Are we absolutely sure....

Spyder · #1 March 5th, 2001, 04:23 PM

The reason that this doesn't make sense is because it completely eliminates the need to research Minerals, Organics & Radioactives at all. I just need to research Planet Usage to get Monoliths, and Computers to get Robotoid Factories & System Robotoid Factories. Why even bother with the others?

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Spyder, Chairman of the Arachnid Consortium

Drake · #2 March 5th, 2001, 04:35 PM

I have to agree, it doesn't make sense. I usually never bother researching any of the individual resource branches. I get the impression that some stuff is just thrown into the tech tree to fill it out, without balancing. Weapons are another problem area.

Maybe they just figured it's close enough and someone else would mod it to balance things better, who knows...

Triumvir Emphy · #3 March 5th, 2001, 08:18 PM

Actually, i am all for "dead ends" in the research tree, it makes players looking into what they should research instead of wasting their time.

raynor · #4 March 5th, 2001, 08:37 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Drake:
I have to agree, it doesn't make sense. I usually never bother researching any of the individual resource branches. I get the impression that some stuff is just thrown into the tech tree to fill it out, without balancing. Weapons are another problem area.

Maybe they just figured it's close enough and someone else would mod it to balance things better, who knows...

*grumble*

Stupid AI is researching the heck out of Organics right now INSTEAD of Stellar Manipulation.

Somewhere down the line, with Zeno's help, we are going to have a full suite of programs for editing the AI files and will be able to (more) easily edit the tech research files to cutout all the dead end research that the AI currently does.

Since the AI isn't adaptive, the best way to get a challenging game seems to be to re-design their research and ship-desigs to counter the stuff you are going to research and put on your ships.

Someday...

Baron Munchausen · #5 March 5th, 2001, 10:02 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Spyder:
The reason that this doesn't make sense is because it completely eliminates the need to research Minerals, Organics & Radioactives at all. I just need to research Planet Usage to get Monoliths, and Computers to get Robotoid Factories & System Robotoid Factories. Why even bother with the others?

That's why I advocate splitting "Value Improvement" facilities into three seperate techs and putting those three techs in the upper levels of each resource type. Think about it. Why would ONE technology improve both mineral availability and organic fertility??? Weird. So, have them as seperate technologies in their respective fields. This is much more logical and would give you a reason to research those higher levels. This leaves ONLY atmosphere related techs in Planet Usage. Just drop the Atmosphere Modification plants down to 4/5/6 in Planet Usage and increase the basic research cost a bit.

Windborne · #6 March 5th, 2001, 10:37 PM

A better solution would be to give us more levels in each individual technology, say add in "Mineral extraction plant IV", monoliths only go up to level three, that way a level IV mineral extraction plant with the sesmic detection stuff you already get at level for of minerals would pull out more minerals each turn then the highest ranking generalized monolith facility.

Spyder · #7 March 5th, 2001, 10:42 PM

Yep, that is what I was thinking Windborne....give us something that will out produce the monolith. That way if you need minerals, it'll be more efficient to put mineral plants than monoliths.

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Spyder, Chairman of the Arachnid Consortium