An Idea about Racial Techs...
 

...for all you people out there who actually, you know, mod. What if, for each racial tech, there were a way to attain it without the racial tech. This could be useful for those really long games. Now, I know what you're saying: "Why bother getting the racial techs if they are researchable?" Time, my friend, time.

Here's an example. Organics.

Option 1: Take the Organics racial tech. Same as standard.

Option 2: Don't take the Organics racial tech. Instead, invest research points in the Biology theoretical sciences. After the standard Biology techs, keep researching. Then next level would give a very toned down Version of the medical lab to research. The next level of Biology would yeild, say, a very toned down Version of the replicant center. Etc. Etc. Etc. for about 10 more levels. Researching Biology 12 (or whatever) would cost something like 2 million research points, and it would yeild the Organic Manipulation theoretical science. Then the player could research Organic techs (although I would suggest at greatly increased research costs.)

Crystallurgy could follow a similar path through Chemistry. Psychic could follow a similar path through Psychology. Etc, Etc, Etc.

Questions? Comments? Observations?

Re: An Idea about Racial Techs...
 

Yes, this is the 'research aptitude' idea used by MOO 3. The laws of physics are the same for everyone, but some races are better at certain kinds of research. All you would need is a set of 'aptitudes' to match the racial techs. A race with a specialty would research that specialty at far less cost (maybe ten times less?) than the other races. But a race willing and able to pay the high research costs would be able to research any specialty.

Re: An Idea about Racial Techs...
 

Actually, the "research aptitude" was around in Moo1, they dropped it in MOO2 for some reason, and it's coming back in MOO3. Stars! had it as well, BTW... Though I like the original idea... it never made sense to me how in the Xiati's description they just "happened upon" Temporal technology - if so, why is it so Special (tm) that no one else can steal it from them, etc.?

Re: An Idea about Racial Techs...
 

I think the racial techs give color to races.. something that says 'this is what we do, this is who we are' rather than some super empire which can do everything in a 3 week long game.

James Demacek

Re: An Idea about Racial Techs...
 

I'm fairly certain some people have done things like this in their mods, but don't recall offhand who.

Re: An Idea about Racial Techs...
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">It was the Xiati from the future, who came back and taught them about temporal tech.

Scientists from any other race would blow their minds thinking about all the inherent paradoxes, and fail miserably at the temporal tech analysis. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif