Astrophel is in an early state of creation. All thats exciting about it will come later, based on the information and ideas within this document.

Astrophel is an entirely new game. The experiences of Trynth though are hopefully taken on board.

Astrophel is the only Second Generation Desktop Space Strategy Game for the Archimedes. (first aswell I believe...)

Following on from Trynth there will be a large number of sides in the game. This time to numbers such as 30 - 40. Any number of these being human players. This appears to be too complex for a person to handle, let alone a computer player. This is the aim. A lot of activities are happening out of your scope of understanding. BUT their effects are continually affecting your situation in generally small ways. Occasionally major, such as invasions. This is somewhat akin to the real world. The whole system will be in a somewhat chaotic balance, each player fighting to stabilize the area of their empire and surrounding empires. Unaware of serious occurions until possibly too late.

Each side will encompass a large amount of information. Obviously information such as name, etc. It will also contain details of its society, race, relations with other sides. Also a side will contain details of their language to help form the names of their worlds, and ships. The language structure based on the outlook of the side.

For example a peaceful society where freedoms, and artistic values are strong. Or a society dominated by a ruling elite who drug the entire population to their will. Forcing them to work on dangerous technology for galaxy wide conquest. Or a number of sides who have formed an alliance to help defend against an invasion from the tyrranical Tokyazafu corporate side determined to convert the alliances people to happy consumers.

At the start of the game, it is assumed that each starting side is basically dominated by a single race, creature. A race is defined by a number of traits. Though a race could be created randomly, it is expected that instead there will be a library of races, a 'gene bank'. The race is choosen from one of these. Either randomly, or the player could restrict the choice. Perhaps ensuring that most sides are human based for example. This selection would also affect the general feel of the game, aggresiveness, technologial progression, etc.

A piece of software will allow the manipulation, and addition of new races to this gene bank. The contents of the new gene bank will be used in future games.

To add a little spice to the enterprise, a number of races included in the bank will be blanked out, indicating the presence of a number of, rarely placed, exotic aliens.

The traits stored for each race will be split into a number of areas.

Background, such as name, physical description. Piece of text describing them. Perhaps even a little mug shot.

Traits that have an affect on the game. Aggresiveness, diplomacy, etc. Also factors such as technological acceptance, spiritual, etc.

There will also have to be some rules for the almagamation of empires with disjunct races. Creating a temporary pseudo race, pooling the traits of each. Depending on the level of differences between the two, a very unstable system could unsue.

Though somewhat smaller in extent than the actual astronomical event, the size of the Astrophel galaxy will generally be large. For one single side to control, or approach the control of each star is very remote.

The actual details of the galaxy size are completly defininable by the user, so a small system could be defined. Though the full chaotic abilities of the game are more apparent in a larger domain.

The range of astronomical objects represented will be wide, not all of benefit to surrounding sides. Star systems with multiple stars, Black holes, etc, etc.

Planets within a star sytems are defined by various factors, including whether life is possible, atmosphere, composition, etc.

The composition details determine which resources are available for extraction. These raw materials are used in varying proportions for building ships, and other elements necessary in the game. About ten different resources will be available at most, so the player does not get too bogged down with this kind of resource management.

Each planet will be controlled by just one side. Though planets within one system could be controlled by a number of sides.

Habitable planets will be important to boost population size. Though with the use of machines, etc some sides will concentrate more on resources. With the advancement of technologies sides will be able to manipulate planetry conditions on a global scale to bring a planet into a suitable condition for life.

The player can set up expected details such as number of initial sides, galaxy size, etc.

Firstly a suitable galaxy is grown.

Thereafter a number of life suitable planets are seeded with examples from the 'geno bank' of various life forms. The entire game is then run automatically for a number of years to let these seeds of empires to grow and mature. The end result is a number of empires of various sizes, with various outlooks, and with a web of inter-empire relations set up. Each human player can now choose which empire to take control of for the rest of the game.

This allows the players a great range of empires to take over. For example a galaxy wide domineering empire, whose main aim is to keep control of all of its resources. Balanced on a knife edge of falling into anarchy and breaking up. Perhaps a small empire, part of an alliance, attempting to keep at bay an approaching empire. Perhaps take over a 'morally' repulsive empire, and attempt to turn it into a more pleasant 'flower loving' society. Attempt to start a large empire with a medium ranking empire. As you become more skilled the quality of the starting empire can be a gauge of your abilities.

