sounds good...

but diplomacy is now not available? right

i'm not a as good as i have to be in scripting so i just be a tester

Mike can say about the diplomacy but any help you can give will be very welcome. There are a handful of people working long and hard to make this happen. I am currently one of two active ship model builders. That takes up my free time now. I have also recorded monolog and done some 2D art as well. http://www.botfii.armadafleetcommand.co ... pic&t=1752

how would I would go about adding pictures to the build and ships that are missing one? I have the latest version of the game.

If you load up the editor, you can see the unique identifier/key used for each building or ship (i.e. "FED_COLONY_SHIP_I"). Place a .PNG file with that identifier as the filename in the Resources/Images/TechObjects folder, and it should work right off the bat (i.e. "fed_colony_ship_i.png"). I use all-lowercase filenames by convention, but they're not case sensitive.

Thank you for the information

No problem. If you end up adding some of the missing images, feel free to zip them up and post them so I can add them to the next release.

any news of progression mstrobel
?

Nope, I took a few weeks off of the project (and other things). I've been taking it easy after finshing my undergraduate degree, but I'm planning on starting up with Supremacy again this coming week. I find it helps to let a project rest for a while and then attack it again with a fresh perspective, so I expect I'll be back up to speed quickly .

I'am still waiting for you to give some kind of menial labour type work

Until my supervisor contacts me (lol anytime now ) i've got little to do but hold back the guilt of not getting a job

Regards Wolfe

It is a great game but it has some bugs
There is a problem with the game. When I try to build Transport 2 or colony ship 2 the game crashes Also when I build the habitation project and have a colony 3 which the game has no problem building there is option to terrform or colonize the moons. Also when build a outpost or starbase i cannot upgrade it to the next level i have to scrap it and build the next one. Here is the errorr message for the crash.

Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation.

at System.RuntimeMethodHandle._InvokeMethodFast(Object target, Object[] arguments, SignatureStruct& sig, MethodAttributes methodAttributes, RuntimeTypeHandle typeOwner)
at System.RuntimeMethodHandle.InvokeMethodFast(Object target, Object[] arguments, Signature sig, MethodAttributes methodAttributes, RuntimeTypeHandle typeOwner)
at System.Reflection.RuntimeMethodInfo.Invoke(Object obj, BindingFlags invokeAttr, Binder binder, Object[] parameters, CultureInfo culture, Boolean skipVisibilityChecks)
at System.Delegate.DynamicInvokeImpl(Object[] args)
at System.Delegate.DynamicInvoke(Object[] args)
at Supremacy.Utility.AsyncHelper.AsyncInvokeCallback(Object state) in C:\Users\Mike Strobel\Workspace\Supremacy\SupremacyCore\Utility\AsyncHelper.cs:line 25
at System.Threading._ThreadPoolWaitCallback.WaitCallback_Context(Object state)
at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.runTryCode(Object userData)
at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.RuntimeHelpers.ExecuteCodeWithGuaranteedCleanup(TryCode code, CleanupCode backoutCode, Object userData)
at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.RunInternal(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state)
at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state)
at System.Threading._ThreadPoolWaitCallback.PerformWaitCallback(Object state)
[/list]

Habitation Dome bonuses haven't been implemented yet, and you won't be able to upgrade starbases--you'll have to scrap them and build new ones in their place. This is by design and part of the BotF2 specification. I'll look into the shipbuilding crashes--that shouldn't be happening.

Thanks for the feedback .

Mike that does not seem too Star Treky that an outpost would have to be scrapped. it's not to eco-friendly 8O just my two cents though, but I guess thinking back to more then one or two shows. There has been abandon outposts and stations.

I suppose which ever works gameplay wise,. scrapping outposts mean you have a time disadvantage in trying to get the starbase up and running qucikly enough so the effects the outpost brings, ie defense/scanning/range are lost on you for to long.

