Unique ruins techs

[Master Belisarius]

quote:

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Originally posted by Deathstalker:
For the standard engine destroyers try the Pyrochette race (sp?) they use the engine destroyer as one of their main weapons combined with temporal weapons. Quite nasty.

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Yea Deathstalker... I have included the Engine Destroyer inside the Pyrochette ships. And was because I remembered my old races in SE3 with this cool weapon, and wanted to see it again in SE4!

[Mark Walton]

A possible solution to Ruins Tech:

Make them the "seed" for a new tech tree. This allows them to be improved upon.

My mod (in testing) allows weapons with a better rate of fire, and a few other options. examples:

Name := Ultra-Tech Shield Depleters
Group := Weapon Technology
Description := Weapons designed to deplete all of a target's shields.
Maximum Level := 3
Level Cost := 50000
Start Level := 0
Raise Level := 0
Racial Area := 0
Unique Area := 0
Can Be Removed := True
Number of Tech Req := 1
Tech Area Req 1 := Massive Shield Depleting Weapons
Tech Level Req 1 := 1

Name := Ultratech Shield Depleter I
Description := Massive gamma radiation beam which saps all of a target's shields but does no other damage.
Pic Num := 198
Tonnage Space Taken := 100
Tonnage Structure := 100
Cost Minerals := 2000
Cost Organics := 0
Cost Radioactives := 1000
Vehicle Type := Ship\Base\Sat\WeapPlat
Supply Amount Used := 100
Restrictions := None
General Group := Weapons
Family := 2043
Roman Numeral := 1
Custom Group := 0
Number of Tech Req := 1
Tech Area Req 1 := Ultra-Tech Shield Depleters
Tech Level Req 1 := 1
Number of Abilities := 0
Weapon Type := Direct Fire
Weapon Target := Ships\Planets\Ftr\Sat
Weapon Damage At Rng := 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Weapon Damage Type := Shields Only
Weapon Reload Rate := 15
Weapon Display Type := Beam
Weapon Display := 16
Weapon Modifier := 0
Weapon Sound := shlddepl.wav
Weapon Family := 37

Name := Ultratech Shield Depleter II
Description := Massive gamma radiation beam which saps all of a target's shields but does no other damage.
Pic Num := 198
Tonnage Space Taken := 100
Tonnage Structure := 100
Cost Minerals := 2000
Cost Organics := 0
Cost Radioactives := 1500
Vehicle Type := Ship\Base\Sat\WeapPlat
Supply Amount Used := 100
Restrictions := None
General Group := Weapons
Family := 2043
Roman Numeral := 2
Custom Group := 0
Number of Tech Req := 1
Tech Area Req 1 := Ultra-Tech Shield Depleters
Tech Level Req 1 := 2
Number of Abilities := 0
Weapon Type := Direct Fire
Weapon Target := Ships\Planets\Ftr\Sat
Weapon Damage At Rng := 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Weapon Damage Type := Shields Only
Weapon Reload Rate := 10
Weapon Display Type := Beam
Weapon Display := 16
Weapon Modifier := 0
Weapon Sound := shlddepl.wav
Weapon Family := 37

Name := Ultratech Shield Depleter III
Description := Massive gamma radiation beam which saps all of a target's shields but does no other damage.
Pic Num := 198
Tonnage Space Taken := 100
Tonnage Structure := 100
Cost Minerals := 2000
Cost Organics := 0
Cost Radioactives := 2000
Vehicle Type := Ship\Base\Sat\WeapPlat
Supply Amount Used := 100
Restrictions := None
General Group := Weapons
Family := 2043
Roman Numeral := 3
Custom Group := 0
Number of Tech Req := 1
Tech Area Req 1 := Ultra-Tech Shield Depleters
Tech Level Req 1 := 2
Number of Abilities := 0
Weapon Type := Direct Fire
Weapon Target := Ships\Planets\Ftr\Sat
Weapon Damage At Rng := 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Weapon Damage Type := Shields Only
Weapon Reload Rate := 5
Weapon Display Type := Beam
Weapon Display := 16
Weapon Modifier := 0
Weapon Sound := shlddepl.wav
Weapon Family := 37

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Name := Ultra-Tech Shields
Group := Applied Science
Description := Massive shield generators which can protect an entire planet, or offer unrivalled protection for a vessel.
Maximum Level := 3
Level Cost := 50000
Start Level := 0
Raise Level := 0
Racial Area := 0
Unique Area := 0
Can Be Removed := True
Number of Tech Req := 1
Tech Area Req 1 := Massive Planetary Shielding
Tech Level Req 1 := 1

Name := Ultratech Shield Generator I
Description := Generator which creates an energy field around a starship preventing damage.
Pic Num := 31
Tonnage Space Taken := 30
Tonnage Structure := 30
Cost Minerals := 1000
Cost Organics := 0
Cost Radioactives := 1000
Vehicle Type := Ship\Base\Sat\WeapPlat
Supply Amount Used := 0
Restrictions := None
General Group := Shields
Family := 11
Roman Numeral := 1
Custom Group := 0
Number of Tech Req := 2
Tech Area Req 1 := Shields
Tech Level Req 1 := 1
Tech Area Req 2 := Ultra-Tech Shields
Tech Level Req 2 := 1
Number of Abilities := 2
Ability 1 Type := Shield Generation
Ability 1 Descr := Generates 100 shield points.
Ability 1 Val 1 := 100
Ability 1 Val 2 := 0
Ability 1 Type := Shield Regeneration
Ability 1 Descr := Regenerates 50 shield points per turn.
Ability 1 Val 1 := 50
Ability 1 Val 2 := 0
Weapon Type := None

Name := Ultratech Phased Shield Generator I
Description := Generator which creates an energy field around a starship preventing damage.
Pic Num := 31
Tonnage Space Taken := 30
Tonnage Structure := 30
Cost Minerals := 1000
Cost Organics := 0
Cost Radioactives := 1000
Vehicle Type := Ship\Base\Sat\WeapPlat
Supply Amount Used := 0
Restrictions := None
General Group := Shields
Family := 11
Roman Numeral := 1
Custom Group := 0
Number of Tech Req := 2
Tech Area Req 1 := Shields
Tech Level Req 1 := 6
Tech Area Req 2 := Ultra-Tech Shields
Tech Level Req 2 := 1
Number of Abilities := 2
Ability 1 Type := Phased Shield Generation
Ability 1 Descr := Generates 100 shield points.
Ability 1 Val 1 := 100
Ability 1 Val 2 := 0
Ability 1 Type := Shield Regeneration
Ability 1 Descr := Regenerates 50 shield points per turn.
Ability 1 Val 1 := 50
Ability 1 Val 2 := 0
Weapon Type := None


.... and so on.

I think this works with the ideas about cloaking - add Massive Cloak tech, but the tech items require both the ruins tech AND regular cloaking tech.

I will be thinking soon about new ruins techs, with the goal of creating mega-rare crossover ultra-techs. (facilities and components which require 2 ruins techs to create...!) I certainly want to create ultra-tech which helps counter or replicate racial unique abilities... more ideas liek the super-cloak, which only have any function when used in conjucntion with regular tech.. and more.

UNTESTED : Haven't tried transferring the ultratechs to another race : logically they would not be able to understand them though.

[Suicide Junkie]

Actually, since the ultra-tech area in not a racial or ruins tech, and since it has a runis tech prerequisite;
Other races will be able to trade/steal it, but not research it.

[Nitram Draw]

The ruins are a good way to get a lot of new techs into the game without adding racial traits or modding the whole tech tree.
The question is how to get the AI to use them all. They would have to find each level to advance them unless the tech could show up as an addition to an existing tech tree. Would it work this way, Ultra shields are part of the shield tech tree but unavailable for use until the tech is discovered on a ruin? If so then a tremendous amount of techs can be added that the AI would use automatically.

[Mark Walton]

How I see it working, the AI can be scripted to research the various Ultra-Techs at the earliest point the scripter wants them to start. Then, at any point if they get the ruins tech, they would start researching the resulting ultra-tech.

If they CAN be traded, then I would make the first level of Ultra-Tech just be equivalent to the basic ruins tech. Perhaps, even, remove any items from the ruins tech - you can't build massive planetary shields by getting that tech, all it does is lets you research the ultra-tech tree! This means, quite elaborate ruins items can be added in safety, because ruins tech itself adds nothing to the race. Only if they research the clues they find, can they develop any technology.

[Nitram Draw]

My thinking was if a tech could be added as a part of the tree, in this case shields, but keep the component/facility from being available until the ruins tech was found. Then the AI would automaically use it if it found the tech, no reprogramming would be needed. I think the AI looks at abilities and families when building, not the actual names or descriptions of the items.
If this is actually how it works then any number of new techs could be added and then some ruins techs would finally be worth using. Judging from the responses in this thread the current ones are duds.

Another thought, can a racial tech also be a ruins tech? That might be cool.

[This message has been edited by Nitram Draw (edited 12 June 2001).]

[Mark Walton]

Yeah that should work, make an item with an extra tech requirement.

I tried making a tech both racial and unique, I didn't do an exhaustive test but colonized dozens of ruins - never once got the special tech, often got *nothing* and no message - I presumed this was me finding the racial/ruin stuff and not being allowed to get it.