Updating the tech tree

[Sloth]

Here is the result of my tech tree update.

Which goals have been accomplished?

A. Slight reduction of the theory techs by combining them with other techs or giving them a little application.

Reduced the number of theories from 23 to 18. Three techs have just been removed (Medical Pathology, Ecological Metamorphosis and Tectonic Mineralology), one tech was combined with an application (Genetic Medicine with Genome Bank) and Infrastructure Ecology became an application (with the Lighthouse effect).

B. Integration of too linear or too isolated branches

The Metroplex Infrastructure enclave was integrated, as well as Subterranean Habitation.

C. Making the tech tree less broad and a little longer, to reduce the number of options somewhat.

The end of most research lines has shifted one tech to the right (meaning they contain one more tech). Especially row 4 and 5 have fewer techs in favor of row 6 and 7.

D. Making the tech tree more manageable (avoiding long or too much links).

A lot of the long links spanning more than one row have been removed. The number of links was slightly decreased.

E. Making some techs/descriptions viable for non-organic species.

Nothing noteworthy happened.

[Zireael]

I like the updates.

[eleazar]

...Another approach, with more strategic decision making, would be to allow construction of troop garrison buildings to boost local troops, and tie their cost to total number of similar buildings in empire, with enough cost so it's a real decision about where to build them. A rough balance point I'd envision would be that for an empire at whatever stage, the fixed location defensive troop garrisons might cost one half to one third the cost of the roving attack troop.

The Protection focus is supposed to fill the need for a garrison /defensive buildings in a less micromanagy way.


EDIT: That discussion split to this thread.

[Sloth]

Here is an updated version of the tech tree patch (based on 5792).

[eleazar]

one tech was combined with an application (Genetic Medicine with Genome Bank)

The genome bank is nearly pointless if it is much easier to get than the bio-warfare stuff it prevents.

B. Integration of too linear or too isolated branches

I don't consider linear/isolated branches a bad thing-- especially since currently that's the only way to guarantee the branch isn't visually a hopeless tangle.

E. Making some techs/descriptions viable for non-organic species.

Nothing noteworthy happened.[/quote]
I want to deal with that before v.0.4.3, but first do some brainstorming and clarification on the different species types.


Can you do an updated version for current SVN, and split it into two patches (sounds like the growth and construction changes could be separated). I find large tech tree re-shufflings much harder to consider/evaluate/verify than, for instance, large string-table patches.

[Sloth]

one tech was combined with an application (Genetic Medicine with Genome Bank)

The genome bank is nearly pointless if it is much easier to get than the bio-warfare stuff it prevents.

I think it would be better to make the building really expensive than having an extra tech, but it's not really important to me, so put it back in if you like.

Can you do an updated version for current SVN, and split it into two patches (sounds like the growth and construction changes could be separated). I find large tech tree re-shufflings much harder to consider/evaluate/verify than, for instance, large string-table patches.

I've updated the patch (r5885), but it's not really possible to split it into parts since all techs are slightly shifted to form tiers (so that there are no long connections).

To evaluate the patch, look at the techs with the ships category disabled and you will see that all of the tangle has gone. With ships enabled there are still about four or five lines that make it messy.

[Geoff the Medio]

Not sure if it's been noted before or partly implemented in posted patches (which should probably be linked in a patches thread...), but one thing that would make the tech tree significantly easier to view and understand would be to reduce the number of techs that are prerequisites for many other techs. Theory of Everything and N-Dimensional Subspace are the biggest offenders, with 6 and 7 techs they each leads to, and they tend to be placed near each other in the tree, making things worse.

[eleazar]

Good point Geoff.

I've had house guests for most of the last month, including small children-- who are welcome but really eat into Free time. Things may get back to normal soon.

The new tree display changes should mitigate my concern about evaluating large tech patches.

[Sloth]

Not sure if it's been noted before or partly implemented in posted patches (which should probably be linked in a patches thread...), but one thing that would make the tech tree significantly easier to view and understand would be to reduce the number of techs that are prerequisites for many other techs. Theory of Everything and N-Dimensional Subspace are the biggest offenders, with 6 and 7 techs they each leads to, and they tend to be placed near each other in the tree, making things worse.

My patch goes in the right direction here by reducing the number of techs N-Dimensional Subspace leads to to 6.

[eleazar]

revision 5900
"tech reoganization patch by sloth."