So essentially a stable system with random events that introduce temporary shifts in the balance.JoshParnell wrote:Imagine that a certain type of food is becoming dangerously scarce in Region X for whatever reason. You might be concerned that this instability could set of a chain of problems, and that the system will never recover from the underlying issue, perhaps because various factors in the region have conspired and resulted in the production of food in the region coming in way below the demand. Indeed, it could be a bad situation. But we can easily solve it: the engine recognizes the instability, and smooths it by giving Planet Y, situated in Region X, a "record growing season," and large amounts of the food are produced by Planet Y. The system slowly comes back into balance.
Production in system X lowered, in systems Y and Z increased.
Would be a major improvement over X3's completely static system without creating an inherently instable system to begin with.
While power shifts are possible (and intended), opportunities to exploit them are simultaneously introduced in "nearby" systems.
Don't worry about it being a hack. As long as it's not obvious such as the player getting simultaneous messages about production +/- in 2 immediately adjacent systems, it's all good.
If the result is interesting and looks good, player's don't care. Game design is show business. =)
Instable systems have a tendency to spiral out of control.
Due to whatever reason energy production on planet X is lowered due to destruction of some facilities.
This lowers the rate of ore production, which lowers the rate of tech part production, which greatly delays the building of new power plants. During all this time military production cannot keep up with losses and the planet is taken over.
This has actually been tried in X3. People removed the handwaving from the system that kept it stable.
Took about 1 game day for the economy to break down in the entire universe.