Porting MF and Plots from Classic in II

[Pumpkin]

Here is a list of the existing Minor Factions and Plots present in AI War Classic, and how they CAN be ported to AI War II. Wether or not they will be depends on design decisions.

Minor Factions

No Changes Required:
* Zenith Miners
* Zenith Trader
* Zenith Devourer
* Dark Spire
* Spire Civilian Leaders
* Showdown Devices

Not for II v1.0
* Alt. Champ. Progress
* Alt. Champ. Nemesis
* Nebulae Scenario
* Nomad Planets

Human Minor Factions
* Resistance Fighters
* Marauders
* Colony Rebellions
They might be entirely replaced by background factions. The randomized "diplomacy" draw from the Resistance Fighters and the Marauders. The "rescue me and gain a ship type" draw from the Rebelling Colony.

Broken Golems and Spirecrafts
They can be very easily imported with nearly no change. They just need an unique "difficulty" and a separated exogalactic strikeforces as an AI option/MF.

Neinzul Roaming Enclave and Preservation Wardens
The Warden's "hate metal harvesters and nukes" had no impact. Must be removed.
These factions must be merged and resplit: one is only friendly (exchange help for protection), the other is only hostile (harass frontier and try to sneak by); each is enabled/disabled on its own.
Else, they seem pretty straightforward to reimplement.

Neinzul Rocketry Corp
Must be renamed "AI Rocketry Corp".

Zenith Dyson Sphere
Requires more work.
A random star in the galaxy is replaced with the Dyson Sphere itself. Its mood depends on who controls its entire solar system.

Fallen Spire and Exodian Blade
Might be ported with only minor changes, though not easily. However the backstory will be completely different. See this thread dedicated to Fallen Spire.

Old Plots
AI War II will have no AI Plots, but Minor Factions and AI options.

Avenger
Must be integrated in a vanilla game as an interesting "between homeworlds" task; much more coherent with the AI losing half a brain than a small AIP bump.
(It's useless to have it per-AI.)

Hunter
Option for Special Forces: None/Normal/Hunter.
(It's useless to have it per-AI.)

Preemption
Must become an "advanced AI option" like aggression/preparation etc.

Shark A/B
Shark A: +AIP. Shark B: follow-up.
Must be merged with "AI Activity Speedup" and integrated as a vanilla option (may be disabled).

Astro Train
Requires more work.
May be integrated in a vanilla game as part of an AI economy.

Hybrid Hives
Requires more work.
May be integrated as a Human-hostile/AI-allied Minor Faction.

Warp Relay
Must be better designed and integrated in a vanilla game.

Beachheads
May be an hostile Minor Faction.

[Captain Jack]

http://www.arcengames.com/forums/index.php/topic,19044.msg206744.html#msg206744

I wouldn't bet on any minor factions making it through with no changes. I know nebulas are out, and I'm willing to put money on Exodian Blade and Showdown Devices going away, with the Miners and Devourers being so heavily overhauled they're unrecognizable.

Plots are going away pretty much completely, Chris has said in a bunch of different places. Some behaviors could migrate over to base AI toolkit, Shark B for instance.

[Pumpkin]

Plots are going away pretty much completely, Chris has said in a bunch of different places.

Ah, I wasn't clear, indeed. I perfectly know that: there are no plots in the end result of my proposals. I was focused on the "from" part of the migration.

Miners and Devourers are very bland, indeed. I hope AI War II will have only nontrivial MF. At least the Dyson Sphere and the Trader had drawbacks and a moderate complexity.