Introduction #
I’ve always wanted the game to be a bit more than just buying and selling. As a space game, there should be an aspect of discovery, and with my chosen setting, interactions with aliens should have some depth. So today I’m diving into the two important non-trading aspects of the game: Information and Diplomacy.
Information #
Knowing when and where to buy and sell is obviously key to being a successful trader. And in a galaxy of different empires, not all of which are friendly to each other - and with a multitude of different races, not all of which appreciate each other, information does not always flow freely.
So one part of the game is discovery. Mostly in two aspects: Trade routes and market data.
Trade Routes #
Many of the star systems in the galaxy are connected by trade routes to each other. These are simply the cosmic equivalent of trails - a lot of traders and other ships fly that way, so there are waystations, repair docks and other infrastructure catering to it.
There are also cosmic “roads” in the form of hyperlanes and wormhole connections.
All of these are hidden at the start of the game and are revealed when the player discovers them. Which you can do by visiting the different regions of space. Depending on how free the locals are with information, you might discover trade routes only in the systems you actually visit, or in the entire empire once you visit a part of it.
Once revealed, trade routes stay visible on the map.
Market Data #
How do you find out if maybe at the other end of the galaxy there is a really, really good price for something?
That is the question the player should be facing all the time. The thrill of the markets - as many of us know from playing around with the occasional stocks or other investments - is that you don’t know, but you are trying to guess. Something looks like a really low price, should you buy? Or has the price fallen in the entire region? Something you have in your hold could fetch a very nice price here, but maybe the price is even better elsewhere?
I want to capture this uncertainty, this decision-making when you do not have all the information, and therefor information about markets is quite limited in Trade Anchor. And again, different empires will have different policies. Some might freely publish all their market data to the entire galaxy, hoping to attract traders. Others will limit the flow of information to various degrees, in order to protect local markets, or simply because they don’t trust anyone else.
This limited availability of information is, btw., the other reason why the player almost certainly wants multiple ships flying around in different parts of the galaxy. Because that restrictive alien empire is opaque from outside, but if one of your freighters is docked at one of their spaceports, voilà, you’ve got information you can relay to another of your freighters who can then make a good trade.
Conclusion #
So from a game design perspective, this limiting of information generates uncertainty and things a player can discover, as well as incentives for exploration and “expansion” in the sense of having multiple freighters.
In fact, this allows the low-end freighters to remain useful throughout the game. The beginning freighter is slow, old and has a very small cargo hold. But as in information gatherer, it can remain useful long after the player has bought freighters with several times the cargo capacity.
Diplomacy #
As already mentioned, the other part is that the political entities of the game are not entirely indifferent to the player. In fact, the player has a standing with each empire. This can influence the availability of information and trade permissions, depending on the empire’s trade and information policies.
The purpose of this mechanic is to deepen interaction and to make the player work for some of the better deals.
Standing is influenced by player actions. Trade is, as has historically been the case, a good way to improve relationships. So on a low-effort scale, just playing the game changes the relations of the player, usually towards the positive.
There are also actions players can intentionally take actions to improve their standing, available in the “Administration” action. Donations are easy, but I am working on others, including some simple quests.
Of course, standing can also be lost. The easiest ways are to be caught smuggling (not yet implemented) and trading in illegal goods (currently being implemented). Trading with the enemies will also in future affect standing, so trading in one place can improve your standing there, but reduce your standing with the enemies of that place. Forcing the player into making interesting decisions.
Much of this is just at the beginning right now, but I have the basic systems in place.
Alien Races #
As a starting point, I didn’t want everything to begin at zero. So, in line with the setting, the various alien races have different opinions about humans (the player being a human). This can start the player out in different standings in different empires.
Aspects #
One more word on standing: I’ve decided that this should be more interesting than just a like/dislike number. So the game tracks multiple aspects that your actions effect in different ways. At the moment, I am using a general like/dislike but also trust and respect. I want to enable states like “I don’t like you, but I know you keep your word.” or “Mad respect for the things you did, but I know one shouldn’t make biz with you.”
There is also a hidden value I am using that I call “harmony” which essentially says “my values and your values are aligned/opposite” and I’ll use to guide some dialogs and judgments of aliens that happen below the radar. This is meant to track just the small interactions the player will have when walking around a spaceport, etc. - with some alien races, that will go well, with others some cultural misunderstandings are sure to happen.
State of Development #
Some of the above is already in the game, some of it is not yet visible to the player but running underneath the hood, some is in preparation, and some is just planned. Such is the nature of an early access, in-development game.
My thanks go out to PixelCrusher’s Love/Hate system which drives the evaluation and tracking of standings and inter-empire relations.
Closing Words #
Have I mentioned often enough that my novel “Intergalactic” is available both as an e-book and in print now? You even have a choice of paperback or hardcover. It is set in the same world as the game, though there is no overlap in characters or events.