.com.unity Forums - D-tech (a modest suggestion=-)

.com.unity Forums (http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/index.php)

- Space Empires: IV & V (http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/forumdisplay.php?f=20)

- - D-tech (a modest suggestion=-) (http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showthread.php?t=2621)

D-tech (a modest suggestion=-)

Yet another mod idea from someone who can't and won't do the work themselves;-)

Someone might have thought of this already, but:

Dimensional Manipulation Tech (racial tech like Organic, Crystal etc)
=============================
The ability to create portals into other universes.

These technologies are in approximate order of D-Tech level required (lowest to highest). Where other tech levels have been specified these are required in addition to whatever level of D-Tech.

-Extra-D cargo facility :
Facility which provides additional cargo space for a planet by transferring items to and from parallel dimensions.
(like the standard cargo facility but cheaper and/or less research
and/or better performance.)

-Extra-D storage facility :
Facility which provides additional resource storage space for an empire by transferring items to and from parallel dimensions.
(like the standard storage facilities but cheaper and/or less research and/or better performance.)

-Extra-D supply component :
Facility which provides additional supply storage space for an ship by transferring items to and from parallel dimensions.
(like the standard supply component but cheaper and/or less research and/or better performance.)

-Small Defensive D-Portal Generator :
Allows a dimensional portal to be opened in the path of an incoming missiles and fighters, which fly in and are lost forever.
(A cheap, low research PD device. Short range, medium accuracy, high damage. Higher levels improve range only.)

-Small Extra-D Matter Acquisition Gate :
Opens a gateway to another universe and draws useful matter from it.
(facility which generates large amounts of minerals every turn.)

-Personal D-phase device :
This component allows troops to phase in and out of our universe at will, giving them an enormous advantage in combat.
(A troop component with huge defence modifiers. Troop techs required.)

-Interplanetary D-Gate Spaceport levels I and II :
By using pairs of dimensional gates, goods can be moved more quickly and efficiently within a system.
(IDGS I is a space port with a 5% production bonus on resources in that system.
IDGS II is the same with a 5% bonus on any trade from treaties as well.
Any further levels should be much higher up the tech tree )

-Small D-Phase device :
This component allows fighters and satellites to phase in and out of our universe at will, making them very hard to shoot.
(Does exactly what it says it does, using the defence modifiers)

-Long range D-Gate Keyhole :
Opens a pair of tiny dimensional gates between two distant points in real space.
This "short cut" can be used to increase the range of scanners.
(As scanner technology is researched, keyhole tech provides a set of increased-range scanner components. Might be able to do something similar with cloak detection)

-Dimensional Technology Intel centre :
D-Gateways and D-phase technology provide significant advantages in spying / sabotage missions.
(Requires Intel tech levels: This intel centre has a far higher output than the
normal variety. Higher levels of this facility should be evenly spaced through
the rest of the tech trees.)

-Small Offensive D-Portal Generator (The "Dimensional Dustbin") :
A missile which uses D-Portal technology to trap a ship-sized target in a parallel
dimension.
(A slow, short range missile which skips all armour and does extensive damage to the
target ship. Something in the region of 1000 damage or more, so that only huge ships
stand a chance of survival. Higher tech levels do not increase damage but improve
speed, range and defence.)

-Small Phased Offensive D-Portal Generator :
A missile which uses D-Portal technology to trap a ship-sized target in a parallel
dimension. This missile cannot be stopped by normal shields.
(Requires phased shielding tech levels)

-D-Gate Boarding Party :
Opens a pair of Dimensional gates which allows Boarding parties to be instantly
relocated a to a nearby ship.
(A *very* short range ship control weapon with 98% hit rate (sometimes the gate opens in the wrong place and the troops are flushed into space:-)
Skips shields but is destroyed on use. Issues about master computers, security
stations etc would have to be either dealt with or explained away)

-Unstable Interstellar D-Gate Generator :
Opens a pair of dimensional gates which provide friendly ships with a temporary
"short- cut" between distant points in real space.
(Large component for ships. Don't know if it would be possible to move a whole fleet
or just the ship with the comp.
With all D-tech ship moving components there should be a small chance that they will be moved to the wrong place or damaged in transit.)

-Solar Energy Acquisition D-Gate :
Maintains an open gateway between a solar collector on a ship and a point within
a distant sun's atmosphere, providing huge amounts of cheap energy.
(Requires solar harvesting tech levels. Higher tech levels in SH and Dimensional Tech
give increasing levels of supply generation, right up to unlimited energy.)

-Large Offensive D-Portal Generator :
A missile which uses D-Portal technology to cast a city-sized target into a parallel
dimension.
(Same as the small but is used on planets only. Implemented as a very powerful plantary weapon. Requires tech levels in planetary weapons.)

-Large D-Phase device :
This component allows ships to phase in and out of our universe at will, making them very hard to hit. (Like the small Version. Should be available only to smaller ships at first, according to tech level in ship construction: ie able to build Destroyer= able to phase escort. Able to build LC=able to phase frigate. Maybe this should max out at Cruiser / battlecruiser, so you can't phase really huge ships.)

-Stable Interstellar D-Gate Generator :
Creates a permanent, one-way, intra-dimensional gateway which connects two distant points in real space.
(Essentially a warp point creation component. Ideally these D-Gates would be
distinct from warp points - ie different graphic, different travel times, cannot be
closed by warp point closing devices. It would also be good if this was a facility
rather than a component, so that the D-Gate is right above a planet - leaving it very vulnerable to attack.)

-Huge Offensive D-Gate Torpedo :
A weapon which uses D-Portal technology to relocate a planet to a parallel dimension.
(Basically a planet destroyer, but it leaves no debris.)

