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└─⟦b20c6495f⟧ Bits:30007238 EUUGD18: Wien-båndet, efterår 1987
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TextFile

.ce 100
Galactic Bloodshed
(working title)


by

Robert Chansky
.ce 0
.bp
.pp
Overview
.pp
This game was originally inspired by the Unix wargame Empire.  In Empire
conquest is represented by the amount of territory a player occupies as
well as the resources and workforces he posesses.  Galactic Bloodshed is
much the same in these respects, as are many other games.
.pp
But, where Empire takes place on one world, Galactic Bloodshed employs
many seperate worlds for players to explore and exploit.  In this way the
game is more versatile than Empire, and there are many more avenues to
explore in game development.  Finance, 
cooperation and war (of course),
development of technology,
and randomizing factors will all be important areas of the game.
.pp
While free trade would ordinarily be difficult in a simulation
constrained by the mechanics of interstellar travel, Galactic Bloodshed
will circumvent this by introducing various 'shortcuts' to travel.  Among
these are FTL vehicles, instantaneous transport devices, and a smaller-than-
scale travel distance for starships.  Another factor to stimulate free
trade is the economic leverage inherent in the disparate races and
cultures that arise from evolution (or creation, whichever you happen to
believe [more on this later]).  Thus goods such as priceless art
treasures, examples of fiction, technological discoveries, new strains of
food animals, etc.(the list is endless) can all be carried in a starship
of limited capacity.  
Communication is possible between races via long-distance radio
(telegrams).  Opportunities for profit can be utilized by any player.
.pp
While the game is designed primarily to be peaceful in intent (the name is
sarcastic), it is necessary that there also be an alternative to friendly
competition.  Thus war and conflict are born.  In addition to trade
cargoes a ship can also carry destructive capacity.  this can represent
anything from nuclear weaponry to propaganda, and when unloaded it can be
devastating to its intended target.  Ships, planets, and people all can be
mobilized to preserve their culture's manifest destiny while curbing another's
expansionist imperialism.
.pp
The above so far is assuming that each culture in the game develops along
the lines that our own seems to be.
This view is a narrow one considering the disparity of even the
one known planet we have to model.
The technologically dominant European culture of Earth arose merely by chance, 
and it is equally possible that another, differently motivated culture
could have come about in its place -- a culture that, perhaps, uses the
principles of magic, mind power, or prayer to influence its environment in the 
same way that machines and such are used today.  We have only theoretical
experience with such methods, but they are nevertheless applicable to the
workings of the game.  Instead of developing newer and better machines
these cultures may explore the possibilities of more complicated and
powerful spells, a greater unity of the mind and the body, or a
transcendant understanding of God.  Lasers and nuclear weapons clash with 
the concentrated might of a racial mind, while
the magic spells of another culture might vy with the power of a god.
.pp
It is possible for any game to become unbalanced, as one player becomes
more experienced in the game and forces the others to extinction.  This
can easily happen with Galactic Bloodshed as well.  Randomizing factors
are necessary to keep the game balanced, without reducing
playability as well.  I introduce Berserkers, wandering death machines 
attempting to
destroy all life, as one such option.  These devices can be randomly
created anywhere (or alternatively built at a central base which could
serve as a quest to destroy for the players) to deal crippling blows at
important supply routes.  They can be directed anywhere, or programmed to
move randomly or towards the most advantaged player.  But this is not the
only option; many factors can contribute to keeping players on their toes.
Someone may invent a supernova device (effectively ending the game...) and
use it on your system;  a viral plague may break out;  A gamma-ray laser
aimed at one of your planets may render its population nearly sterile;  Rival
supernatural beings may choose your territory in which to 'duke it out';
your scientists may invent a self-reproducing machine which immediately
proceeds to convert all the resources of your system into copies of itself.
Any number of things may happen.
.pp
Progress on Galactic Bloodshed so far has been fairly steady; and I hope to 
have a working multi-player copy
of the game (ver 0.9) up by the beginning of the summer.

	Robert Paul Chansky