How to contribute techs

For what's not in 'Top Priority Game Design'. Post your ideas, visions, suggestions for the game, rules, modifications, etc.

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Nightfish
FreeOrion Designer / Space Monster
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#16 Post by Nightfish »

Before we start filling the tree we should talk about the concept once more, I think. Like how many techs we want, how much refinment should be able to do, what categories we want, etc...

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utilae
Cosmic Dragon
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#17 Post by utilae »

The categories would be a good start.

dirt-bag
Space Floater
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#18 Post by dirt-bag »

the biggest issue i have with the available tech trees in games i have seen to date is they are so linear. i would suggest some mutually exclusive tech trees to give more of a paper scissors rock atmosphere. for example one could choose to specialze between 3 hull types say crystaline, ceramic and metalic each with specific strengths and weaknesses. and one could choose to specialize between different weapon types that had more or less effect on the different hull types, ie lasers were less effective on crytaline hulls, but mass drivers were more effective on crystaline hulls.

moo2 sorely lacks a few keys techs that could counter prevalent tactics, for example a chaff tech to counter emmission guidance and a tractor shear nullify tractor beams.
and then there was dirt!

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utilae
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#19 Post by utilae »

dirt-bag wrote: i would suggest some mutually exclusive tech trees to give more of a paper scissors rock atmosphere. for example one could choose to specialze between 3 hull types say crystaline, ceramic and metalic each with specific strengths and weaknesses. and one could choose to specialize between different weapon types that had more or less effect on the different hull types, ie lasers were less effective on crytaline hulls, but mass drivers were more effective on crystaline hulls.
Rock-paper-Scissors-thats just more or less randomness, there's no real strategy, just have one of each type, specialising involves risks, but thats about all the strategy.

Refinement should make it interesting, as long as it could be researched independant of the main tech tree (theory, applied). So once you get lasers you could keep refining them, continuosly minimising them, improving their damage. Refining low tech weapons could have diminishing returns, so that eventually it is inefficient to continue refining lasers, but you could continue at great cost in research and also at the cost of not applying as much research to newer techs. This method of refinement would make low tech weapons useful in the late game, as long as one is willing to spend so much resources in doing so.

Impaler
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#20 Post by Impaler »

I see it like this

Theoretical - This reserch advances your understanding in a broad feild of knowlage like Lasers, Fusion, Gravatonics, Bio enginering ect. You can apply the reserch to each feild say 75 points a year towards Gravatonics. As points acumulate the level of the Feild goes up and once a critical limit is hit say Level 12 in Fusion and Level 17 in Computers a new branch may open up. New Feilds ofcorse start at level zero.

Aplied - This generates Aplied project options in a specific feild for you too reserch, their would also be a slight incresse in the theoretical level of that feild (but not as much as devoting all your efforts to Theoretical)

Developmental - A specific Devise, tecnique or what not is an Aplied project. You spend points on the aplied project and when its over you get the thing. The higher your level of Theoretical tec thats relivent to that devise the easier it is to research.

Refinment - Further research into a Devise to make it better/cheaper/faster. Building and using a devise will generate Refinement points for that devise.

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utilae
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#21 Post by utilae »

Impaler wrote:I see it like this

Theoretical - This reserch advances your understanding in a broad feild of knowlage like Lasers, Fusion, Gravatonics, Bio enginering ect. You can apply the reserch to each feild say 75 points a year towards Gravatonics. As points acumulate the level of the Feild goes up and once a critical limit is hit say Level 12 in Fusion and Level 17 in Computers a new branch may open up. New Feilds ofcorse start at level zero.

Aplied - This generates Aplied project options in a specific feild for you too reserch, their would also be a slight incresse in the theoretical level of that feild (but not as much as devoting all your efforts to Theoretical)

Developmental - A specific Devise, tecnique or what not is an Aplied project. You spend points on the aplied project and when its over you get the thing. The higher your level of Theoretical tec thats relivent to that devise the easier it is to research.

Refinment - Further research into a Devise to make it better/cheaper/faster. Building and using a devise will generate Refinement points for that devise.
I'm pretty sure there were 3, Theory, Applied and Refined (seperate).
My view:
Theory-A whole lot of unusable techs that once you get certain sets, gives you an applied project to work on eg laser theory, beam weapon theory.
Applied-When you get an applied project (as above), you research it and it gives you an actual, real tech, something usable, eg laser cannon.
Refinement-Once you get lasers you can allocate (between "theory-appplied" and "refine") research to go torwards improving them (better, smaller). The techs will automatically be improved as turns go by, based on how much research is allocated to refinement. You will still of course be able to choose older cheaper versions of a refined tech.

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