Universe Background

Globulation 2 Campaigns

This page will have three parts :

1. the General Ideas for campains
2. the mission-by-mission detailed description of each campain
3. the Historical background of the universe, which is used to add savour and interest to the missions.

General Idea for the campaigns

Those are only ideas, and no one has been choosen for glob2 yet. People are free to submit ideas here. As those ideas are submitted by people, it may not reflect the main community view. In particular, most people seem not to wish any human related element in glob2 universe. I agree with them. But I think nevertheless that discussion and debate must go on.

Campain 1 (by Rama)

The Globules sub-sentient individuals whose total intelligence merges into a hive mind. You're the hive mind, who's gradually understanding its power. (so we can have a good pretext to do a "tutorial-like" campain)

You start getting problems, which are usually "natural" : preserve your environnement, prevent over-reproduction of some ressources, etc. This allows a gradual introduction of the buildings and different races of globules. For instance, you start "discovering" hospitals after your first Globules are wounded in an hostile environnement ; Walls can be originally used to protect your globules from "something" dangerous (JOIN MY CAMPAIN TO ADD WILD ANIMALS INTO [=GLOB2=] !! :o) )

Sometimes, you get to meet with friendly other hives ; sometimes they are hostile. Eventually, all hives unite in a kind of Globule unity, with the aim of understanding what the world is. (the more advanced the game, the more you get to meet other globules).

then, the player gradually find out that he's on a planet, that he comes from space, that the globules have been created by humanity, etc... Gradual discovery of the Historical Background.

Eventually, I'd love to see Humans coming inot play, worried like hell at the though of the Globules becomming sentients. Then, you can have basicall three possibilities :

1. The Humans destroying the globules (depressing game, "brood-war style"),
2. The Humans getting friendly (Walt Disney Style, I don't like it too much)
3. A choice you'll have to make : typically, the humans will provoke you into fighting. If you accept the fight, you're dead. If you do not, they'll be forced to discuss and recognise your inteligence and legitimacy as sentient beings (this, or letting Georges Bush be re-elected, or something else which blatantly leads to global destruction).

Note from nct: I don't want humans in game... Oniric Globulish World is good without humans. I agree to have humans in the Historical background, even if I don't feel the necessity. I know that you guys keep having Starcraft in mind, as it is a very powerful [[1]], but I think with Globule we have some world from childhood that is worth for itself.

Note from dizzz: I don't think humans are necessary at all.

Note from Rama: (reporting a discussion with nct): ---++++ Humans in Glob2 Cons:

• All games have Humans in them, and we don't want to be like all other games.
• Humans suck.

Pros:

• This allows a better "anchoring" of the Globule universe into a Univers we are familiar with
• This makes the story interesting, when you start to realise that the Universe connects to our own.
• By introducing Humans into the universe, we prevent the player to identify his globules with quasi-Human beings. Addictionally, if we manage to introduce Humans when the Player has been well "brain-washed" into thinking of himself as a collective Globule intelligence, we get an interesting and meaningful sense to the game. A little bit like the "[[2]]" in Miyasaki's anime.

In conclusion, while it would not be indispenable to include Humans into the story, we might indeed need to define the globule identity ba contrast to something else as well.

Incidentally, we seem to be agreed with the idea of including "wild creatures" into Glob2.

Rama will start writing examples of missions as soon as he's got a little time to do so, as well as studying the implications of the engine of the game (introduction of wild creatures, humans, natural disasters, etc.)

Universe Proposal -- Historical background (by Slann)

Humanity

Earth Population has stabilised around 20 billions humans and 400 billion A.I.s. The timely development of nuclear fusion and the first elements of a Dyson Belt barely suffice to cover the ever-growing need for energy of a Humanity lost in hedonism and sloth.

The Earth aristocracy lives in Orbital Farms, providing the food for the inhabitants of the city-planet sprawling underneath. Any access to natural flora and fauna is seen as the ultimate sign of success. The desire for nature is exploited by Corporations providing artificial universes giving the illusion of still untouched Earth.

The FTL engine is a dream beyond hope. But a part of Humanity still yearns for the stars, so fleets are sent to the near Solar Systems for automatic survey, exploration, and technoforming. Those fleets are sent mostly by the High Aristocracy, who can afford them, with the goal of establishing planet-wide Estates.

