Technology Research Suggestions

[SunDevil]

I am putting together a new tech list for races to research. It will have all the old techs plus some more realistic technology paths. If anyone has suggestions to add please feel free as well adding what facilities/weapons/component would come from the research of that particular tech. Thanks.

[PvK]

Break up the stellar manipulations to the ends of different branches.

[Nitram Draw]

How about providing two extra branches for some of the lesser used beam weapons and DUC's. One branch does extra damage but has an accuracy penalty and one has a large range increase and an accuracy bonus. This might give some variety to the design/strategies employed.

[Deathstalker]

Definitly more DUC's, how about 'mass drivers', 'gauss cannons' and my personal invention the 'Asteroid Sling'(uses a tractor beam/projectile tech qualification, should be 3 or 4 turn reload, uses tractor beams to hurl an asteroid at a ship, horribly innaccurate, but Massive damage!)..

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"The Empress took your name away," said Chance.
Owen smiled coldly. "It wasn't hers to take. I'm a Deathstalker until I die. And we never forget a slight or an enemy." -Owen Deathstalker.

[DirectorTsaarx]

Hmmm... "Asteroid Sling"... is that anything like "Butt in a Sling"? Or maybe a "Highland Fling"? Or even "Static Cling"?

[Suicide Junkie]

Naturally, extend all tech levels so the end of research dosen't hit so soon.

-Modify engines so speed is based on thrust/mass. (engines per move is proportional to mass)

-Swap around shield techs, so they have a smoother improvement as techs rise
-Alternate normal shields and phased, with phased being the same(or slightly weaker) strength but one tech higher.
-Have regenerators require shield tech plus some sort of shield support tech. (definitely fix the SR 5, since it is worse in every way than an SR4)

-Improve armor so its useful.
-Either lower the cost, improve the hitpoints, reduce size, or a combination of the above, so that they are an alternative to shields (make them equal, but different, so they're better in some situations, but worse in others. Encouraging the use of BOTH armor and shields on the same ship is best)

-Add crossover techs: combination of racial techs gets new components, could apply to standard techs too (ie. WMG + APB = Antiproton wave cannon)

-Spread out resource costs so they're not ALL minerals

-Add Heavy missiles/ Mini missiles, multiple PD options.

-Add more weapons that use the more interesting damage types. (Quad to shields missile, Phased missile, Null-space ramming warhead )
-Mines should have LOTS of warhead damage types.

-Price vs durability mounts for non-weapon components.
-Size vs price/durability for non weapons

[Wolverine]

All the suggestions in the previous email are excellent, however some require hard code changes and can't just be done from the research tree files.

One thing that struck me was how cool it would be to have mines that have shield and engine damaging components. That way you could have a minefield and a Capture ship just waiting for enemies with new tech

[Bluecher]

... delurking ...

Aint it possible to modularize the different new techareas ?

In that way that anyone can submit a techarea to you and you pack them all ?

Though I´ve never modded anything, I´m willing to try this - make a techarea and than send it to you, if it works.

[Suicide Junkie]

quote:

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All the suggestions in the previous email are excellent, however some require hard code changes and can't just be done from the research tree files.

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If you happen to be referring to my post, they are all completely possible... in fact most of them I have already implemented in P&N
The ones that are not, are quite easy, and I've already done them, just not in P&N.

The ones that are not in P&N are:
-Size vs price/durability for non weapons
-Mines should have LOTS of warhead damage types.
-Modify engines so speed is based on thrust/mass. (engines per move is proportional to mass)
The first two are obvious, and minor variations on things I've done, while the Thrust/Mass thing is easy too.

ShipSize.txt:
-Modify engines per move to be proportional to mass.
-To prevent overflows, use 2% of the hull mass as the "engines per move" setting.

Components.txt
-Edit all engines to provide 4 to 6 standard movement. Leave bonus movement alone.
-Optionally create larger, heavier engines for larger ships, so you don't have to put 40 engines on a DN (just four 100kT massive engines).

With these settings, your escort (150kT, 3 EPM) with 6 ion engines (10kT, 4 MP) gets 8 movement, while a DS (300kT, 6 EPM) which is twice as heavy moves 4.
A DN (1000kT, 20 EPM) requires five ion engines to get 1 movement point.

quote:

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Aint it possible to modularize the different new techareas ?
In that way that anyone can submit a techarea to you and you pack them all ?

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Totally fine, the only problem is keeping the components balanced with other submissions, but that's the job of the guy putting it together

[This message has been edited by suicide_junkie (edited 07 June 2001).]

[Wolverine]

We're not worthy. We're not worthy

Seriously though. Thrust to mass ratio was the one I thought needed hard coding. Your solution sounds excellent. I hope the other modders consider implementing it because it would add a far greater level of reality to the game.