Resource depletion

Distant Worlds is a vast, pausable real-time, 4X space strategy game which models a "living galaxy" with incredible options for replayability and customizability. Experience the full depth and detail of large turn-based strategy games, but with the simplicity and ease of real-time, and on the scale of a massively-multiplayer online game. Now greatly enhanced with the new Universe release, which includes all four previous releases as well as the new Universe expansion!

Moderators: elliotg, Icemania

Post Reply
User avatar
mbk2043
Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Aug 11, 2010 9:04 pm

Resource depletion

Post by mbk2043 »

In editor mode when I click a planet/moon it brings up another level of editing where I can change planet size, quality, etc. I can also add resources and set their "quantity" and %. I've set quantity to 1k and let it be mined for awhile thinking it would deplete but when I go back to it, it has increased? Is this a bug? Or am I misinterpreting what that field means/ does?
User avatar
Osito
Posts: 878
Joined: Thu May 09, 2013 8:55 am

RE: Resource depletion

Post by Osito »

I believe the explanation is in the galactopedia. See the resources entry:

"Note that resources rarely run out, even when mined. Resources naturally replenish themselves, so supplies are constantly topped-up as you extract them."

I know, it does seem a bit weird. I edited a starting system using the editor, and carefully set all the quantities, only to find later that it doesn't seem to make much difference.
Osito
User avatar
Larsenex
Posts: 476
Joined: Fri Dec 31, 2010 1:14 pm

RE: Resource depletion

Post by Larsenex »

Odd, I ran out of both Zentabia fluid and Korrabian spice on both planets. I was however giving out like candy to everyone.
Go for the Eyes Boo!

Intel 8700K Oc'd to 4.8ghz
32 gigs ram
GTX 1070 w/ 6gigs ram.
Using a cache drive from intel with a 60gig flash & 1 terrabyt hd accelerated.
User avatar
Shark7
Posts: 7936
Joined: Tue Jul 24, 2007 4:11 pm
Location: The Big Nowhere

RE: Resource depletion

Post by Shark7 »

ORIGINAL: Osito

I believe the explanation is in the galactopedia. See the resources entry:

"Note that resources rarely run out, even when mined. Resources naturally replenish themselves, so supplies are constantly topped-up as you extract them."

I know, it does seem a bit weird. I edited a starting system using the editor, and carefully set all the quantities, only to find later that it doesn't seem to make much difference.

The quantity effects the extraction rate.

IE 100k of gold extracted at 10% gives you the rate at which it may be extracted. You can have resource depletions, but those are random events (disasters).
Distant Worlds Fan

'When in doubt...attack!'
User avatar
Osito
Posts: 878
Joined: Thu May 09, 2013 8:55 am

RE: Resource depletion

Post by Osito »

ORIGINAL: Shark7

ORIGINAL: Osito

I believe the explanation is in the galactopedia. See the resources entry:

"Note that resources rarely run out, even when mined. Resources naturally replenish themselves, so supplies are constantly topped-up as you extract them."

I know, it does seem a bit weird. I edited a starting system using the editor, and carefully set all the quantities, only to find later that it doesn't seem to make much difference.

The quantity effects the extraction rate.

IE 100k of gold extracted at 10% gives you the rate at which it may be extracted. You can have resource depletions, but those are random events (disasters).

Yeah, good point, I overlooked that.
Osito
invaderzim
Posts: 211
Joined: Mon Jun 03, 2013 10:48 am

RE: Resource depletion

Post by invaderzim »

I used to think that galaxy stock referred to the amount of material that could be mined from a galaxy. It would be an interesting mechanic if the galaxy would eventually run out of resources. That could lead to some interesting late game mechanics as empires grind to a halt due to the lack of resources and their costs skyrocket.

Right now, sitting on a pile of resources doesn't seem to help you if no one wants to buy them, but if resources are finite, they eventually will need them. :)

Image
Attachments
GALAXYSTOCK.jpg
GALAXYSTOCK.jpg (95.99 KiB) Viewed 359 times
Starfry
Posts: 103
Joined: Mon Nov 30, 2009 8:52 pm

RE: Resource depletion

Post by Starfry »

I have read when the game first came out, the game did have resource depletion during the beta but the AI could not handle it well.
invaderzim
Posts: 211
Joined: Mon Jun 03, 2013 10:48 am

RE: Resource depletion

Post by invaderzim »

That's too bad. Maybe they could re-enable it as an optional feature. It could make the resource game for pirates a lot more fun.
Bloodly
Posts: 108
Joined: Wed Apr 14, 2010 4:20 am

RE: Resource depletion

Post by Bloodly »

That could lead to some interesting late game mechanics as empires grind to a halt due to the lack of resources and their costs skyrocket.

