Introduction

Distant worlds is a 4X space game on a different scale to all others. Here is the capital world of a randomly generated game I'm using as an example.

So? you say, that's not that impressive! So I'll zoom out a bit.

Now we're looking at the Pantu System, its a small one, with only one planet and two gas giants. Still not impressed?

Here is the sector that the Pantu System is located in, that's about 40 planets and a black hole. Each of them contains a number of planets.

Of course, that's still not that impressive is it. Most 4X's can do that with no problem. So lets zoom out once more.

Now we're talking, that's 25 sectors, with a mixed number of planets. This is one of the quadrants of the galaxy.
Its starting to dawn on you now, isn't it.

Here is the full galaxy, with one thousand four hundred systems. Note I said systems, each one has a number of planets, and several of those planets may have moons.

This game is massive, lets look at one of my other games that has been running for about twenty game years.

I've not even found all of the races yet, and the galaxy is already quite a busy place.

Oh yeah, and this is a real time game.

Automation and Delegation

With late game empires running into hundreds of colonies, you may have guessed that this is a micro-managers dream. For us lesser mortals, there is the ability to automate pretty much anything in the game. In fact, you can't control everything in the game, the civilians go about their business, setting up mining bases and transporting goods around the galaxy, conducting trade with other planets in your empire and with other empires.

This can lead to problems, as they tend to wander off into the dangerous darkness and get themselves eaten by space monsters, shot up by pirates, or engaged in border conflicts when they build their newest gold mine in the neighbouring neighbours space, causing deteriorating relationships and war.

In the spirit of this, I'm going to further delegate, and make this a political LP! (Yes, I'm crazy, I already know this) – this means that you guys will be setting the policies that I will have to follow. You will form the backbone of the government, and through the wonderful process of debate, shall enact laws that I will then have to follow.

The Electoral Process

This is always the nightmare of these things, but I think that I may well be able to take a step towards simplifying things, and removing at least some of the boredom of these threads – namely the forty posts a session of “I vote for this!”

I shall create a google docs sheet, and people shall place themselves into their parties, and when they wish to vote, they will put their name down behind the policy that they wish to vote for! The thread will then be used for the debates rather than the voting. I also want to simplify the voting process somewhat.

1) To be accepted as a party in the government, it must have at least five members.
2) Every session will be two years in length
3) Every part may present one law each session.
4) Once a law has been presented, people may assign their vote by adding their name to the list below that law.
5) Another party may add a rider to that law, unless that rider is mutually incompatible – ect. no wars alongside a war declaration)
6) Up to two riders may be added to each law.
7) After 48 hours, the law with the most votes behind it will be enacted.
8) As people tend to suggest stupid and destructive things, I shall be represented by the leader in the game. I shall have the power of veto over one law or rider. Once I have vetoed it, the vote with the second most number of votes will be enacted instead.
9) Emergency councils will be called if necessary, but will be presented as a choice of votes.

Hopefully this is simple enough, we'll get to things as we go.

I plan to use the race specific victory conditions, and set the time before they apply to the maximum 99 years, so we should get about 50 sessions in before the game ends, unless we are wiped out, or it gets to the point where we have obviously won.

Governors, characters and ships.

A lot of stuff in Distant Worlds can be renamed. I'm going to go through them here.

First up, Anyone who wishes can apply to be a planetary governor. I shall provide a list, one which you can place your name and the name of the world that you wish to govern. Once we begin to colonise worlds, I shall go down this list in a first come, first installed as petty despot order.
You also get to name your planetary units. Which will be the 1st Whatjamacallits, 2nd.....

ships

Here we have a starting destroyer. The state section tells me I can order it around, its undamaged and has most of its fuel.
I can also see the current and maximum energy, speed and shields. It carries no troops and has a fire-power of 30 and a range of 190. fire-power increases as we research better guns, or if we redesign the ships, but these values are an average of all components.

These are the available ship types I can build, there are more, but they are civilian types, and I shall be leaving their names as random. Escort ships will be E-1, E-2 ect, as they are to small and numerous.

People can submit a name for each category, and I shall proceed down the list. I'll allow people to add more names once the list starts to run dry.

Characters

With the second expansion pack, we gained leaders. Here is the random leader from another random game.

As you can see, they have both positive or negative abilities, but with experience, those traits with a percentage after them will improve with experience. The traits will also be gained at random points.
The character types are Leaders (me), Colony Governors, Ambassadors, Admirals, Generals, Scientists and Intelligence agents. Depending on which race we choose, we'll get these in different ratios.

I shall add another list, and people can put themselves forth for these positions. Once they have them, they can choose where to deploy themselves. I will be able to overrule this if I consider this necessary.

The Let's Play Archive

Distant Worlds - Legends

by Grey Hunter

Introduction

Table of Contents