Let's donate money for Suprem Ruler 2030

[milivoje02]

Let's support continued development of Suprem Ruler Ultimate. And make a resourses for new Suprem Ruler.

[Zuikaku]

I'll support this wholeheartedly only if they do new engine and bring AI to the new level.
adding another era is just pointless without new features (like ability of hex loyalty to be changed, AI knowing when to build what etc.) and with well known limitations of the old engine.

[milivoje02]

I support improvement of AI. Trade territories would be a good innovation,like buying map hex cordinate. Joint development of units like USA F35,Russia,SU 57,EU Eurofigter. Investing in other countries industires. Improvement of region equipment for all regions which are not Russia and USA(they have all). Each region group shoud have a option in tex tree of developing unit in every segment,after all if pleyer with country have money he shoud have option to develop a unit what he need,that is realistically. Possibility of construction tourist centers and business center. The possibility of changing the state system to a monarchy.
Peace talks,negotiating peace conditions.
A change of loyalty sounds interesting,but I'm not in favor of removing some nation loyalty totally from the map. Perhaps the option of accepting a nation,like in Knights of Honor...

[George Geczy]

I've started a separate thread on the "Supreme Ruler Next Generation" project, and we've been making lots of notes about what people are interested in seeing in that. And of course, we have 18 years of suggestions and discussion already here on BGForums, and we have lists of what people have been asking for over the years.

I think a "2030" Sandbox is high on the list, just because the tradition of modern SR is that it's a near-future based game - sorta like today, but more chaotic. (Is it possible to be more chaotic than real life these days?) With SR1936 and SRGW we also showed that the SR engine can make a great alternate-history engine too.

Zuikaku is right in that a new engine is needed to get a lot of things done (Zuikaku is usually right, but don't let it get to his head). So a lot of the SR Next Gen project is about creating a new engine (and using many parts from the new engine we're making for Galactic Ruler), free of the issues of compatibility with existing SRU.

The question of how to get the revenue to fund the work is not set - donations through Patreon or crowdfunding are inconsistent, and a "DLC" doesn't really work for a new game that incompatible with existing SRU. So a new game offering is the most likely candidate, but we're definitely looking to our community of players to give us feedback on all this.

-- George.

[Zuikaku]

There are not many (if any, I can only remember the now long unsuported Superpower 1/2 which was promising but buggy) geopolitical simulators, so this is positive. negative is that only vary few of grognards wants to play geopolitical simulators. But if BGs somehow manage to offer to the market new Supreme ruler with the new engine , 1914-2xxx timespan, new features and polished old features, that woul'd be epic achievement. The "must have" new features shoul'd definitively include (much) better AI, deeper diplomacy (current one is rudimentary), more elaborate spy options (current are rudimentary, Superpower had some great ideas in this area including false flag attacks and terror attacks), and more sophisticated and interesting domestic policies (including riots, strikes, turmoils, natural disasters...).
I love SR series but I have always felt it is failed to create vivid world. SR world seems somewhat emptyand uneventfull (except for spawning wars). It lack random events and things (like strikes over gas priices, health crises, violence due to crimes) that woul'd make games more... well, alive

Also i feel that BGs are burning too much resources trying to improve aspects of the game that do not have anything with game immersion or replayability (like UI changes or graphics).
I seriously doubt we shall ever see new SR game with new features on the new engine. BGs are just too small studio withvery limited resources. But if they try to do so, they shoul'd focus on new features and recycle the rest. Recycle everything that can be recycled, especially maps, unit database, orders of battle, unit meshes.
And maybe try what Talonsoft did - they made a pricey games (60$ or more) for limited/specialised gameplay community, but they published the gems like (epic) War in the Pacific -admiral's edition and earned on them. Well, I hope they did cause that game (after few patches) is just perfect... except for the AI which is not bad but too bad it's not even better.

[Uriens]

First I would like to compliment the work on the AI in recent patches so far, it has gone quite the distance from what it was when SRU was released. Unfortunately, since this is such complex grand strategy game it still has lots of issues.
Aside from already mentioned AI (which is top pick for improvements) i have another two suggestions to bring in:
1) UI improvements yes, but from experience in other games that have increased late game large empire/country/whatever management issues - having a central comprehensive window where you can access and manage all relevant information about your region goes a long way in improving this. For example, Dominions (2,3,4) have F1 button that opens up a list of all their provinces and shows all needed data in comprehensive manner, pressing TAB shows/hides commanders in regions (basically a filter). Master of Orion 2 and any game after it that was intended to be its remake (stars in shadow for example) have a planet/empire screen where they can see all their colonies with productions, buildings and population in them and easily access them (like select/change production and move population) - all from that screen. SR game needs such "central hub" screen badly. Evildari tried doing something like that in his mod. Problem is, he had almost no documentation and no tools to make this mod so making this was a feat in its own right, unfortunately it lacks lots of needed functionality and some stuff is broken (like locking ministers from products only works on first product). What i'm asking for is official feature with all elements working and all relevant info about the region accessible through that screen and its tabs. Basically functional Atlas (shortcut 'a') size screen with tabs and functional elements.
And, ofc, a released tool to mod UI would be great.

