplomacy when they pose demands for metal or that you leave a system be