Re: More Realistic Ruins
 

it would be interesting that whoever controls the ruins controls the tech. You lose the planet, you lose the tech. And they gain it.
Interesting.
In this case it should be unique tech only.

Re: More Realistic Ruins
 

What about planet based "artifacts". You control the planet you have that ablity or special facility (ancient weapon, processing plant, gateway, research points bonus, etc.).

What about negative effects (find a reactor that makes the sun in the system goes supernova, a plague outbreak, turns the system into a nebula/storm etc.). You can stop most of these negative ruins by applying research to stop the bad effect.

Maybe when you find a ruins you find an ancient race that is upset that you woke them up or distrubed them. That race should be a Non-Player race that will attack anyone, but of course the race that finds it will probably be closest.

KirbyEF

Re: More Realistic Ruins
 

i think you can simulate planet based artifacts in the map editor. just give the planet special abilities. that way nothing to learn or create and if you lose the planet you lose the benefits.

[ November 23, 2002, 19:23: Message edited by: desdinova ]

Re: More Realistic Ruins
 

The way I see it... ruins should give you a 'stepping stone' tech which would then allow you to research some unique tech. Just because you found a Massive Shield Depleter in a ruin doesn't mean you can start manufacturing them right away. You should receive a 'massive depleter tech' which opens up component research techs which, if researched, allow you to use the unique tech.

Most 'empty' ruins should still give you some research points - you always learn something from them, although it may have no immediate practical use.

Re: More Realistic Ruins
 

how about instead of the ruins giving you components or facilities have it give you access to new tech areas. the areas might gives just slightly better components and facilities than everyone else has or lead down the road to new techs no one else would have access to. you would still have to research everything to get the benefits.

edit: Erax beat me to this idea. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif hehehe

[ November 23, 2002, 19:31: Message edited by: desdinova ]

Re: More Realistic Ruins
 

A lot of interesting ideas.
Mine is:
A tech "Reverse Engineering"
Once researched you could then build a specialized facilty to study Alien Tech.

Re: More Realistic Ruins
 

I really like the idea of having new ruins taht can simulate like an asteroid gun or an ancient race, also i like the idea of the archeology tech tree adn being able to share ruins until colonized. o and make colonization harder/more dangerous to discourage everyone colonizing and wasting the ability to "anylze"