Feedback requested: Empire Building

[Polaris]

Greetings,

 

Is anyone running a SH game based upon a Starfire type game (empire building, or Civilization in space)? I am looking for any ideas on how to build empires. I was going to give each empire a certain number of points, and have each player build their empire like a character.

 

Some of the areas they would need to spend points on is Technology, Population, Number of Planets, Trade, Economics.

 

Technology would be broken down into investing into levels of technology in communications, engine power, weapons, minitiarization, industry. They could build items of technology that is one level above what their technology is but would require an ACTIVATION ROLL to simulate the unreliability of the new technology.

 

Population would probably be bought based upon a simple table (this many points for this size population).

 

I was going to require planets be built using points (for industry, agriculture, natural resources, etc). Each planet type could support a certain amount of population, and obviously they would have to purchase enough planets to support the population they purchased above.

 

Trade: This would be their empire's skills at trading, and would affect economic trade and their diplomacy ability.

 

Economics: I am having trouble with this one. I was thinking of trying to bring over the Starfire system, whereby the empire 'invests' in colonies which pay off at a certain rate of return. Another idea is to base it off of the quality and quantity of planets with a population effect thrown in. I know that economic power is determined by the four factors of production (Land, Labor, Capital and Entrepenural Talent), but am not certain how to apply Hero to determine this without having to teach the players a course in economics. Any ideas on this one would be particularly appreciated... how would you determine a planet's production?

 

That is roughly what I have worked out so far. I am planning on using some of the empires from the TE book as Non Player Races, and can be a bit more arbitrary in setting up their ratings on these areas.

 

Thanks in advance for any feedback and help! :)

 

Polaris