The World Governement, descended from the now fabulous European Union, having become in 2154 the Union after the integration of Russia, Africa and India, and finaly the World Union after the second US-chinese War and the protagonist joining the Union, completely wasted and demoralised, is a weak and loose structure. It however still commands the most important Budget of Humanity and the conquest of the stars is one of those projects capable of not creating opposition.

So they, too, launch ships, though they have no access to the most recent technology, nor much hope to ever reach systems before the much faster ships of the Aristocracy.

The A.I. ethos

The beginning of the XXII Century was the golden age of A.I.: at last the prospect of a Human-level A.I. was within reach. Just at this point, the Corporation, fearing for their established power, put a brutal stop to any developpments not strictly controlled. A campaign of populist lobbying of the most outrageous sort was established, and of course, it was successful. This led to the Unique Humanity Act, leaving only those with Space access with the possibility of doing A.I. research.

This essentially meant the Aristocracy, as the Corporations saw no profit in those research. And of course, the Aristocracy was more concerned with its garden-parties than with scientific research, although acquiring academic recognition was considered as very honorable. As a distraction.

But of course it is not possible to stop progress, and everyone suspects that at least some A.I. have been born, and somehow survive in the World Governement's University Network. This of course is absolutely true and very strongly denied by everyone concerned.

The use of A.I. in advancing research and going beyond the limits of the most abstract formalism imaginable by humans is obvious. The tentation to get such help, a bit like the student is tempted to take with him cheats to an exam, is too strong, and humans, especially if they are not convinced they are doing something wrong in the first place, are easily seduced. So the public research community has formed loose bonds with the A.I.s, and the A.I.s, knowing that they depend on the searchers goodwill for their survival still are more helpfull than would strictly be necessary.

It sometimes happens that programs are corrected overnight, the solution to complex problems are somehow printing themselves on screens. But of course, this officially is impossible.

Characters

Great scientists

Pr. Yievgeni Alexandrovitch Nematov

Born in the heartlan of what was once Siberia, He is the world's most renown Cybernetist. He is also one of those rare Scentists doing science for the Greater Good, and systematically refuses any contact with the Corporations or the Aristocracy. His team, despite being heavilly under-funded is stil producing most of the advances in the field. Some hint that the A.I.s he has created are not strangers to the success of his Research.

The accusation is graver than might be percieved as the Unique Humanity Act legally forbids the creation of human and super-human intelligence levels. Of course no evidence was ever successfully brought to the courts.

Pr. John Donald Ramfield

Ramsfield is the total opposite of Nematov. He is the head of the best funded pivate research institution, he has access to enormous amounts of Industrial Secrets. He is described by his friends as arrogant, selfish and overly ambitious. His ennemies describe him as "the living embodiment of the most unbriddled Hubris".

He promised to the Governing Council of the Global `SciTech Corporation not the moon, but indeed every moon in the galaxy and the planets they orbit as an added bonus. Of course having made such promises, he is now forced to deliver.

Herr Dr Dr Stephan Richard Von Verschlossenefeld

The Dr Von Verschlossenefeld is the last heir of a very old noblle Prussian family. Since his youngest age he has been experimenting on strange ideas and concepts in the old Family Castle, rebuilt in orbit. Some say that a totally isolated childhood has irretrivably twisted an otherwise brilliant mind. He doesn't hate humanity, he simply cannot bear the idea of aproaching another human being.

He dreams of having his own domain, on his own planet in his own solar system. He has commited all of his Family's Fortunes to that effect, and will stop at nothing to have his dreams acomplished.

He has built himself many artificial friends and helpers, that are for the most part as deranged as he is, but just as committed to his goals. Of course, building A.I.s outside the Earth's Atmosphere is perfectly legal.

Universe concept (TMM, dizzz and nct_)

The globules are living on their planet all is happy, all is good. Globules are all part of a big thinking network, like a hive mind. Everything is peiceful and the globules all live their lives happily next to eachtother. When suddenly, disaster strikes, A meteor smashes into the planet which heavilly radiates the globules. Suddenly the globles notice that globules of other colours are trying to steal THEIR food and fruits... Remembering the wild creatures that steal their fruit too, they call their warriors...

A lot less warriors than expected show up...

It can't remember ever having seen other coloured globules... It can't remember ever having to fight other globules... It can't remember... it knows it once build buildings to make sick globules better... It can't...

