Primitives for proportions?

[geoschmo]

In fact, the more I think about this, the easier it might be. It's possible we could set this up so the AI need little or no manipulation from the stock AI files. Since they are already programmed to research the various techs. All we need to do is add some pre-reqs to those techs but not tell them to research the pre-reqs. For the AI that you want to develop to a certain point (industrial tech) you give them a couple breaktrhrough techs to research, but not all of them.

Limitiing the AI to zero research points won't be needed. They can have all the research points they want, but they wont have anything to research for the most part. Until they are uplifted.

For those that you want to get their on their own, just much slower, you can add some do nothing filler research techs that they have to research fully before they are allowed to go for the breakthrough techs.

Geoschmo

[ April 28, 2003, 13:39: Message edited by: geoschmo ]

[dogscoff]

Geo: Great stuff. I only see 2 problems:

1> (I think) the AI is hardcoded so that once it runs out of things to research in its AI file, it will just research anything. I think.
This could be worked around though using "dummy" techs.

2> Cultural centres might cause a bit of a headache. Everyone would start with the same cultural centres, which might mean spending the first 50 turns of the game upgrading your 18 dirt-tech tree-villages to high tech super-cities.

But yeah, it's an excellent idea. All we have to do now is come up with all the new components, facilities and things for the primitives. I might post something along these lines later.

[geoschmo]

#1. I had no idea about. I had heard they would reasearch mines if they encountered them, but didn't know they would randomly pick stuff when out of techs in their research file.

#2. Would only be a problem for proportions obviously. While that was the topic of the original post, I don't see this primitive idea as being limited to Proportions mod.

Geoschmo

[dogscoff]

I'm not 10% sure about 1, but I think it's the case. Or used to be.

While that was the topic of the original post, I don't see this primitive idea as being limited to Proportions mod

Another good point. I think the rate of expansion and crowded maps of the standard games would make primitives less viable, but there's no reason why it should be proportios only.

[QuarianRex]

I have a working primitive mod. Its in the early stages and I have to make adjustments to the research files of the various AIs (currently only the terrans and one savage race were being used for testing) but it is working beautifully (if I do say so myself).

This has been quite a learning experience. For one, never try modding when you are drunk. The ideas were good but it took me three hours to find and fix all the typos the next day.

The mod currently has three levels of primitive; savage, steam, and space. Each has their own tech tree that follows the same pattern. For ex, savage goes from level 1 to 15, steam goes from 1-10 (covering all the tech from level 6-15 of savage), and space goes from 1-6 (covering 10-15 of savage). After completing their racial tech (and levels 15, 10, and 6 respectively) they are allowed to research "Galactic Expansion" to open up the normal tech tree. Human and AI players must also research this tech to be able to do anything else.

Originally I wanted all of the commonly shared technologies to be done through tech levels (ie. all three primitives aquiring the tech area "city" at varying times while "city" was the prerequisite for the facility of the same name). I had hoped to reduce the clutter in components.txt and facility.txt but it didn't work. only one of the same-name tech areas was credited as being the prerequisite (the lowest one on the list). That's great if you are a space race but horrible otherwise.

Also, did you know that you automatically acquire the technologies of the tech areas with a start level of 1? This happens even if you don't have access to said tech levels. I had to use racial tech areas to get around this (so that players would start with cultural centers and savages would start with settlements, for example). Twas a bit of a pain.

Despite all that I am almost done. I'll try to post something tonight or tomorow so you can test it out and give feedback.

[JLS]

Originally posted by geoschmo:
#1. I had no idea about. I had heard they would reasearch mines if they encountered them, but didn't know they would randomly pick stuff when out of techs in their research file.

I have seen the AI research Colonizers, Bases etc. when the Research File is broken or finished.

The continued Primitive Tech advances is a good idea Dogscoff, and at given specific counts, could yield something, or maybe even trigger an event.
~

#2. Would only be a problem for proportions obviously. While that was the topic of the original post, I don't see this primitive idea as being limited to Proportions mod.

The Primitive Population Center can be done with Existing Proportions setup.

PVK has a spare Culture Center currently in Proportions that is tagged with Inaccessible tech. A new CC also can be added as well but placement is the key.

Just add a Tech Pre Req to both.
Then change rename Primitive and add the attributes you desire

Or it can be done for Proportions, if you want to add a Racial Trait and then tie it into the Tech File that ties it to the Facility as I did with AI Campaign.
~
GEO your none Space age theory at low Tech is outstanding.

[ April 28, 2003, 18:28: Message edited by: JLS ]

[Grand Lord Vito]

You would have to keep there urban centers low produceing if they can get crushed by a roaming player and Restricted Planetary Exploitation also may be the way to go.

Other wise I will hunt them down