Rethink research

from Stardock Forums
I posted this once, but I'm not sure if it was read and deleted or just wasn't uploaded etc.

I applaud your game. You have succeded in coming up with an original game, that is familiar enough to play out of the box, and unique enough to be replayable.

Now, why not apply that same inginuity to the research aspect of the game. Why not make a base stock of research, and some others random, ie: you will have better shield in this game etc.

It adds replayability, and to be honest the set research system is unrealistic.
In reality sometimes things don't work out, research has dead ends etc. The standard research tree aspect of strategy game is boring and so old it isn't funny.

Think about it, its up to you.

One last piece of advice. So far things look good, but take the extra time and make a memorable game people will be talking about and playing for a decade, don't fall into the trap of rushing something out there.

Take care
Karok
4,110 views 8 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top
In a multiplayer game this would not work, it would be unbalanced.
Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top
also, they said they were adding quite a bit to the techtree
Ashes of the Singularity II
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top
Now, why not apply that same inginuity to the research aspect of the game. Why not make a base stock of research, and some others random, ie: you will have better shield in this game etc.


Thanks Karok! Replayability is very important to us.
We discussed the possibility of a 'experimental research' topic at the top of the tree.
Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top
They did this in Sword of the Stars.


Want my advice? DON'T. It was a game-breaker in that game, especially as things were randomized and uncompensated.

IE: I could start off down the line towards phasers, bypassing Green lasers only to get roadblocked after UV lasers, with no further upgrade. Then I go down missiles, only to find I get crap for missiles.

You'd think that after that, I'd be all but garunteed to get good mass drivers, right? Wrong!


Seriously, it sucks to get half-way into a game, realize the tech tree has utterly boned you, and have to start over. I eventually wound up just editing the game files so I had a 100% chance of getting everything I wanted available.
Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top
Perhaps having a "research failed" would be a good compromise. Say as we climb up a tech tree the odds of promising tec not paying off increases. Research hits a dead-end, so you try again. This would add a bit of a difficulty level to planning as "it will take me 5 min to get my fleet to the other side and when they get there they will have the new weapon systems to kick some butt" that now becomes. "I hope"

IMO the ships should not auto upgrade weapons, they should be made to return to an area with a shipyard to be "retro fitted" and that should have a cost and a modest time frame per ship. (it also halts production from that yard while ships are being upgraded!)This could be used as a combination; some things need to be retro fitted while others can be upgraded on the fly.

But all upgrades should have some cost and time factor, say 10 sec upgrade time and $5 cost per ship.
Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top
I think research should be more indirect. Instead of selecting exactly which new gizmos you'd like, you should only get to choose on which areas of the tech tree your funds are focused.
So say your fleet is doing battle and gets shot up pretty badly. You thus figure: "Gee, I need some bigger guns on them battleships!" You pick weapon upgrades from the research bar and after a while your science guys humbly present the new fast-tracking turrets they came up with. You'd rather have some bigger barrels, but faster-tracking turrets will increase your ships accuracy and thus improve your fleets damage output.
You got the result you wanted, but just didn't get to choose, "I want heavy railguns in 2:15mins.", like in traditionell tech trees. So much more realistic!

Plus you might also influence what kind of techs your people come up with by carefully choosing which scientific areas you explore before. For example if you're researching drive systems then your knowledge of fusion reactors will likely give you fusion drives.
However if you're already smart with quantum singularities and what not, then a few bucks poured into drive research might easily produce slipstream capability or something. Just examples. I haven't played the program yet, so I don't know what techs ar in it. But you catch my drift...
Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top
I wish research times would be increased, as it is now , they all seem to take the same amount of time, give or take a minute.
Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top
Also, you can line up ship production orders, even when the necessary technology is still being researched.

why not technologies?

i want to be able to click somewhere in the tech tree and have the research start automatically as soon as the resources are available. if intermediate technologies are required to lead up to where i clicked, they should then automatically be researched as needed.

as it stands, i have to "earmark" funds for research, that then aren't used for minutes because something else is currently being researched. those are funds that i could use to build a fleet instead!

also, i constantly have to come back to the tech tree early in the game, when my resources are limited.