This feature of joining in half way through a game is a powerful feature. Presenting a huge range of scenerios for the user to play through.

Of course it also possible to set this initial growth period to nothing, so the players are there at the beginning of time. This is a similar position to most expansionist games. Trynth is an example.

All sides start with the same initial levels of technology. For example limited attack and defense of ships, they have not met any other space bound empires. Ships that can travel efficiently, and usefully amongst the planets of their star system, so allowing the start of planetry colonization.

Through the period of gestation this will increase, and diverse. So each empire will be at varying levels by the time the players intervene. Rather than a known progression of technology levels, such as in Civilization for example, there will be a more flexible, secret advancement. There are basically two types of improvement, general such as improved power supply, cargo technology, etc. Secondly specific important breakthroughs. Perhaps warp drive, ability to produce inter-stellar gates.

Further remanants of long past empires will be dotted around, providing a rapid boost in understanding. Even past technologies. Perhaps empires....

Each turn an empire will create so much 'wealth'. This wealth can be partitioned into a number of areas. Such as various resources, new knowledge, etc. Values for each of these are created on a planetry level, and added to their respective stock pile.

The player can then choose to use these resources, such as building new space ships, planetry defences, planetry structural improvements, etc. These are ordered at the planetry level, though they can be directed to be automatically produced to a degree. The required resources for these projects are taken from the planets resources. If these are not sufficient, then resources from neighbouring planets are aquired until the project has sufficient resources.

Automatic aquisition of necessary resources is a handy feature. Lots of games require you to manually ship resources to where they are needed. This is a big drag, and can turn the game into a series of 'bean counts', eventually collapsing under the weight.

The productivity of the empire is based on a number of factors. Such as various technology levels, nature of the society, position of worlds, etc.

The whole economic model is not expected to be of a complicated nature. Therefore features such as embargoes, etc are not really expected.

Trynth used a slight variation on the turn structure used in most board games. Each turn, each player could have one segment to enter all their moves. The order of players within any one round was random.

Unfortunately this proved to have a number of defficiencies. If you're side went first, then your moves are uncovered which means it is easy to be outmanouvered. Through the entire game this should balance up. But overall this system does not seem to be flowing enough.

Instead I am lookingat a system which is based on 'event points'. The game can run continually on its own. Rather than through a real time advancement, it will work through distinct turns. These turns are more numerous than the standard turns, say an order more dense. A side can stop the turn advancement at any point, and make a number of moves.

A move consists of basically two types (in the turn context). Those which have an immediate effect, and those which take some time and the result appears at a later date, or event point. Immmediate move may be to rename a planet, change tax quantities. A delayed result move would be to send a ship on a journey, etc.

Astrophel will run fully under the desktop system. This allows great flexibility of driving the software, and examining the state of the game.

Because of the expected size of the game, traversal around the game will be made as easy, and natural as possible. With a number of tools to help track down distant pieces of information. Such as a Find window listing all the named objects in the game. These objects can be filtered depending on certain traits, allowing the player to track down the required object and so bring up its relevant information window.

In all cases, though the game is large, the player will only be interested in a small part of this. Details of the rest of the galaxy are only required in a small rough 'info-byte' style.

At present the system in being programmed in assembly. This allows efficient access to the desktop programming interface, also enhances the speed of the game. This is important with such an extensive game.

The internals of the game are based on an object-oriented style which allows for easy manipulation of the elements of the game. Also helps to reduce the size of code, and improve its reliability.

However good computer players are, competing against human players are always superior. Though the size and complexity of this game will improve the apparent ability of the computer players, they will not be perfect.

Following Trynth, a number of players can use the same computer, accessing the system in turns. Though this system is not perfect, how many people have multiple Arcs?

Depending on access to a networked system, the feature of multiple computers accessing the system could be added at a later stage. The possibility of this expansion will be built into the system from the start, so it will be technically feasible.

The number of strategy games on the arch is very limited. Only a handful of games at most. In comparison IBM, Mac, etc markets, strategy games have been very successful. SimCity, Civilization for example. Surely there must be a similar appetite for these games on the arch as well?

The desktop, could provide a perfect environment. If long calculations run in the background, etc.

This is a rather advanced game if it appears in its full form. With a large number of unique facets to it. Its complications should not get in the way of playing, and enjoying the game though.

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david_jones@dgjones.info