Chapter Five Book Work

In this post I will list three challenges in an imaginary game that I thought of.  It is a sandbox space trading game.  The Three challenges are keeping the type of ship to use, maintaining your reputation and the decision of how to take over planets.  I will list the choices with the possible impact on the game.

Ship choices

• Battle ship – High cost to purchase and maintain. It has lots of weapons, great armor that is good for high end merchandise that needs protection.  small cargo space, so again high end merchandise or you're not making money.  Average speed it will take a bit longer to arrive at your destination.
• Cargo ship – Overall the ship is a cheap buy.  Lots of cargo space (duh!) so you can get more profits from moving merchandise.  However this comes at the expense of speed, weapons and armor (all low).  Also this ship does not have lots of speed, slow and steady as she goes.  So prepare for long trips.  Costs could be higher to do the need to hire escorts for protection so balance cargo vs costs. 
• Cruiser – Average cost to buy and maintain.  You have an average size cargo bay for decent returns on merchandise.  The engines are speedy so this would be a good ship for perishable items.  You have ok armor and a few weapons so you might not need to hire escorts.  Better to evade than fight if possible.

How to take over planets

• Hostile – You cause the planets inhabitants to become slave labor.  Low morale, possible riots so you have to maintain an iron fist over everyone and everything.  Bad relations with other planets and galactic counsel members.
• Diplomatic – Get good relations with inhabitants, good relations with galactic counsel members.  Probably would get bonuses from natural resources and would be a benefit to find new crew members.
• Buy off – Purchase control of the planet by paying off the planets government.  This can lead to a hands off approach to control of the planet as you would appoint advisers to watch over everything.  But make sure you have people in place you can trust.  Cost of maintaining payoffs comes at expense of resources or industry on the planet.

Type of trader

• Honest – Initially it is harder to get a start as you trade at regular prices, pay your taxes/tariffs, and overall a slower build up.  It does pay off later as you have a good reputation and get discounts or free help (due to you helping others)  You will have to deal with pirates always.
• Pirate – Steal, lie , cheat your way to the top.  Initially easier to get a start but as your reputation grows word gets out about your actions.  The  galactic counsel members keep an eye on you and will attack on site.  You constantly have to watch your back.  Does have other benefits to the black market goods and you can get access to stolen technologies.  It is harder to maintain a quality of goods as you can only get what is there for the taking.
• Neutral – You walk the fine line of being acceptable to most people but also keep a few shady characters as associates.  Sometimes missions are harder with no allegiance, but you do have access to the black market for goods and materials.  Dabble on both sides of the fence but you don't have complete access.