The purger nerf debate, the 'OMG GL is dying!!!!' discussion, and freakout over the possibility of nerfing energy refills points to two main issues:

1) Dan is nervous because there aren't enough resource sinks in the game
2) Everyone is nervous because players are leaving and new people aren't joining the game.

I have a suggestion that might address both of these problems: Homeworlds. (Yes, again)

Here's my thinking: GL's learning curve is unquestionably rough. A new player comes in, has no idea what they're doing, scans 10 crappy planets, colonizes a Very Small Barren and puts mining structures on it, gets bored, and quits. If a player's homeworld was available to them *immediately,* they'd have something to be building up even if their starting planets were garbage. Doing so could be part of the game's tutorial, and if done right, could provide a fun, accessible way to begin the game.

How would a homeworld work, you ask?

Basically like a single-person base. It'd be a special planet, not scannable, not conquerable, probably not even appearing on one's normal planet list. Instead, it would open up in a menu similar to a base's. It would have special structures that were only usable on Homeworlds, and it would have chargable abilities that could be used to provide bonuses or make unique artifacts. It would also produce resources.

Similar to a base, it might have separate spaces for production and special stuff. The production buildings might in fact be exactly the same as the current ones. The production values of the planet itself would be based on resources spent upgrading it. Each type of production would require points of that resource to upgrade it. For example, to go from 1X -> 2X Artifact production might cost 100k AP. Research production would cost research, etc. Costs would start off low and rise, of course, and there'd be a (high) cap for each type. It might only be possible to upgrade each type once per day, to skirt people just emptying 20 Smugglers' caches at once.

But wait, you say! You'd spend more resources than you'd ever get out! Yes, but many of the special structures/abilities would require minimum levels of resource production. You want to build the structure that makes a QSE for you once every two weeks? You need 20X mining.

The planet would also have unlockable aspects that would require energy investment as well. Perhaps a 'Rings' type buff for the planet that starts off at 1%. Dumping energy into the buff would boost the planet's overall production and also serve as an energy sink. Various other structures or abilities could be 'charged' with energy - Spend 10k energy and throw the switch - all your planets get a +10% bonus to defense for three days. The planet's size could also be boosted with large energy expenditures as well. The planet might have its own Ability Points like bases to use.

Ideally, it should not be possible to build everything the planet could have - it there would be a customizeable element to one's individual taste. If one changed their mind, they should be able to rearrange things fairly easily, but they should never be able to have everything.

In any case, something like this would be an immediately available project for starting players. They wouldn't have to worry about defending it or having it stolen, and if done well, the planet could offer some nicely scalable abilities and powers that would build up with level and fit the player's own style. It'd be a project they'd be invested in for the entire game. High-level players would have a cool new toy that was hungry to gobble up their resources and energy in return for unique artifacts and abilities. It'd slow down leveling and resource production a bit, but in a way that rewarded people.

Level-scaled daily quests for the planet could add some fun too - for new players, the Homeworld could add some grounding - "What should I be doing??" When in doubt, work on your Homeworld.

There'd be plenty of potential for GP expenditures as well - special GP-only structures, planet skins that adjusted the look and provided a small bonus, and so forth.

I love this idea! There have been several "homeworld" suggestions in the past, and im all for the concept! Itd add a great new aspect to the game, and hopefully keep new players from leaving so fast, and old ones from leaving out of boredom.

+1

+1, Without voting on each individual aspect as described above, I'm all for "homeworlds" in general

+1 from me


All for new fun stuff

+1 absolutely.

especially, as this concept would allow new players to learn on their own base, what to do with planets before their colonize crap planets and then find out they will need a lot of GP to abandon them.
Something like Academy planet for players.

only if you could choose your home world out of your planet's as an available option for people who are already playing, like an ability or a daily artifact, like " choose your homeworld " or something
i consider my home world to be my first planet: cairfulbin, which i raised from a average , all sparse resource to a 16x mega rich demon, and i don't intend on another planet taking its place as my homeworld, if that's an available option

then +1 a thousand times

+1 for this.

I really like the idea.

Definetly has to be a resource sink, but the rewards have to be worth it too.

Edit:

That being said, i think asthetics can be something important as well. Having a visual representation up the top (Even if its like the new legion mission banners) that you can upgrade, or reflect the upgrades done would be very cool.

