Message Scanned

New option, similar to Trade Scanned but for messages. Can message all players or can only message scanned players.

Would work very nicely with Dark Galaxy in particular I think.

3 Likes

That would prevent you from deal with your neighbour’s neighbour against him…

Although there may be interesting changes in the strategies, I think it is too drastic to disallow communication between two players, the diplomatics would be very limited imho.

But then again - if this is an option in a dark galaxy, one doesn’t even know who other neighbours are…

It’s an option that’s all. It might be a challenge but so are some of the other custom games that people create. It would create a different dynamic; less “meta”, more “realistic”. Maybe you’d have to trust your neighbours a little bit more/longer? Maybe you just bite the bullet and attack them on your own? Maybe you exchange stars to extend scanning (a little like we did for Proteus). Is it really such a big step from Trade Scanned? That restricts meta-gaming in a similar way imo.

It’s just a thought, something that seemed obvious to me (looking at things from a general “role-playing”/“immersion” POV as I tend to do). It’s not a biggie, I just thought it might be fun to play with.

(I actually tend to restrict myself this way in a Dark Galaxy. Or at least wait until I have learned of the relative position of a player from trading information before contacting them.)

Bingo. I really like this idea as an option.

1 Like

Unfortunately like some scan only issues involved in the game and dark galaxies. If you lost scanning to your allies do to an enemy capture of your star. You would also lose communication with your allies.

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That’s true but it’s the same with Trade Scanned. It’s not a reason not to have it as an option though imo, just a consideration when you choose it for your game. Besides, disrupting your enemy’s communication network is a valid and powerful tactic.

However, it could be that scanning a player unlocks communication with them rather than requiring a continuous scan at all times. (Although this would be a little more work for Jay.)


Here’s a question though: If this was an option should it allow messages to “all”? I would suggest yes because in my experience this is generally used as a general “OOC” (out of character) channel. It’s not like you’d be making alliances and battle plans in an open channel, right? Right? :thinking:

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I rarely play dark galaxy games, but I really like this idea. :slight_smile:

Maybe a half-meta half-real solution to this impasse might work (like CIV first contact rule) !

This way you can send a suici… i mean a well trained scout or highly technological probe to reach people at all costs (including spent your scarce initial credits and risking giving your position away before planned xD) just to open a permanent channel (which under those circunstances is gold or better yet imagine you successfully passing through enemy territory to contact a third one and going back abandoning stars in the way before your immediate neighbor scan catches you, i see a half-win right there xD), while trade requires constant scanning xD !

I cant play dark galaxy for now but i believe things like these should be standard, and of course make optional for hosts the 3 possibilities meta/real/half xD !