Moving Ahead on One of the Expansion Pack Features
Published on May 4, 2006 By ScottTykoski In GalCiv Journals

While I believe the list hasn’t been finalized, Brad has given me the go ahead to begin work on one of the many new features that will be included in the expansion pack: the Epic Story Generator.

As a simple lad with simple programming skills, the task seemed easy enough…write enough text so that, each time the player finishes the game, the player gets an multi-page story similar to the After Action Report’s Brad has posted. However, after playing a few games and mapping out the many MANY events that can occur, the task grew before my eyes. Here’s a list of the events that I’m currently hooking into the code…

enum GC2StoryGeneratorEvents
{
GC2_Story_Data_RaceStatus, // a races standing in the universe
GC2_Story_Data_GalaxyStatus, // size, ect of galaxy

GC2_Story_EthicalAllignmentChosen, // race gets xenoethics, choses morality
GC2_Story_UPLawPassed, // a law gets passed
GC2_Story_UPLawRejected, // a law gets rejected
GC2_Story_UPLawTimedOut, // a law times out
GC2_Story_LeftUP, // race leaves the UP
GC2_Story_RandomEvent, // a random event occoured, store what option the race picked
GC2_Story_TreasuryDropsBelowZero, // money drops into the red
GC2_Story_TreasuryOutOfDebt, // race climbs out of debt
GC2_Story_BudgetBalanced, // race balances a lopsided budget
GC2_Story_ChangedGovernment, // race changes form of government
GC2_Story_ElectionSuccessful, // won an election
GC2_Story_ElectionFailed, // lost an election

GC2_Story_WarVoteSuccessful, // vote to go to war passed
GC2_Story_WarVoteFailed, // vote to go to war turned down

GC2_Story_MoraleMightDropsBelowFifty, // approval dropps into the red

GC2_Story_FirstContactWithRace, // first time races meet
GC2_Story_RelationsRaised, // race raises relations with someone
GC2_Story_RelationsDropped, // race drops relations with someone
GC2_Story_StartedAlliance, //alliance treaty signed

GC2_Story_AcceptedGift, // took gift
GC2_Story_RejectedGift, // rejected gift

GC2_Story_SuccessfulNegotiations, // sucessfully traded with another race
GC2_Story_UnsucessfulNegotiations, // unsucessfully traded

GC2_Story_WarStartedBecauseOfAlliance, // race gets pulled into war
GC2_Story_RejectedWarDespiteAlliance, // allies plea is rejected

GC2_Story_RaceNoticesShipBuildup, // race takes note of a buildup
GC2_Story_RaceNoticesCultureStarbase, // race takes not of a culture starbase
GC2_Story_RaceNoticesMilitaryStarbase, // whats the warbase doing there?!

GC2_Story_CultureStarbaseStarted, // started party base
GC2_Story_EconomyStarbaseStarted, // started banking/factory base
GC2_Story_MilitaryStarbaseStarted, // started gunbase
GC2_Story_MiningStarbaseStarted, // started mining a resource
GC2_Story_WarshipDesigned, // designed a new warship
GC2_Story_FirstWarshipOfTypeBuilt, // first new warship built

GC2_Story_WarStarted, // war started

GC2_Story_PlanetInvasionFailed, // race tried to invade but got stomped
GC2_Story_PlanetInvasionSuceeded, // race took another race's planets through invasion
GC2_Story_PlanetInvasionTied, // both sides lose all troops

GC2_Story_TradedForPeace, // 'Lets just be friends'
GC2_Story_RejectedTradeForPeace, // 'Hell no..you're gonna die.'
GC2_Story_RaceSurrendered, // race surrenders to another race
GC2_Story_RaceDestroyed, // race is destroyed

GC2_Story_ShipDuelBattle_DefWin, // 2 ships meet, attacker loses
GC2_Story_ShipDuelBattle_AttWin, // same as above, attacker wins
GC2_Story_SmallShipBattle_DefWin, // fleet battle < 6 ships
GC2_Story_SmallShipBattle_AttWin,
GC2_Story_MediumShipBattle_DefWin, // fleet battle < 12 ships
GC2_Story_MediumShipBattle_AttWin,
GC2_Story_LargeShipBattle_DefWin, // fleet battle tons of shops
GC2_Story_LargeShipBattle_AttWin,
GC2_Story_LoneShipOnFleetBattle_DefWin,  // one ship vs a swarm
GC2_Story_LoneShipOnFleetBattle_AttWin,

