[Pax]

Originally posted by Suicide Junkie:
You can do both if you make multidimensional tech areas.

Have the normal "uninspired" tech area produce a reasonable start, but have diminishing returns.

Add a new tech, the "breakthroughs" area.
At each higher level of the breakthroughs area,
you will open another dimension of research into the original tech.

Your multidimensional tech could be something like the following:

code:

---

   |  uninspired

   |  1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8

---+-------------------------------

B 0|  5  10  15  20  25  30  35  40

T 1| 10  15  20  25  30  35  40  45

# 2| 15  20  25  30  35  40  45  50

1 3| 20  25  30  35  40  45  50  55

---

The uninspired research will provide hefty practical gains, but soon becomes expensive to add levels too.
A breakthrough will allow you to start working on a new dimension to the problem, which happens to be a tech level that is "fresh", and not yet suffering from the diminishing returns.

The MOD I'm working on can make good use of this concept; thanks for the idea!

As-is, I'll hve a two-dimensional array for technology based on simple-tech-field, and which of several Racial Technology types you have (including a 0-cost-advantage "Standard" type); for example (and only off the top of my head for now):

code:

---

----------------------------------------------------

Simple      |            |            |            |

Propulsion  |     1      |     2      |     3      |

Level --->  |            |            |            |

----------------------------------------------------

w/ Standard | Engine Is  | Engine IIs | Engine IIIs|

            |  speed +0  |  speed +0  |  speed +0  |

            |  cost +0   |  cost -1   |  cost -2   |

----------------------------------------------------

w/ Organic  | Engine Io  | Engine IIo | Engine IIIo|

            |  regen +3  |  regen +3  |  regen +3  |

            |  cost +2   |  cost +1   |  cost +1   |

----------------------------------------------------

W/ Temporal | Engine It  | Engine IIt | Engine IIIt| 

            |  speed +1  |  speed +1  |  speed +1  |

            |  cost +2   |  cost +1   |  cost +0   |

----------------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------------

Unique      | *at all levels, new engine type w/   |

"Improved   | increased supply storage and damage  |

 Engines"   | resistance becomes available, similar|  

            | to each type above.                  |

----------------------------------------------------

Unique      | *at all levels, gain a +1 speed bonus|

"Inertial   | for Propulstion I-III, +2 for IV-VI, |

 Dampener"  | +3 for VII-IX, and soon, compared to |

            | base engine types above              |

----------------------------------------------------

Unique      | *at all levels, gain a new engine    |

"Compact    | which requires half the space of the |

 Engines"   | normal, base types above             |

----------------------------------------------------

---

... and so on. So "Propulsion 5" will be about as useful for an Organic-tech empire as for a Temporal-tech empire, but what each gets at that level will be slightly different.

Then, perhaps I can add in Unique / Ancient class technologies (as above) which further expand the available tech ... based on what you already have! So instead of getting X component or facility regardless of your own current technology, the Ruins will instead improve your possible research gains, past present and future.

A great inspiration, it'll improve things immensely! Thanks, guys! Of course, this also means scads more work creating components, but hey, what else is MODding for, eh?

Oh, and as you can see, I'm currently figuring on Temporal being slightly -faster- (+1, +2, +4, +6 speed-bonus engines, instead of the current +0, +1, +2, and +3 engines, for example), but I will of course compensate in other ways -- cost is one way, at least.

The neat thing is, with the right work done on the tehcnology setup, I (or others) will be able to add entire new technology-types just by cut-and-psting into the proper data files to set up the racial technology field, and it's components. Even more Unique fields for enhancing what's already there, with similar work.

(edit: UBBcode error, argh)

[ July 12, 2002, 19:55: Message edited by: Pax ]