Would make for an interesting scenario to backstab an Ally

A median could be that you simply decommision the outpost essentailly like the old game but it it is quicker to build? bah who knows, have to wait till its in play

Regards Wolfe

First of all youve done exceptionally well. it was refreshing to come back here and find a working demo and project in full flow.

Ive just built my first ship, ill post a full report on what bugs and stuff ive encountered in a day or 2, im making a list. One thing i noticed though and was worried about is on the intel screen it appears youve gone with the officer/external/internal system. i know intel isnt functioning yet but im wondering do you intend to stick with this system. It makes no sense to me why the production of officers that pilot ships is in any way linked to your morale and ability to to converse and persuade other races or indeed to sabotage them, unless its a crudely disguised balance mechanism between fleet strength and intel strength. I can see it being asily abused, im already allocating everything to officers at the start of the game.

Keep up the gd work mate.

Welcome back, horadrim! Thanks for taking the time to play and post feedback. The Intel button will probably be replaced with another button, and Intel and Personnel will probably be different tabs in the same screen. But for now, it's a bit misleading, I know.

Very nice work. I can't believe how far it has come. I have been visiting this site since about early 2004 (never registered until now though). It is amazing to see the progress. I can't wait to see this game completed, it will be amazing. I would have to say it will be the best fan made game I have seen.

I have nothing negative to say right now. I am sure when the AI comes out there willl be plenty of bugs to work out, so I will leave the negative until then.

Thanks for your hard work.

ps. I think when you get more of the game completed you should allow donations, I know I would donate.

any upadte my friend ?

Welecome back to the forums, generade, and thanks for the positive feedback on the game .

I look forward to getting back to work on it finally. I had intended to take a couple weeks off working on it, but so much craziness has been happening in my life lately that weeks have turned into months . I got hit with a big project at work that I had to finish quickly, and then I just got in a car accident last week. I've been having to work from home while waiting for the other guy's insurance company to get me a rental car, so I've been too busy catching up on work to spend any time on Supremacy. I'm beginning to think the game may have to stay shelved until around the end of summer. I've had some cool ideas, though, so when I have the time again, I'll have a lot to work on. And some of the other community members have been diligently cranking out graphics, models, and music for the game, so even though I can't work on the code right now, progress is still being made .

I had almost given up on finding a new version of BOTF. I was actually considering writing one myself, despite the fact that my programmer art is about as good as BOTF memory management. Seeing this really made my day today. The downloader just finished, and I'm excited to see what the game looks like.

Edit:
The second run worked, but the first gave me this:

Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation.

at System.RuntimeMethodHandle._InvokeMethodFast(Object target, Object[] arguments, SignatureStruct& sig, MethodAttributes methodAttributes, RuntimeTypeHandle typeOwner)
at System.RuntimeMethodHandle.InvokeMethodFast(Object target, Object[] arguments, Signature sig, MethodAttributes methodAttributes, RuntimeTypeHandle typeOwner)
at System.Reflection.RuntimeMethodInfo.Invoke(Object obj, BindingFlags invokeAttr, Binder binder, Object[] parameters, CultureInfo culture, Boolean skipVisibilityChecks)
at System.Delegate.DynamicInvokeImpl(Object[] args)
at System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.InternalRealCall(Delegate callback, Object args, Boolean isSingleParameter)
at System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.TryCatchWhen(Object source, Delegate callback, Object args, Boolean isSingleParameter, Delegate catchHandler)

----------------------------------------

This request operation sent to net.pipe://localhost/SupremacyService/Local did not receive a reply within the configured timeout (00:04:59.8125000). The time allotted to this operation may have been a portion of a longer timeout. This may be because the service is still processing the operation or because the service was unable to send a reply message. Please consider increasing the operation timeout (by casting the channel/proxy to IContextChannel and setting the OperationTimeout property) and ensure that the service is able to connect to the client.