GC2_Story_StarbaseBattle_DefWin, // starbase battle
GC2_Story_StarbaseBattle_AttWin,

GC2_Story_PlanetDefenceless, // planets orbiting ships all killed

GC2_Story_PlanetColonized, // planet colonized
GC2_Story_PlanetBuiltWonder, // planet...im not going to explain these ones
GC2_Story_PlanetBuiltTradeGood,
GC2_Story_PlanetBuiltSuperProject,

GC2_Story_CultureFlipDanger, // planet is in danger of rebeling
GC2_Story_PlanetRevolts, // planet flips to another culturally superior race

GC2_Story_TradeRouteStarted, // started trade route
GC2_Story_TradeRouteShipDestroyed, // en-route frieghter taken out
GC2_Story_TradeRouteEndedTooRisky, // trade route ended due to warfare in the area

GC2_Story_AnomalyFound, // found anomaly!
GC2_Story_WeaponTechResearched, // weapon research completed
GC2_Story_HullSizeTechResearched, // researched new hull size tech

GC2_Story_EconomicBoomBegins, // special events begin and end
GC2_Story_EconomicBoomEnds,
GC2_Story_CultureBoomBegins,
GC2_Story_CultureBoomEnds,
GC2_Story_CultureBacklashBegins,
GC2_Story_CultureBacklashEnds,

GC2_Story_Victory_Culture, // victory conditions
GC2_Story_Victory_Military,
GC2_Story_Victory_Technology,
GC2_Story_Victory_Alliance,

GC2_Story_Loss_Culturet, // losing conditions
GC2_Story_Loss_Miitary,
GC2_Story_Loss_Technology,
GC2_Story_Loss_Surrender
};

From these I can gather data specific to the event, then use the morality of the races involved, those races relative military might, and the galactic status at the time, and I should have enough information to generate an interesting and unique story for each game.

Other hopes for this feature would include creating an HTML version with generated screenshots, and integration with your online account so that it can be uploaded to the website and other players can read of your exploits.

Of course, at this point, I’ll just be happy to get the basic storytelling part working right And let me know If you see any major events that I forgot. I only used ones I ran into or ones I could think of while playing, but I definatly want to cover as many pivotal game events as possible by the time this is completed.


Comments (Page 4)
4 PagesFirst 2 3 4 
on Jun 15, 2006
How is this one coming?
on Jun 16, 2006
Here's my one idea:

Do the AAR from the PoV of a time traveller who goes back to catalogue the history of the ancient "Terran Empire" or "Drath Cookie League." Then you get the feeling that your empire made a lasting effect and was the catalyst for future happenings in the galaxy.

Have the game remember the ship that saw the most action and show it sitting on the surface of a planet, looking like it was just excavated and THEN give the story of that ship as it played out through the scenario.

Then you could have the time traveller make logical mistakes (thus excusing remaining flaws in the AAR programming) by using his deductive logic to "assume" certain things that went on. For example, if the player built a lot of cultural space stations, they could say, "We found many stations adrift full of shiny hanging balls and large wall emplacements that blasted recurrent sonic themes. There were flashing lights and artificially created smoke everywhere! Surely, these [insert race here] must have used these as mass torture chambers."

on Jun 16, 2006
GC2_Story_Loss_Miitary - Miitary should probably be Military.

As for the actual feature, sounds fun.
on Jun 21, 2006

maybe log when a major change in slider focus occurs (and is maintained for a decent period) - for example:

"On {date} the terran alliance embarked on a major technological drive, implementing massive cuts in social spending and pouring the money into labs across the empire... on {whenever} the military budget skyrocketed, as the war with {anyone theyre at war with} was stepped up ..."

or some such thing

4 PagesFirst 2 3 4