[C4:AC] Revised tech tree discussion

[TimeTraveler]

Alrighty. After tending to a number of things, I have a few more comments to some of Blake's replies. The document with everything we wrote is here.

[Rubin]

TimeTraveler, please check your PMs.

The document is indeed very inspiring. My only concern is the current bias against the SMACX technology additions. I fail to see the rationale behind this.

Perhaps apply build, conquer, explore and discover values to the technologies; that could be useful when trying to set up clear branches.

Edit: Oh, I forgot to mention that some of the technologies clearly account for philosophical progress (or discoveries).

[TimeTraveler]

Originally posted by Rubin
TimeTraveler, please check your PMs.

The document is indeed very inspiring. My only concern is the current bias against the SMACX technology additions. I fail to see the rationale behind this.

Perhaps apply build, conquer, explore and discover values to the technologies; that could be useful when trying to set up clear branches.

Edit: Oh, I forgot to mention that some of the technologies clearly account for philosophical progress (or discoveries).

Now there's something that doesn't happen every... um... year. ^^; And thanks. ^^

I'm not sure what to say about the Adaptive and Progenitor-related techs... Although I couldn't help but notice early on that the earliest non-military application I've seen from Field Modulation has been through Secrets of the Manifolds, drastically later in the tech tree. I'm not sure how or if other players responded to this, but for me it was enough to avoid researching into that branch unless I already had Secrets of Alpha Centauri. Or at the very least Centauri Psi and a huge need for the applications of Sentient Resonance.

With the technology branches, I generally think of advances leading to each other in rapid sequence, or a string of advances that merely lead to each other. Instead of the priorities taken by AI and players using blind research. And when I do look at priorities, I look at all four priorities in relation to each tech, as opposed to whichever one came in first place and managed to determine the color of the tech.

Of course, I would be interested in taking a look at the branches of the tree and its evaluations. I'm not sure when I'll have that ready, though.

[Rubin]

I think the basic guidelines for the technology branches are:

Build: Infrastructure.
Measures to protect/defend the infrastructure.

Comment: Early mines make sense for building infrastructure. High ecodamage.

Discover: Technology and energy.
Measures to maximize energy output and energy conversion.

Comment: Early solar collectors. High ecodamage.

Explore: Expansion/growth and mobility/reconnaissance.
Scout the enemy, adapt and take advantage of superior numbers.

Comment: Farms (growth) make the initial terraform option. Nutrient requirements should later be dealt with by fungal resources or forests. This allows for a balanced low ecodamage infrastructure (clean industry). Military applications are centered on psi warfare, native lifeforms and mobility/reconnaissance. The "Centauri" technologies could mark the key discoveries.

I'd like for the "Progenitor" technologies to go here too. These offer a hybrid approach on both military and infrastructure. I think the applications should be less expensive than the default SMACX costs, offer minor specialized military applications but otherwise be balanced low.

This would become the closest resemblance to an ICS paradigm with an added bonus of abundant defensive terrain measures (primarily fungus and forests) to at least slow the advance of an invading enemy.

Conquer: Military applications.
Offensive.

Comment: I would suggest the initial terraforming options to be somewhat resource specific. For example enabling a basic "camp improvement" that can only be applied to abundant resource tiles, offering a low balanced output to sustain an early momentum strategy.

The conquer branch is less attractive in itself and must be combined with either build or discover technologies to make any long-term strategic sense.

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This would leave us with clean industry vs. heavy industry. A hybrid explore branch and a supplementary conquer branch.