Server stack trace:
at System.ServiceModel.Dispatcher.DuplexChannelBinder.SyncDuplexRequest.WaitForReply(TimeSpan timeout)
at System.ServiceModel.Dispatcher.DuplexChannelBinder.Request(Message message, TimeSpan timeout)
at System.ServiceModel.Channels.ServiceChannel.Call(String action, Boolean oneway, ProxyOperationRuntime operation, Object[] ins, Object[] outs, TimeSpan timeout)
at System.ServiceModel.Channels.ServiceChannel.Call(String action, Boolean oneway, ProxyOperationRuntime operation, Object[] ins, Object[] outs)
at System.ServiceModel.Channels.ServiceChannelProxy.InvokeService(IMethodCallMessage methodCall, ProxyOperationRuntime operation)
at System.ServiceModel.Channels.ServiceChannelProxy.Invoke(IMessage message)

Exception rethrown at [0]:
at System.Runtime.Remoting.Proxies.RealProxy.HandleReturnMessage(IMessage reqMsg, IMessage retMsg)
at System.Runtime.Remoting.Proxies.RealProxy.PrivateInvoke(MessageData& msgData, Int32 type)
at Supremacy.WCF.ISupremacyService.HostSinglePlayerGame(GameOptions options, Player& localPlayer)
at Supremacy.Client.HumanClient.HostGame(String playerName, String fileName, GameOptions options, Boolean isSinglePlayerGame) in C:\Users\Mike Strobel\Workspace\Supremacy\SupremacyClient\HumanClient.cs:line 424
at Supremacy.Client.HumanClient.HostSinglePlayerGame(GameOptions options) in C:\Users\Mike Strobel\Workspace\Supremacy\SupremacyClient\HumanClient.cs:line 336
at Supremacy.Client.GameWindow.<>c__DisplayClass6.<MenuScreen_SinglePlayerCommand_Executed>b__4() in C:\Users\Mike Strobel\Workspace\Supremacy\SupremacyClient\GameWindow.xaml.cs:line 642

----------------------------------------

Here is a few ideas on planets and suns

SUNS


SINGLE

STANDARD ONE SUN STAR SYSTEM

BINARY

TWO STAR SYSTEM

TRINARY

THREE STAR SYSTEM

QUADRINARY

FOUR STAR SYSTEM


STAR TYPE

CLASS O
COMPOSITION IONIZED ATOM'S,ESPECIALLY HELIUM
COLOUR DARK BLUE
TEMPERATURE 28,000-50,000*K


CLASS B
COMPOSITION NEUTRAL HELIUM,SOME HYDROGEN
COLOUR BLUE
TEMPERATURE 10,000-28,000*K


CLASS A
COMPOSITION STRONG HYDROGEN,SOME IONIZED METALS
COLOUR LIGHT BLUE
TEMPERATURE 7,000-10,000*K


CLASS F
COMPOSITION HYDROGEN&IONIZED METALS,CALCIUM&IRON
COLOUR WHITE
TEMPERATURE 6,000-7,500*K

CLASS G
COMPOSITION IONIZED CALCIUM,BOTH NEUTRAL&IONIZED METALS/
COLOUR YELLOW
TEMPERATURE 5,000-6,000*K


CLASS K
COMPOSITION NEUTRAL METALS
COLOUR ORANGE
TEMPERATURE 3,000-5,000*K



CLASS M
COMPOSITION IONIZED ATOMS,ESPECIALLY HELIUM
COLOUR RED
TEMPERATURE 2,000-3,000*K



PLANETS


CLASS A
TYPE GEOTHERMAL
AGE 0-2 BILLION YEARS
DIAMETER 1,000-10,000KM
SURFACE PARTIALLY MOLTEN
ATMOSPHERE PRIMARITY HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
EVOLUTION COOLS TO C CLASS
LIFEFORM NONE
SURFACE 2 MOLTEN