It would just cause problems across the board for AI and player alike. Imagine if something like Steel or Carbon Fibre runs out. No new ships for ANYONE. If there were a means of getting it back, it'd be another story.
invaderzim
Posts: 211
Joined: Mon Jun 03, 2013 10:48 am

RE: Resource depletion

Post by invaderzim »

That's the point, problems like these are interesting. With no new ships, the empire that still has more resources will have an advantage. You could start a war with someone who has more of these resources and take them (like in real life), or scrap your old ships for resources to upgrade new ones. Empires who can't solve the problem eventually lose. In any case it would be an option setting, just something to add a new twist to the game.
solops
Posts: 1000
Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2002 10:00 am
Location: Central Texas

RE: Resource depletion

Post by solops »

I consider resource depletion in the time frame of the game to be an unrealistic gimmick. It would certainly ruin the game for me.
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.-Edmund Burke
Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women; if it dies there, no constitution, no law, no court can save it.-Judge Learned Hand
mikeCK
Posts: 565
Joined: Tue May 20, 2008 3:26 pm

RE: Resource depletion

Post by mikeCK »

I would love to see a "resource slider" in set up just like the colony prevalence slider. This way you could reduce the number of planets and moons with resources. Could lead to some great fights over the few planets that have carbon fiber or whatever. As it is now, if I need more silicon, I just go put a mine somewhere. Resources are never an issue; transporting them is a bottleneck but I have plenty of everything
solops
Posts: 1000
Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2002 10:00 am
Location: Central Texas

RE: Resource depletion

Post by solops »

ORIGINAL: mikeCK
As it is now, if I need more silicon, I just go put a mine somewhere. Resources are never an issue; transporting them is a bottleneck but I have plenty of everything
This is as it should be, given the infinite, from a practical point of view, supply of resources in a galaxy. The bottlenecks should be extraction and distribution, which it is. I constantly run short of 2 to 8 items and have, in war, barely been saved by the addition of more escorts and the researching of the next extraction technology. Since Shadows extraction speed and docking turnover rate have gotten far more important. I also now find a need to increase the number of docking bays on my stations. I like the new economic model. I suggest that the AI be given a higher priority for commerce raiding. I would also like to see an automated commerce raiding button for the player, with a percentage of fleet number to be made available for it.
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.-Edmund Burke
Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women; if it dies there, no constitution, no law, no court can save it.-Judge Learned Hand
invaderzim
Posts: 211
Joined: Mon Jun 03, 2013 10:48 am

RE: Resource depletion

Post by invaderzim »

ORIGINAL: mikeCK
As it is now, if I need more silicon, I just go put a mine somewhere. Resources are never an issue; transporting them is a bottleneck but I have plenty of everything

Yep, I love this game, but this is what I find a little boring about DW. In the real world, resources are finite and it actually matters where they are located and how much of there is left. Don't want to talk about politics, but just look at the international section of any newspaper. I'd really like to see some of those resource conflict dynamics playing out in DW to create a reason to fight other empires. Otherwise it's just too easy to sit back and turtle and tech up and win the game without much tension.

Most 4Xs have a tipping point where you steamroll your way to victory once you have a certain advantage. Running out of resources makes this harder. Unless you plan carefully your mighty empire isn't on top anymore if they can't build more ships or fuel them. So it could add a really fun layer of strategy and difficulty to the game that isn't there with infinite resources.

You could also add recycling tech to allow you to get more resources from capturing and scrapping ships. So if you let the game run long enough you could wind up in a kind of apocalyptic scenario where conflict revolves around capturing ships and scrapping them for resources or salvaging debris and wrecks from space battles. Another great thing about this is that if everyone empire starts to dwindle you have less of the late game 4X management scenario where there are just too many ships and colonies to keep track of. Eventually you'd go back to smaller empires, which could be really interesting.

Right now, I rarely bother to research Energy to Fuel conversion because I'd rather max out engines, shields, reactors, ship, size, etc. first. But think about what would happen if Caslon and Hydrogen started to run out. It would actually be worthwhile to research that tech.
ORIGINAL: mikeCK
I would love to see a "resource slider" in set up just like the colony prevalence slider. This way you could reduce the number of planets and moons with resources. Could lead to some great fights over the few planets that have carbon fiber or whatever

Yeah, I'm all for this. Add a checkbox there for "infinite resources" and I think everyone would be happy. If you don't like resource depletion you wouldn't have to use it.

If you try to edit a planet, there is a quantity in addition to a quality. In this case there are 192k units of Nepthys Wine with 50% quality. Unfortunately setting the quantity to 1 doesn't do anything yet, it just seems to regenerate on it's own. So a switch somewhere needs to be toggled to prevent resources from regenerating.

Image

Attachments
edit moon.jpg
edit moon.jpg (59.02 KiB) Viewed 361 times
Post Reply

Return to “Distant Worlds 1 Series”