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This may be a longer post in a shorter thread as I’m hoping to share info more than asking a question, but so far we’ve gotten good feedback on all topics and hope this will get the same.

When playing Supreme Ruler 2010, the player is presented with a map and subsections divided by type. These are the tabs below the map seen in our screenshots. We have recently added two new tabs (one being a “F1 – Help” section) and thought I’d give details on each one.

LAND - This section gives details on each hex and it’s contents. This is also where you go to add map upgrades such as industries, bases and roads. Unused industries can be deactivated or small industries upgraded. The screens on the upper right offer resource stats for the hex.

OPS (new) – This section is where you handle intelligence, counter-intelligence and rules of warfare for the region. You’ll be able to set your rules of engagement and direct your intelligence agencies.

MILITARY – This would be better described as defense. This section provides the ability to Build/Buy/Sell military equipment and technologies and set spending for the military and for research.

ECONOMICS – Fairly straightforward, this is your taxes, loans and bonds. The screens on the upper right offer fiscal reports for all areas of the game with a projected annual profit/loss amount.

DIPLOMACY – Allows for two types of diplomacy. The options are regional or World Market relations. Regional diplomacy will allow players to request or demand of other players using kind words or threats.

PRODUCTION – One of our largest sections due to the depth of the options, for any given product quick bar graphs will show if you will be able to meet or exceed demand and how much stock you still have. The screens on the upper right include a report to indicate the financial impact of your imports and exports.

DOMESTIC POLICY – The day-to-day decisions of government are simplified into core areas. Most players will likely set Religion, Immigration and Emigration options at the beginning and may not return very often but shrewd control of Social Services investing will gain you domestic approval without breaking the bank.

STATUS – The primary function of the section is simply to keep the player informed. All common information on all regions will be found here. Think of this as your morning newspaper and news homepage all in one place.

With each of these sections, players have access, we feel, to everything an up and coming ruler needs. Units will be given orders on the map once deployed. Units without orders will follow your military doctrines as set in the Command and Control screens of the Ops section.

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Chris Latour
BattleGoat Studios
chris@battlegoat.com

That lay out seems outstanding. Everything we want at a click away. Now I do have a question and its dealing with research. How is that going to be handled? I hope its not like some games all you have to do is put enough cash into it and it will become because that isnt very realistic in my opinion. You and I both know that research takes time and it has it ups and downs too. So why dont you incorporate some random chance of failures. Like this one "Your lead scientist was vacationing and got swallowed up by all the good looking babes on the beach front your project will have to start all over again" You know what I mean right? Just make it non predictable like research should be not who can pour in the most cash to get the research done the fastest. Oh and another thing if I may add. Please make the tech tree believable. Meaning you cant put a man on the moon until you know how to get a plane in the air. I dont want to be able to research space travel when I cant even travel on my own land.

Well that is all for now but I will keep reading and looking for more stuff for you to add to your game.

A number of the research details are still only on paper. We have done work on the tech tree and it is intended to be a massive number of realistic developments such as Mid Air refuelling (increased fighter ranges for certain planes) and Composite Armours (increased ground defence for certain tanks). I would hope that the number of items available to research will mean that no one ever finishes the list, but can move in very different directions every time they play. Some regions will actually begin with a number of tech items already known, other areas will need to do a large amount of research to catch up to the rest of the world. Plus, a number of the items will lead into each other. For example, if you start in Bolivia, before you can research composite armours, you’d need to have researched Radar Absorbent Materials (need for Stealth vehicles). The random element in the results is less interesting to me. I'd hate to have spent millions of dollars and weeks of research only to find out my head scientist turned into Leisure Suit Larry…

I do like some of your comments and you have inspired me to look at the research design next, so watch for a new thread with the next couple days. I’ll try and get a draught so that I can get feedback from everyone.

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Chris Latour
BattleGoat Studios
chris@battlegoat.com

I was thinking that this eventuality would be unlikely...babes tend not to go for scientists...but having to start the project again is unlikely, as research documentation would be available.

Research is a combination of Time, Money, Luck (and possibly Brains). One group may have a massive budget and staff yet get nowhere. Another group may have to make do with discarded equipment and still be able to make a breakthrough.

In fact, Alpha Centauri have a feature where the first of a new unit costs double. Once that is built, more of the same model are normal cost.

Perhaps too, another espionage job. Steal papers relevant to an unresearched technology. If successful, it might give a boost to that research.

In many games, research takes one item at a time. Research 'A' then 'B' then 'C' etc. Would it be possible to have research in perhaps 3 or 4 areas at once? Is it feasible and is it what people want? How about a research lab as another industry?

3iff very true on your statement but at least you understand the logistic of my statement. We all know that you dont lose all your research we have computers with back ups and all that great techno stuff. My point did get across just I tried to make it very funny and hope I succeeded :lol:

Ok BG thanks for the statement. I just enjoy it very much when I get to INSPIRE someone else But I have something else I want you to take a look at remember I dont really know how the game mechanics going to work on the screen but what I'm going to refer to is some stuff I hope wont be in your game from others.

Ok for instance Civ 3 they call it a strategy game if you can call it that I just play it here at work when im not busy. I do have a few problems with it like you are in control of a big super island. You have about 80 workers working the land for you all over the screen. Now if you have played this game then you know what I'm going to say. Just imagine everyone of your works getting there task done at the sametime. Your screen looks like a ping pong match going back and forth. Now if i set my workers to Auto that means to me that they will do what is neccessary to make the land better for the city. Why would I want to see everyone of them getting there task done. To me its just totally distracting and irritating to no end. The bouncing back and forth gives me one tremendous headache Can you please make sure you add an option in your setup screen that will allow this type of feature to be disabled? Or anything that might resemble this type of repeative action?

As I said before I dont really know how the game going to work so I'm just suggesting ideals and reading everything I can find on this forum and on your website. BTW you know your site hasnt been updated in a long time?


PS Sorry I should have put some of this post in the Wish section.


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Reddemon on 2002-07-12 11:24 ]</font>

Don't worry, we are determined to reduce map clutter as much as possible. You actually don't see the resource gathering happen, since you are usually at the head of a region with a few 100,000 people minimum, it's unlikey that you would actually see them.

As for the website, funny you should mention that. Yesterday I prepared Monday's update in which I'm letting everyone know that it will be the last new "units of the week" for a while as we are starting a rework of the website. However it is our habit not to post a new site until completed and we haven't nailed down the new design yet. In other words, along with the game, the website will be another thing we are trying to get finised...

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Chris Latour
BattleGoat Studios
chris@battlegoat.com