CLASS B
TYPE GEOMORTEUS
AGE 0-10 BILLION YEARS
DIAMETER 1,000-10,000 KM
SURFACE PARTIALLY MOLTEN,HIGH SURFACE TEMP
ATMOSPHERE EXTREMELY TENUOUS,FEW CHEMICALLY GAES
EVOLUTION NONE
LIFEFORM NONE
SURFACE 2 BARREN

CLASS C
TYPE GEOINACTIVE
AGE 2-10 BILLION YEARS
DIAMETER 1,000-10,000 KM
SURFACE LOW SURFACE TEMPERATURE
ATMOSPHERE FROZEN
EVOLUTION NONE
LIFEFORM NONE
SURFACE 2 ICY

CLASS D
TYPE ASTEROID/MOON
AGE 2-10 BILLION YEARS
DIAMETER 100-1,000 KM
SURFACE BARREN&CRATERED
ATMOSPHERE NONE POR VERY TENUOUS
EVOLUTION NONE
LIFEFORM NONE
SURFACE 2 ROCKY

CLASS E
TYPE GEOPLASTIC
AGE 0-2 BILLION YEARS
DIAMETER 10,000-15,000 KM
SURFACE MOLTEN,HIGH SURFACE TEMPERATURE
ATMOSPHERE HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS&REACTIVE GASES
EVOLUTION COOLS TO BECOME A F CLASS
LIFEFORM CARBON CYCLE {EXCALBIAN}
SURFACE 2 MOLTEN

CLASS F
TYPE GEOMETALLIC
AGE 1-3 BILLION YEARS
DIAMETER 10,000-15,000 KM
SURFACE VOLCANIC ERUPTION DUE TO MOLTEN CORE
ATMOSPHERE HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
EVOLUTION COOL TO A G CLASS
LIFEFORM SILICON{HORTA}
SURFACE 2 TOXIC

CLASS G
TYPE GEOCRYSTALLINE
AGE 3-4 BILLION YEARS
DIAMETER 10,00-15,000 KM
SURFACE STILL CRYSTALLIZING
ATMOSPHERE CARBON DIOXIDE,SOME TOXIC GASES
EVOLUTION COOLS TO BECOME K,L,M.N,O,P
LIFEFORM PRIMATIVE SINGLE CELL ORGANISMS
SURFACE 2 TOXIC

CLASS H
TYPE DESERT
AGE 4-10 BILLION YEARS
DIAMETER 8,000-15,000 KM
SURFACE HOT&ARID, LITTLE OR NO SURFACE WATER
ATMOSPHERE MAY CONTAIN HEAVY GASES&METAL VAPOR
EVOLUTION NONE
LIFEFORM RADIATION-RESISTANT PLANTS,ANIMAL LIFE
SURFACE 2 DESERT

CLASS J
TYPE GAS GIANT
AGE 2-10 BILLION
DIAMETER 50,000-140,000 KM
SURFACE TENUOUS, COMPRISED POF GASEOUS HYDROGEN&HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; RADIATES SOME HEAT

ATMOSPHERE ZONE MAY VARY IN TEMPERATURE,PRESSURE&COMPOSITION

EVOLUTION NONE
LIFEFORM HYDROCARBON BASED{JOVIAN}
SURFACE 2 GAS

CLASS K
TYPE ADAPTABLE
AGE 4-10 BILLION YEARS
DIAMETER 5,000-10,000 KM
SURFACE BARREN, LITTLE OR NO SUFACE WATER
ATMOSPHERE THIN, MOSTLY CARBON DIOXIDE
EVOLUTION NONE
LIFEFORM PRIMATIVE SINGLE CELL ORGANISMS
SURFACE 2 BARREN

CLASS L
TYPE MARGINAL
AGE 4-10 BILLIOM YEARS
DIAMETER 10,000-15,000 KM
SURFACE ROCKY&BARREN,LITTLE SURFACE WATER
ATMOSPHERE OXYGEN/ARGON,HIGH CONCENTRATION OF CARBON DIOXIDE