2) Improved unit handling - i remember George asked about suggestions about it long time ago (probably during SRU development) so i do have few suggestions about this now. One thing is to (finally) implement unit upgrades and preferably moding (for modular systems like boxer).
Another is to have a more comprehensive army organization - by that i mean not just units which are battalions but have brigade, division, army, army groups and fronts which could even help AI manage battles more easily. You already have most of the needed tools for this i believe. Battlegroups can be expanded on and made into mentioned tiers (brigades, divisions, etc.).

I'll make separate threads about both of these suggestions for more detailed input and discussion, hopefully today if time permits.

[milivoje02]

First I would like to compliment the work on the AI in recent patches so far, it has gone quite the distance from what it was when SRU was released. Unfortunately, since this is such complex grand strategy game it still has lots of issues.
Aside from already mentioned AI (which is top pick for improvements) i have another two suggestions to bring in:
1) UI improvements yes, but from experience in other games that have increased late game large empire/country/whatever management issues - having a central comprehensive window where you can access and manage all relevant information about your region goes a long way in improving this. For example, Dominions (2,3,4) have F1 button that opens up a list of all their provinces and shows all needed data in comprehensive manner, pressing TAB shows/hides commanders in regions (basically a filter). Master of Orion 2 and any game after it that was intended to be its remake (stars in shadow for example) have a planet/empire screen where they can see all their colonies with productions, buildings and population in them and easily access them (like select/change production and move population) - all from that screen. SR game needs such "central hub" screen badly. Evildari tried doing something like that in his mod. Problem is, he had almost no documentation and no tools to make this mod so making this was a feat in its own right, unfortunately it lacks lots of needed functionality and some stuff is broken (like locking ministers from products only works on first product). What i'm asking for is official feature with all elements working and all relevant info about the region accessible through that screen and its tabs. Basically functional Atlas (shortcut 'a') size screen with tabs and functional elements.
And, ofc, a released tool to mod UI would be great.

2) Improved unit handling - i remember George asked about suggestions about it long time ago (probably during SRU development) so i do have few suggestions about this now. One thing is to (finally) implement unit upgrades and preferably moding (for modular systems like boxer).
Another is to have a more comprehensive army organization - by that i mean not just units which are battalions but have brigade, division, army, army groups and fronts which could even help AI manage battles more easily. You already have most of the needed tools for this i believe. Battlegroups can be expanded on and made into mentioned tiers (brigades, divisions, etc.).

I'll make separate threads about both of these suggestions for more detailed input and discussion, hopefully today if time permits.

Number 2 has my support

[evildari]

1. port it to a mobile system
2. techs and designs buyable only with real-life currency (or better some weird fantasy-currency in-between ie. supreme gems)
3. rename it to "Supreme Ruler Battle Royal" (order not important. ie "Supreme Battle Royal Ruler" will work for sure too)
4. profit
5. enough funds to either retire or work on a really and truly successor

[George Geczy]

1. port it to a mobile system
2. techs and designs buyable only with real-life currency (or better some weird fantasy-currency in-between ie. supreme gems)
3. rename it to "Supreme Ruler Battle Royal" (order not important. ie "Supreme Battle Royal Ruler" will work for sure too)
4. profit
5. enough funds to either retire or work on a really and truly successor

We may end up getting rich, but we would hate ourselves

We'd have to change our byline from "Intelligent Strategy Games" to "Lowest-Common-Denominator-But-Highly-Profitable-Albeit-Ethically-Questionable Strategy Games"

[George Geczy]

Thanks all for the continued suggestions, we are making note of them, and of course some (like better Unit management) we recognize as being long-term requests that are important to many players.

Also i feel that BGs are burning too much resources trying to improve aspects of the game that do not have anything with game immersion or replayability (like UI changes or graphics).

Well the graphics engine needs love for more reasons than just being another pretty face - it is a performance bottleneck for many players because it uses very inefficient outdated code, and it makes it hard to do certain useful visual elements that would help the game. But it is also important for bringing in new players - the comment that the game graphics are dated is a common one with new players that we are looking to bring in to the advanced-strategy game fold.

I seriously doubt we shall ever see new SR game with new features on the new engine. BGs are just too small studio with very limited resources.

Ouch, a dagger in my heart
But yes, we are a small studio with very limited resources. Why, I couldn't even find a spoon for my soup at lunch yesterday. But at this stage I'll say with 90% certainty that there will be a next-gen SR. Community response to the news has been very positive, and we think there is room for a next gen/remastered SR out there. So now it's not a case of "if" anymore, but "what" (as in, what features are most important to the player community) and "how" (ie, new game release, staged DLC release aka Paradox-style, etc)

But if they try to do so, they shoul'd focus on new features and recycle the rest. Recycle everything that can be recycled, especially maps, unit database, orders of battle, unit meshes.
And maybe try what Talonsoft did - they made a pricey games (60$ or more) for limited/specialised gameplay community, but they published the gems like (epic) War in the Pacific -admiral's edition and earned on them. Well, I hope they did cause that game (after few patches) is just perfect... except for the AI which is not bad but too bad it's not even better.

I agree on the new+recycle concept. Regarding the Talonsoft/Slytherine/Matrix approach of pricey releases in the $60+ range, I have to say I'm not a huge fan, but I can see their reasons. I don't think that will end up being our approach, but right now we're definitely still getting feedback on what people think is the best way to fund future development.

-- George.

[evildari]

now a more serious proposal:
can you inquire about the possibility to license that infamous alphastar "ki" (reinforced machine learning programm that is able to beat most humans in starcraft)

and about ui:
a useful and accessible user-interface is always important - in any game or rather any program.