Structures

Below is the list of features that have been currently decided on for the Colony Simulation.

Building Types

The Colony Simulation will use a set of Building types for which the different Buildings that can be built in game can be categorized. Each of the Building types has special attributes which make them unique. Aside, each Building will also have a unique look and feel, allowing for aesthetically pleasing choices for the user. The basic Building attributes which all Buildings share are the following:

• Name – A unique name for each building

• Model / Texture Names– Names for the 3D graphics and textures which will be associated.

• Costs – The cost in Resources to build the Building.

Note About the Building Look: The Buildings as we are calling them should look like pods of some sort. The Colony is a collections of pods that are connected by pathways, floating around in space. Hence, each Building, based on their own aesthetic specifications, should look pod like.

Gatherer Building Type

The gatherer building is placed over a tile with a resource, allowing that resource to be mined, and then sent off to the sources that need it. There will be various types of gatherer buildings for the various resources, for example, Mining Buildings for Asteroids, Gas Pumps for Gas Nebulas, etc.

The extra attributes of this type are:

• Type of Gather able Resource – This is the type of resource that the building is able to gather.

• Number of Units – This is the list of mining units that the Gatherer has. The number of gatherers affect the rate at which the building can collect resources.

Outpost

The outpost will take in resources and possibly produce some of its own. These resources would then have to be moved to another outpost or planet to be consumed and to generate profit for the player.

The extra attributes of this type are:

• Type of resources consumed: A list of the resources that this outpost will take in.

• Type of resources produces: A list of the resources that this outpost will create to be moved to other consumers.

Planets

The planets are placed randomly placed throughout the galaxy map and can vary in population. The population affects the demand for resources that the planet will require.

Extra attributes of this type are:

• Recommended / Maximum Populations – A number of the recommended population and maximum population a Building can hold. If the number of the of residents increases passed the recommended number, the Happiness of the residents will decrease.

Hubs

The hubs are intersections between pathways. At a hub, a player will be able to choose the percentage of incoming resources that will be output in each direction.

Pathways

The pathways are where the resources will be able to travel. They are uni-directional and are explicitly placed by the player.