EVOLUTION NONE
LIFEFORM LIMITED TO PLANT LIFE
SURFACE 2 ROCKY&BARREN

CLASS M
TYPE TERRESTRIAL
AGE 3-10 BILLION YEARS
DIAMETER 10,000-15,000 KM
SURFACE SURFACE WATER ABUNDANT EXTENSIVE VEGETATION

ATMOSPHERE NITROGEN, OXYGEN, TRACE ELEMENTS
EVOLUTION NONE
LIFEFORM EXTENSIVE VEGETATION, ANIMAL LIFE HUMANOIDS

SURFACE 2 TERRAIN


CLASS N
TYPE REDUCING
AGE 3-10 BILLION
DIAMETER 10,000-15,000 KM
SURFACE HIGH SURFACE TEMPERATURE DUE TO GREENHOUSE EFFECT; WATER EXISTS ONLY AS VAPOUR

ATMOSPHERE EXTREMELY DENSE, CARBON DIOXIDE&SULFIDES

EVOLUTION NONE
LIFEFORM UNKNOWN
SURFACE 2 TOXIC



CLASS O
TYPE PELAGIC
AGE 3-10 BILLION YEARS
DIAMETER 10,000-15,000 KM
SURFACE LIQUID WATER COVES 80% OR MORE OF SURFACE AREA

ATMOSPHERE NITROGEN,OXYGEN, TRACE ELEMENTS
EVOLUTION NONE
LIFEFORM AQUATIC VEGETATION, ANIMAL LIFE
SURFACE 2 OCEAN


CLASS P
TYPE GLACIATED
AGE 3-10 BILLION YEARS
DIAMETER 10,000-15,000 KM
SURFACE ICE COVERS 80% OR MORE OF SURFACE AREA
ATMOSPHERE NITROGEN, OXYGEN, TRACE ELEMENTS
EVOLUTION NONE
LIFEFORM HARDY VEGETATION, ANIMAL LIFE
SURFACE 2 ICE


CLASS Q
TYPE VARIABLE
AGE 2-10 BILLION YEARS
DIAMETER 4,000-15,000 KM
SURFACE RANGES FROM MOLTEN TO WATER AND/OR CARBON DIOXIDE ICE, DUE TO ECCENTRIC ORBIT OR VARIABLE OUTPUT OF STAR

ATMOSPHERE RANGES FROM TENUOUS TO VERY DENSE
EVOLUTION NONE
LIFEFORM NONE
SURFACE 2 UNKNOWN


CLASS R
TYPE ROGUE
AGE 2-10 BILLION YEARS
DIAMETER 4,000-15,000 KM
SURFACE MAY BE TEMPERATE DUE TO GEOTHERMAL VENTING

ATMOSPHERE PRIMARILY VOLCANIC OUTGASSING
EVOLUTION NONE
LIFEFORM NON-PHOTOSYNTHETIC PLANTS,ANIMAL LIFE
SURFACE 2 UNKNOWN

CLASS S-T
TYPE ULTRA GIANT
AGE 2-10 BILLION YEARS
DIAMETER 10-50 MILLION KM{CLASS S}
50-120 MILLION KM{CLASS T}
SURFACE TENUOUS, COMPOSED OF GASEOUS HYDROGEN AND HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; RADIATES CONSIDERABLE HEAT

ATMOSPHERE ZONES VARY IN TEMPERATURE, PRESSURE AND COMPOSITION; WATER MAY STILL BE PRESENT

EVOLUTION NONE
LIFEFORM UNKNOWN
SURFACE 2 GAS


CLASS Y
TYPE DEMON
AGE 2-10 BILLIOM YEARS
DIAMETER 10,000-50,000 KM
SURFACE TEMPERATURE CAN EXCEED 500*K
ATMOSPHERE TURBULENT, SATURATED WITH TOXIC CHEMICALS AND THERMIONIC RADIATION

EVOLUTION NONE
LIFEFORM MIMETIC
SURFACE 2 TOXIC

i don t know about suns but in "Jobs And Positions" thread help is always needed!