As pointless as it may be, i would spend resources to have a high tech garden paradise homeworld over a dull lifeless barren domed world, even if they gave the same resources

+1

It's +1 from me. (not to your idea Blackfox, but to the concept)
I'd like to see more equality in the start of it, as in everyone gets assigned a similar new planet, which does not take up a planet slot, for example a Very Large, Extremely rich (on all resources) Terra. Then each individual builds their own planet, with special artifacts or abilities (or both) that would only be available for use on the homeworld. After the start of course, people will go different ways, and, given enough options and possibilities are added, we should pretty soon see a nice variety of planets.

You might even be able to expand the idea even further, adding special events for your homeworld, like:
"Planet" reports that Ancient Relics have been discovered on the planet. Artifact production on the planet will increase by 10% for 1 week.
Only the events would be something new, and unique to the homeworlds.

Maybe special entities that only show up on homeworlds. Like the Alovore or Akulan entities.

Maybe even an ally related to it somehow?

Well, that's my opinion on the matter.

These homeworlds are pretty different to normal planets so you wouldn't be able to. Its not making one planet invincible.

anyway +1 to the idea if the specifics are well thought through and ballenced

Not to complicate things too much, but it would be nice if the player's race had some effect(s) on the homeworld too. Initial type, boost in some resource or space, aesthetic elements...

Each race you use unlocks a perminit skin like the medals for some of the races, let the planet type be pickable to start with, it really won't matter too much, I would have the planet start as a small planet and have it so people can increase its size with energy, credits and resources. We really need some planets that people can't steal, most players don't like the thought of upgrading a planet to just have someone else swipe it out from under them, no matter how well defended. I would like these to be Overpowered planets,a planet that a player can pour their heart into.

Legion War could be used to attack others' homeworlds and reduce production and slow down resource production.

While I like the idea, I would prefer Dan made a few of the minor changes we have been asking for first. bring back the 4 NPCs we need beyond 2200 (stryll seeker at 1200). Ability button for ship mods, a filter in the battle market.


I don't want him to excuse him putting it off because he is working on something that will take a few months to program.

+1 I like this Idea a lot

+1

Really like the idea of bringing a completely new aspect to the game that would really make things more interesting. Would require a massive update though so this sadly wouldn't be implemented for a LONG time

True, but part of why I suggested this is that I feel like things we've been complaining about lately are knee-jerk reactions from Dan over game trends, like the purger mission nerf. If something like this was in mind for a long-term way to create a resource/energy sink, we might not get as many hasty responses to 'OMG they're gaining levels!'

Glad folks like the idea though. And I agree, it'd be cool to have things fairly customizeable - the ability to name the planet, change the look of it, have it be related to one's starting race could all be fun. I think the personalization aspect would be something that new players would like. As for picking the world, maybe a player could optionally designate a planet as their Homeworld - the planet would basically be deleted from the regular planet list, but the player's Homeworld would have that planet's name, image, and starting type. Maybe it'd get a minor starting bonus to a stat (something like, if it was a Demon world, its mining starts at Extremely Rich instead of Rich).

And I know it would be a major update, but my hope was that if the general interface was like Bases and a lot of existing art/mechanics carried over from how planets currently work, it might not be something that had to be built from the ground up. It'd also be something that could be rolled out gradually - new abilities or structures could be added later, with a more simple starting skeleton of the basic planet first.

This may not be such a good idea as some people have natural dysons scanned so their homeworlds would start out at collosal and they would complain if they didn't ... the new homeworld the is just a brand new planet added in and cannot be scanned is a good idea though

Perhaps a merge of all the current planet images together, wonder how that would look.

My thinking is that choosing an existing planet would not change the starting stats of the Homeworld from its base. If the starting stats were

Average Size, all resources Rich

Then selecting an existing planet would boost its primary stat to Extremely Rich and unlock its image and type for you. There could be a restriction on which types of planets were eligible at the start - maybe Volcanic, Terra, Oceanic, Metallic.
As someone suggested, maybe unlocking races in the game could unlock planet types you could change it into later - once you're a Taltherian you could begin an Ecumenopolis Transformation or the like. Changing planet type would preserve the stats of the planet, but might offer a different passive bonus or allow unique structures/abilities to be used.

when I look at this, I got to ask myself o question - who does this realy help ?
low rank players or high rank players ?



a high rank player would have no problem upgrading his planet to x20 within a few weeks and get a free QSE every 2 weeks
for low rank or slow ranking players it would take a few months.....

so basickly, what you are doing here is giving the high rank players with high artifact, mine and recearch production free QSE's alowing them to expand one off theire planets for free every 2 weeks increasing theire production even futher


I like the idear about a homeworld, but free QSE's to high rank players no thanks