Alright.
And some of these I've made the components already, just haven't had a captive audience
Supply/Liquid Vents - pushes out a (literal) ton of water, uses considerable supplies (50 supplies) as you've just flushed your drinking water for the month. Reasonable sheilding, some regeneration, low ECM.
Decoy Missile - small PD device that mimicks the electronic signature of ships in the fleet (I wish it could be only the host ship, but that's not moddable). If successful the seeker/fighter chases after the decoy instead of the target ship. Uses direct fire PD weapon, either short range repulsor or short range warp hole to make it appear that the seeker/fighter has gone chasing after the decoy.
Biotechnology - a facility at which scientists do basic genetic manipulations to improve organic/farm output. I'd say by 25%, but with a negative side due to environmental degredation by rogue plants, animals, etc. (-1% to planetary organic rating/turn)
Cryogenics - an offshoot of biology too. I'd suggest decreasing the normal cargo space of a colony component by about 4 fold, then these would bring the cargo capacity of the colony component back up to 'normal' levels. I personaly like this one a lot, because it makes the early components very low tech. Should use supplies each turn, as you've got to keep people in the hybernetic state. I've made equivalent crew components too.
Miniaturization - a pre-requisite for small weapons, nanotechnology, robotics, etc. etc.
- I'd also suggest that robots be a pre-requisite for the advanced resource factories
Cybernetics - I was surprised that this was never in the SEIV universe! Ever since the Cloud City Bald-headed computer guy, I've thought that this would be a most excellent (and probably low tech vs. space travel) technology. I see this as a 0kT (one per ship) "Cybernet Crew" component that just represents that extra money was spent on outfitting the crew with cybernetic hardware. All sorts of minor bonuses could be accessable (esp combat bonuses).
Cloning - We can almost do this now! Okay, not like in SW episode II, but maybe that could be the next tech, Accelerated Cloning. Again, I'd suggest a a 0kT (one per ship) "clone crew" and/or "clone troop" component(s).
Blister Pack - very light external explosive charge that is supposed to blend in with the hull of the ship. When seekers/fighters zip by, it explodes into them, hopefully taking a few to an early grave. Because it's on the outside of the ship, I suggest that this would have the 'armor' ability, that it would be small (to blend in) and that it would only fire once during combat. Probably a range of 1, maybe 2 at the higher levels.
Well those are the ideas that I can remember, think I've got more written up at home. I also think it would feel more 'low tech' if the probability to hit of all weapons took a step or two down, maybe -10 or 20%. Just the idea that these low tech ships would be traveling through vast space, firing broadsides at eachother, just hoping for a hit (versus ST:NG, where they call the shot..."Hit 'em in the mess hall, Jordi, fifth table, second chair") makes it all a little more 'real' to me.
Cheers, and hope that some of this would be useful. Some of these I've already made into components if that would help
[ August 10, 2002, 01:57: Message edited by: jimbob ]