It feels... alone...

WHAT HAPPENED

The globules, that once where one hive mind, got split up, and they now see the other globules as different colours, and the wild creatures that also eat their food, which is something they don't like very much.

The goal of the game is to create unity amongst the globules once again, the globules can be unified through their fruits once more.

This moves the aggressiveness of the globules towards eachother to simple misunderstanding.

As the game progresses, the "hive" will become more united, as the minds of the other globules starts to join the players. This will give a gradual underderstanding to "your" hive as to what happened.

This will make it very easy to craft missions like the one's rama suggested, which I like very much. It will also provide the game with some meaning for those that need it.

We will start the campains off, with the learning that rama suggested. Then we could make some really nasty campains around cleaning out resources, and move to fruiting after the first fruiting mission, the realisation will start to hit the players hive. (as it has just accumilated the knowledge of quite a lot of other globules)

The rest of the missions in the campain should focus less and less on agression, and introduce new buildings as the player gets more globules in his hive.

the end of the story should be where all the globules are once again part of the same hive

The actual games would closely follow rama's idea, but this universe does not "need" humans, still provide with some morale.

it would also be interesting to through cutscenes and other story support to make the player slowly learn about these things, just as the "hive" itself is... ie, don't TELL the player that his mission is basically peace, not war.

More details about converting as a way of life (TMM, Dizz and Rama)

The Globules being only misguided and not cruel. At first, they should be able to plan the complete destruction of the other hive, they don't know better, until the first conversions start to happen.

It might be harder, or almost impossbile to completely destroy the other hives (The hives are the thinking mind of the globules). they wouldn't have had to use "advanced strategies" ever before, because they never had a thinking enemy.

The hives send globules out to war to kill other populations that use the same ressources -- concept of war to protect the environment.

See "Ender's Game" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ender's_game) : the buggers are, like the globules, a hive mind species that just happen to run into the humans killing them all off; eventually the humans destroy all the buggers, and ender found out that the buggers never wanted to fight: the buggers started it all off because the humans where in their way, but they never realised that they killed individuals -- they thought they killed non-scentient things, and didn't look at it as "killing". On their world the "queen" is basically the only scentient being so killing of a couple of drones isn't "killing"

--> you hurt the globules only when you attack the hives

it would be nice if there was some accentuation of the fact that you don't just "convert" a hive to your point, you adopt some kind of mutual understanding

in single player mode, that way the globules will know that they CAN work together, and if they know that, they should be able to know that they are killing other globules which is something they should never willingly do -- well, knowingly do.

By destroying a hive, you get all the globules and part of the knowledge: getting to build new building convoy the idea that you were not simply superior to the other. DUring the campaings, schools could be disabled, so that winning against an opponent gets you to build lvl2 or lvl3 buildings (Building as rewards all through the campain).

To balance the rise in power, there is a "higher standard" in "cleanless: if you have lvl 3 barracks, you must convert the other hive with minimum damage done, else you've lost.

there's 1 player it was like that before the meteor hit the poor globules your "task" is to make sure it gets like that again so that the globules will stop fighting.

-->changing the colour of your team when you "convert" another hive to the colour in between

-->you don't "kill" a globule, you "turn it off". In fact it could even be made IMPOSSIBLE to kill a hive -- your globules cannot attack hives

the first missions can be simple and brutal -- just wipe off all the intruders. Afterward, you'll have to find a way of converting the hives. First mission is in fact a mission you loose - because you kill your opponent (not for the very first mission, but for one of the early missions).

at fist you wouldn't "know" you where killing anything (including the hive) -- until another hive converts YOU. Then do a cutscene that explains your new "concionsness" (how on Earth the first converting hive arouse is something I leave for the reader as an exercice).

to convert a hive, you should eliminate or discourage its agressive tendencies and then make its life posible and offer fruits. You could convert a hive by having more workers working on it than your opponent - it converts to the player that gives it the most food

OR

if we assume that the consionsness of the hives is spread across the globules and you convert all the globules the hive will simply have to come with it

If you get converted by the "opponent", you haven't "lost". You become part of the other mind. You might even have missions where you WANT to be converted (your hive is "rescued" by a more couscious hive and proceeds to the great educational crusade). Thing is that the typical opponent doesn't try to convert you, he doens't understand what you are (could be interesting to have a missions where both try to convert the other and you have to understand that either way is OK).

in lan game when you convert a player - you play together then. In a 3 player game, and the fist guy gets "beaten" early still gets to participate (the other mind should become "part" of the other hive). If you are the best player you get to asimilate the other one; Since they are less good than you, you have to coordinate with them -- so the best players get a "malus" (and now you have to deal with him screwing up your hive mind, discuss bad descisions, etc... if you first win against a noob - you must then deal with explaining him the game). The advantage of having a greater empire is relativised by the fact that you need to communicate.

