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Dev Log, 5 October (tech tree outline)

#1
Josh, your description of the developing tech tree sounds like you're getting a real handle on moving concept to reality. I don't know if you've ever played Sword of the Stars but I love the way they handled the tech tree. Every one gets all the basic tech but as you progress up the tree your chance of getting more advanced tech is based on your race. Each race has different chances of progressing in each field. When you finally fail your "roll" in each particular field your progress in that field stops. All this is generated at the start of the game. However, if you have a repair ship in a fleet that wins a battle, you can discover unsearchable tech if the defeated enemy has some in their fleet. This unlocks a special research section and if successfully researched, you can gain access to tech you wouldn't otherwise have. Here is the tech tree updated to the final version of SotS: http://sots.rorschach.net/File:SotS_ANY_TechTree.png
Cowards die many times before their deaths, the valiant never taste of death but once. Of all the wonders that I have seen, it seem to me most strange, that men should fear, seeing that death, a necessary end, will come when it will come.
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Re: Dev Log, 5 October

#2
Gunther Haldan wrote:Josh, your description of the developing tech tree sounds like you're getting a real handle on moving concept to reality. I don't know if you've ever played Sword of the Stars but I love the way they handled the tech tree. Every one gets all the basic tech but as you progress up the tree your chance of getting more advanced tech is based on your race. Each race has different chances of progressing in each field. When you finally fail your "roll" in each particular field your progress in that field stops. All this is generated at the start of the game. However, if you have a repair ship in a fleet that wins a battle, you can discover unsearchable tech if the defeated enemy has some in their fleet. This unlocks a special research section and if successfully researched, you can gain access to tech you wouldn't otherwise have. Here is the tech tree updated to the final version of SotS: http://sots.rorschach.net/File:SotS_ANY_TechTree.png
Wow, thanks for the link, that's a rather epic tech tree :shock: :shock: I'm sure I can learn from it.

I'm not so sure about the idea of different people having different biases for or against certain techs - I think there's already enough randomness in the system that it will produce the same effect. Research is not deterministic, there is no concept of how long it will take to unlock a technology, only how long it is "expected" to take, which means some people will end up having to research for much longer to obtain the same tech...so I think it ends up having the same effect as what you describe.

I do like the idea of different people starting out with different sets of basic tech, though. Naturally everyone will start out with the "root tech" (for now I've just called it "Engineering"). But maybe certain intellectual types will also get a few extra tech levels when they're born.

I also like the idea of "unsearchable tech," and I really like the idea of it coming from sources that you'll have to find throughout the universe.
“Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right.” ~ Henry Ford
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Re: Dev Log, 5 October

#3
In terms of skill trees that are crazy, I think some of Path of Exiles older variations are awesome:
http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/ ... 4kgzrv.jpg

They have changed them since that one, a simple google search will show you all the different ones. I personally liked the fact it was a circle stemming outwards instead of the usual linear lines. Maybe this is a good idea for the procedural side of things?? Start with the basics in the middle, and the spread outward as you research more and more.
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Re: Dev Log, 5 October

#4
I love the SOTS tech tree <insert complimentary shame on SOTS2 here>. Every new game gives you a randomized tech tree so no two games will let you progress up the tech tree the same way and if this could be implemented in LT, imagine all the different civilizations with all the different techs! Race A is known for their railgun tech while Race B is known for their missile tech...yes! :D
In Josh we trust.
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Re: Dev Log, 5 October

#5
Ateerix wrote:They have changed them since that one, a simple google search will show you all the different ones. I personally liked the fact it was a circle stemming outwards instead of the usual linear lines. Maybe this is a good idea for the procedural side of things?? Start with the basics in the middle, and the spread outward as you research more and more.
Sounds like Star Ruler. A 4x space game with lots of freedom and a similar concept tech tree.

Basically you start with a few techs in the middle of the grid (each tech has up to 6 connections in all directions around it).
As you research and increase the level of one tech you get the same points spent in "unlocking" another tech in a random direction, if you already have it you gain nothing.
You can spend extra research on unlocking more advanced techs earlier, but this is prohibitively expensive early in the game so it's often good to wait until you get them for free. For example cloaking/shields and so on by researching the related energy management, reactor and laser techs (IIRC was some time since I played it).

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