Hey there guys, welcome to the site!

I'm glad you've given feedback about the game, SirChandisTroy - we love feedback here in all its forms, and we certainly don't hate noobs - unlike certain other forums I know about.

Anyways, personal rant aside, i'm not sure why there was an error - or even what the error means - but Mike may be able to sort it out when he sees this thread. It may be a hardware incompatibility, a corrupt file, or just a random error. God forbid it may even be a bug...it is still beta software afterall.

Keep posting the error reports if you get them, and Mike *should* be able to track down the problem. With any luck it is something that can be easily fixed.

...

Starone, thanks for the ideas. Whilst the Planet types have already been decided, (They will be the same as BOTF, plus the rare but strategically useful Rogue and uber-rare Demon class of Planet) that doesn't mean we won't change them if a better idea comes along.

However, if people have an idea, we prefer it if they make a new thread specifically for that idea. It makes it easier to discuss and stops noobs getting confused and lost regarding the threads.

This is an idea that I definitely think may warrant more discussion though - in fact it is VERY similar to a post that I posted myself about 2 years ago. Annoyingly that thread was lost when the old game discussion forum was deleted by Jig at the start of this year.

Oh well, i'm sure you'll like the fact that we have added in two new classes of Planet, even if we haven't yet gone as far as implementing a system like yours. Having more Planet types was definitely one of the issues that the forum members seemed to like - and so thats precisely what we did.

Welcome to the site, guys!

In addition to what Matress said...

Starone, thanks for the list of planet and star types. I've saved a copy of it for future reference in case I develop a similar game in the future. However, my general rule is that once a feature has been accepted and implemented (in this case, stellar bodies in Supremacy), I don't like to change it since that would essentially be working backward, and our development staff is stretched very thin as it is.

I've got a few comments for you about the demo (I think it's the latest one) that hopefully you'll find useful.

1) I think this might be a balance issue that I don't know if you were planning to implement some other component with, but I've tried playing a couple different times and I keep getting the technology to build Constitution class ships long before I can get the raw materials to build my first NX class. Were you thinking of having another type of production building along the lines of a raw materials manufactory? If not, you might want to boost the levels generated and/or bring down the consumption cost of ships.

2) Is colonization instituted yet? I don't seem to be able to bring up a selection of any kind with my colony ship.

3) I'm guessing diplomacy hasn't been written yet since I can't access any type of message/proposal screen? I'm a little curious what your plan is for the diplomacy function since I notice the personnel screen outside of the map/chart plays a role. Once the ideas are more developed, this might become more clear, but I guess I'm not sure how the relationship spokes will work once you encounter 30+ races.

4) Right now, I seem to be able to progress in research very quickly--as I said before, I can't even get the resources to use one tech level before the next is available. This could be because--lacking much else for my labor to do after a few turns--I send everybody to the universities. If other things to distract my people are brought in, this may not be an issue, but I thought I'd point it out.

All in all, it seems like you've got an interesting basis to build from. I like that you can build ship's simultaneously in orbit as you construct things on the planets, and the size/division of the map is a welcome change from previously tiny windows that didn't seem to offer much room to grow. If anything, I'd almost suggest an even bigger map, but then I didn't try the largest size. I look forward to seeing later updates.

You're quite right in that resource production is in dire need of tweaking. Actually, the primary reason that I haven't spent any time tweaking it is that the rules governing resource production haven't been finalized yet. It's a feature that I've unfortunately left half finished for quite a while now, largely because I wanted to get more of the game competed so that we could get a feel for what the real manufacturing resource demands will be.

Yes, colonization has been implemeted for a while. You should be able to bring up a "Colonize System" order by right-clicking on a fleet containing a colony ship. Note that it will only appear if the fleet resides in a system that *can* be colonized (i.e. has at least one habitable planet and hasn't been claimed by another race).

