.com.unity Forums - What is 'reasonable' return on research?

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Originally posted by Trajan:
I don't think that research can really be thought of in a linear sense.

The two dimensional array's work nicely, though a three dimensional one would be better.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">That's essentially what my MOD (still as yet unnamed http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif ) will have; see my chart below for an example. The first bit shows a two-dimensional effect; based on your level of Propulsion tech, and what you have as your "racial technology type", determines what engine you learn to build.

The addition of Unique technologies from ruins, adds a third dimension to the array -- because the additional components and/or facilities learned, are also based on your "simple" technology levels (Propulsion or Missile Weapons or whatnot), and on the base "Racial Technology" type. Compact standard engines won't be quite the same as Compact Organic engines, and so on.

Not only components will be affected this way; also weapons / component enhancements (a.k.a. Mounts), facilities, possibly even hulls (hmm, a Unique Tech that gives a Death-Star sized "Planetoid" ship hull, of a sort that is in keeping with your Racial Technology base ... heh!)

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I think I am visualizing it as there being some way to advance through one research matix then make an advance in a particular area that suddenly jumped you to a different level of the matrix where the recent dramatic discovery would have an effect on all further research no matter the direction you take. Could you revert back to the original research matrix? I am not sure. I think that if you found a cheaper/better/faster way to propel your ships, not through better implementation of a know field of advancment, but rather through a never-before imagined breakthrough technology you would leave the old way behind and jump on the new technology.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Lord, I would LOVE to make a decision-tree based tech tree -- but I don't think there is a way to EXCLUDE components or tech levels from being discovered if you DO have such-and-such prerequisite, not in SE4 anyway ... is there?

Probably a feature to beg for in SE5.

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for ex. If you spent 100 years developing transportation based on steam engine technology, then suddenly split the atom and found that you could make anti-matter propulsion a reality, why would you go back to steam engines in your ships.

---I am just brainstorming here, but hey...it is Firday afternoon in the States, and I am stuck at my desk with little motivation to work.

Cheers!
Trajan

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I'd guess that it's possible to put such hurdles and leaps forward in, by requiring some new Theoretical as the prerequisite for further advances in the base technology types. For example, perhaps after Propulsion 6, where you have pretty well pushed X engine paradigm to it's final, ultimate limit ... instead of beign able to research Propulsion 7, you cannow research some new theoretical field that itself enables Propulsion 7 to be learned, based on some new paradigm of engine operation. Until that paradigm TOO is maximised, of course.

Alternately, instead of one catch-all "Propulsion" field, you could have "Jacketed Photon Engines" technology, and possibly continue on past level 3 for further refinements in cost, or change over to that theoretical field which will open up the potential to, instead, research Contra-TErrene propulsion.

Assuming you do the theoretical, you then have a choice: research Contra-Terrene 1, or research Jacketed Photon 4. Which do you prefer, slightly faster or marginally cheaper?

...

What I'd LIKE to see though, is a way to make a true decision tree. Instead of just IF/ELSE prerequisites, what about IF-NOT/ELSE prerequisites?

In other words, why not make it so some components require you to NOT have a given technology ... thus, there will come points where you have to decide forever which of two or more ways you wish to pursue ... knowing the other way is closed to you for all time.

You could get two empires, with otherwise identical technology options (IOW neither takes a choice like Organic, etc, which the other does not ALSO take) -- yet, having made different choices along the way, their options for facilities, components, and so on, would be entirely different ... at the point when BOTH of them have NOTHING further to apply research points to.

Now THAT, I would dearly love to see.