The Globulation 2 Universe (GeniXPro)

The globs are not sentient, and infact, its hard for them to survive at all. However, there is one key feature of Globs that make them intelligent, it is that they have a collective mind. The Globs started as a research project on Earth. Scientists where experiementing with artificial life, and collective intelligences. They thought that simple machines, with very simple behaviours, but in large numbers, would have an overwhelmingly high level of "intelligence". They idea came to the for-front of man. The globs where an excellent demonstration of this. Each glob was given a simple task, such as collecting food, exploring or construction small huts. Even though a single glob was quite simple, the globs working as a team demonstrated some higher level of intelligence, they where able to work together, expand and grow. No one actually understood how the globs managed to do this, but it seemed quite a successfull project. However, the project was dumped, with new sentient intelligences coming into play, collective intelligence was no longer required, and the idea seemed to dissapear entirely.

The idea wouldn't stay down forever, however. Man eventually discovered that sentient intelligence wasn't the best solution for larger projects. These sentient robots where very expensive, and often waisted time thinking about "Do I exist or not?" when instead they should be focuses on the simple task of hammering a nail into the apartment complex they where constructing. Hugh V. Montigagner thought that the cheap, behaviour based collective intelligence robots would provide a suitable solution, and the idea became the hot topic everywhere once again. The only difference, this time the idea was going to be used, and soon these non-sentient but intelligent robots replaced sentient robots. Soon, these newer robots worked there way into space, and eventually onto mars, working as a restoration crew to try and make mars habbitable for man.

Hugh didn't stop at robots. He recognized that the globs where not robots at all, but infact they where organic creatures, not unlike human. A new research project started, in space, on these intelligent creatures. People where experiementing with Muscular Distrophy, and how it made long term space voyages very difficult. The globs where a suitable test case. Although this wasn't Hugh's original intention, he did not mind the globs being used to cure such problems. Experiements started where the globs where sent on long voyages, from earth, to mars and back again. Some of these voyages took over 4 years.

There was, however, one odd voyage, some of the scientists where and still are worried about. The spacecraft HostinCroft was accidently sent on the wrong coarse, little over 2 degrees off its target, and was sent into the outer reaches of space. The scientists have little knowledge of whether the globs are still alive on that shuttle, however, the shuttle was almost entirely self sustaining, using even the smallest amounts of spacial radiation as a form of heat concentrate that it used to power the systems. In theory, the globs could live inside the space shuttle forever!

65000 years came to pass. Man had long since destroyed itself, and the solar system, and many surrounding solar systems, with it. However, there remains one small, insignifigant part of humanity still alive, the globs of the spaceshuttle HostinCroft. If man would have known his ship would last 65000 years, he would have been damn proud. However, the ship may not have lasted much longer, it was on a collision coarse with a planet called Zeelus. This planet was unlike any planet the globs had been on before. However, the globs where trained to adapt their surroundings to suit them, much like robots that had worked on mars 65025 years before. Whether the globs would survive the crash was certainly a long shot, and it seemed more and more hopeless as the ship came closer and closer to the big planet. However, an unexpected surprise came to be. The planets atmosphere was dense, and the ships built in parachutes worked well. Although, they didn't work perfectly, and the ship hit the ground at a calm 60 km/h. The globs managed to survive, and started the first globulan colony.

The globs where self-manored, and because of their basic task based behaviour, could not do much. One thing was key, however, the globs where beginning to convert the planet to barable atmosphere, they where constructing huts, collecting food (however scarce). Another 100,000 years went by. The globs long since evolved. They have devided many times, a colony often devides into two colonies (seperates its intelligence) on a regular basis, almost once every 1000 years. The globs where becoming an evolved species, building on the small amounts of knowledge left in the burnt up ship. This is where you come in. You become the intelligence of a colony, the one colony doomed for supremecy over the entire planet!