-(D-Gate defense
If your opponent has D-tech weaponry as well then there should be components to defend against the combat D-technologies.)

-Huge Extra-D Matter Acquisistion Gate :
A device which can be used in conjunction with stellar object creation technology to
create planets, stars and storms without the need for raw materials in real space.
(A set of replacement star etc creation components which do the same job as the normal components but require no raw materials. Requires the appropriate tech level in stellar manip.)

I think nearly all of these techs should be implementable (?) since they are mostly
variations on existing components.

Although at first glance some of them look far too powerful, few of these techs would be useful in day to day combat. Even the Dimensional Dustbins would be easily stopped by PD cannons and only good for "special occasions". Like the other special techs, there is an initial advantage, with some nice low-research components and facilities to give you a head start, and then the advantage tails off again as regular tech catches up. In mid game D-Tech would probably be at a disadvantage against an Organic or Crystal opponent. In late
game however D-Tech becomes an advantage again with all the stellar manipulation tools.

Maybe you could even have random events which are only applicable to D-tech races:
-Random component/ facility damage caused by extra-dimensional creatures who don't like
people from our universe messing around with theirs.
-Occasional bonuses from Extra-D races: tributes, techs, ships.
-If SEIV ever includes space monsters it would be nice for one of those to pop out of
the extra-D gates every now and again.:-)

Feedback, suggestions, mod volunteers welcome=-)

------------------
There is an exception to every rule. Including this one.

[This message has been edited by dogscoff (edited 04 April 2001).]

Re: D-tech (a modest suggestion=-)

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by dogscoff:
Dimensional Manipulation Tech (racial tech like Organic, Crystal etc)
=============================
The ability to create portals into other universes.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Most of these are fairly interesting, and many are doable. The ones below could be tricky:

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>-Interplanetary D-Gate Spaceport levels I and II :
By using pairs of dimensional gates, goods can be moved more quickly and efficiently within a system.
(IDGS I is a space port with a 5% production bonus on resources in that system.
IDGS II is the same with a 5% bonus on any trade from treaties as well.
Any further levels should be much higher up the tech tree)<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Not certain you can put a 5% trade bonus on a facility.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>-Small Offensive D-Portal Generator (The "Dimensional Dustbin") :
A missile which uses D-Portal technology to trap a ship-sized target in a parallel
dimension.
(A slow, short range missile which skips all armour and does extensive damage to the
target ship. Something in the region of 1000 damage or more, so that only huge ships
stand a chance of survival. Higher tech levels do not increase damage but improve
speed, range and defence.)<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Fairly unbalancing; unless you put it high on the tech tree and make it a LARGE weapon...

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>-Unstable Interstellar D-Gate Generator :
Opens a pair of dimensional gates which provide friendly ships with a temporary
"short- cut" between distant points in real space.
(Large component for ships. Don't know if it would be possible to move a whole fleet
or just the ship with the comp.
With all D-tech ship moving components there should be a small chance that they will be moved to the wrong place or damaged in transit.)<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Interesting; I assume you mean this for travel in-system. It may have to be implemented as a speed bonus (maybe an "emergency movement generator").

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>-Large D-Phase device :
This component allows ships to phase in and out of our universe at will, making them very hard to hit. (Like the small Version. Should be available only to smaller ships at first, according to tech level in ship construction: ie able to build Destroyer= able to phase escort. Able to build LC=able to phase frigate. Maybe this should max out at Cruiser / battlecruiser, so you can't phase really huge ships.)<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Don't think you can limit components to certain hull sizes; I think the limits are hard-coded to troops/sats/fighters/ships/bases.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>-Stable Interstellar D-Gate Generator :
Creates a permanent, one-way, intra-dimensional gateway which connects two distant points in real space.
(Essentially a warp point creation component. Ideally these D-Gates would be
distinct from warp points - ie different graphic, different travel times, cannot be
closed by warp point closing devices. It would also be good if this was a facility
rather than a component, so that the D-Gate is right above a planet - leaving it very vulnerable to attack.)<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Again, interesting; but warp points are fairly hard-coded into the game, and making a different "style" (especially one that can't be closed by standard warp-point closers) may require code changes.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>-Huge Extra-D Matter Acquisistion Gate :
A device which can be used in conjunction with stellar object creation technology to
create planets, stars and storms without the need for raw materials in real space.
(A set of replacement star etc creation components which do the same job as the normal components but require no raw materials. Requires the appropriate tech level in stellar manip.)<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Again, I think the requirement for asteroids in a sector for building a planet is hard-coded. It may be possible as an extension of the Ringworld/Sphereworld components, but it may be fairly complex to mod.

Re: D-tech (a modest suggestion=-)

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Don't think you can limit components to certain hull sizes; I think the limits are hard-coded to troops/sats/fighters/ships/bases.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
It should be possible to create a separate component for each hull size, and restrict all other sizes from using the ones not meant for them. Unfortunately the restrictions don't work yet http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon9.gif.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Again, I think the requirement for asteroids in a sector for building a planet is hard-coded. It may be possible as an extension of the Ringworld/Sphereworld components, but it may be fairly complex to mod.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'm pretty sure its impossible for planet creation, but it is brain-dead easy to do for ring/sphereworlds. Those have a line indicating the mass (kt) of support components required to be in the same sector, just set it to zero.

Re: D-tech (a modest suggestion=-)

You should be able to limit components to a class of ship, transports must have cargo holds for example. You can certainly force a minimum hull size by making the component bigger, maybe each Version gets both more powerful and physically larger.
Some of these ideas sound coool, hope they can be implemented.

[This message has been edited by Marty Ward (edited 05 April 2001).]