Diplomacy is the next major system that I had begun working on before all hell broke loose in my life and I had to put the project temporarily on hold. I hadn't decided on an implementation model yet, but I was thinking of borrowing some elements from GalCiv2 and MTW2.

I had initially increased research speed by an order of magnitude for testing purposes. The idea was that it would be much faster to check and see if research allocation and progression was working correctly if it didn't take dozens if not hundreds of turns to move up a level . I don't remember off the top of my head, but I suspect those overrides may still be in place. I'll make a note to myself to go back and check it out.

Well, the largest size is pretty big. In fact, the list of star names is far too short to populate it, so for the moment you'll see a lot of systems with names like "StarSystem 3721" .

Thanks for the feedback, and I'm glad you like the game so far. I also hope you'll continue to test it for me once I get back in the swing of things.

I don't think that is a bad hing, Mike - afterall, the Enterprise was sent to system J93 or something by Q - and then they met the Borg. Most of the Galaxy hasn't yet been explored...

...

On the colonization issue, I had the same problem as Ritter - the right-click system simply isn't obvious. I ony found out about it myself because *someone* told me. If it's confusing people like us, it's certainly gonna confuse more people in future. Perhaps an alternative system needs to be thought of?

I would love to see the implentation of sort of diplomacy system as galciv2 i really liked that. The only think bad about that system that you couldn't forge alliance until you researched it i mean come on a bit overdone on that techtree.

And about that starname issue it would be cool to change the name of the system after you lay claim on it. Except your homeworld ofcourse dont know if this is possible.

Keep up the good work your fan

Ah, I found the colonization problem. I was selecting the fleet before right-clicking on it.

I'm not sure what MTW2 stands for, but I have Galactic Civiliations 2. That diplomacy is ok, but I personally like the Civilization III and IV diplomacy better. They give you lots of options, but a couple of things are definitely missing from them. I'd like to see a "Total Annexation" option where the other empire, its armies, etc. become yours--even for major powers. Imperialism II implemented this diplomatic feature perfectly. You didn't even have to be at war with another great power to annex them, you simply had to dwarf them in industrial and military power, then get them to like you enough to accept your annexation proposal. It really helped, too, if there were other powerful empires along their borders or at war with them.

DuBois's suggestion for the maps I really like. Even with all the shows and movies, we've only "seen" a fraction of the total galaxy. This would make it "canon" to be able to discover entirely new systems and let the computer generate names for them (random combinations of letters and apostrophes or pull from a list of ships, names, cities, stories, etc. from known Star Trek history and races) and/or let the player rename systems. Maybe at first discovery it's "Planetary System K-36," but then you can select the "Name System" command to either have the computer name it as above or name it yourself. It does also open the door to including new races, but this could also be something individual players could decide to implement if you want to stick solely to what is known for "official" purposes. In which case, am I correct in thinking that you can change the classification of minors using the editor (from minor subpower all the way up to empire) assuming that a minor race has the ships to expand?

I'm definitely interested in continuing to play the demos. I see a lot of potential in this project, both before and after it's "finished." To me, that's the mark of a really good game. Especially if some of those "expand the galaxy" options are allowed, each and every game could be a new challenge keeping people glued to their computers for...longer than anyone should be.

**One last thing and then I'll stop bugging you. While playing, I've gotten the same error message a couple of times at the end of a turn which causes the game to crash. I print-screened the "Unhandled Exception" message and there's an error log file, both of which I can send to you if you can tell me where.

MTW2 = Medieval Total War 2. I was also considering modeling the diplomacy system after Civ4 in some regards.

I'm pretty sure I know which error message you got when the game crashed, though I've yet to track down the precise cause.

Mike,

If you are still open for new solutions and features try this game:

http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/eur ... lt;title;0

Its full of awesome ideas... the best one is economy and government mangment...simply perfection!