ReDesign Mod

[NullAshton]

Making a new mod! The name for it right now is the 'redesign' mod. It's going to change, and we may have a naming contest once I get a beta going http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

The research system is going to be comprised of a few central research techs, the theoretical sciences. Those will be general areas, such as quantum physics. Those will split off into applied sciences. Applied sciences when combined with advanced theoretical techs will create 'sub-techs', which will develop physical applications.

Going to add some other stuff too, such as weakened point defense, leaky armor and shields, worldships, and super weapons.

[Strategia_In_Ultima]

Branch out the theoretical tech starting points massively, so you can fully specialize yourself in using, say, highly advanced boarding combat where an Escort with marines could overcome a Dreadnought of standard lower-tech security stations. Also, I would like to see LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of theoretical starting points, so you can start your specialization in the beginning. Also, though I think you already got that, make the higher-lev theoreticals VERY expensive.

What I picture when I think about the finished version:

Branching tech trees that can keep you researching constantly for hundreds of game years.
Races that completely specialize themselves in certain tech areas and therefore attain unimaginably high levels in one field of research, but have excruciatingly low expertise with the other tech areas. You could specialize your race in, say, sniping, where you get to have strong, accurate, very-long-ranged weapons on relatively fast ships, and very strong CS, and many specialized Sniper Warship ship hulls, but your largest ship of the standard tech tree could only be a Destroyer.
Races that need to trade in order to survive. They have very advanced technology for, say, stellar manipulation, and can do things other races can only dream about, but they're expanding so slowly and their military is so weak that they rely on trading to make sure they don't get annihilated by a larger power - like, they need the protection of one large Empire, so they manipulate a lot in their favor, for which they receive in return military protection and the resources needed to keep their enormously expensive business going.
Racial tech areas that are even more powerful than all racial techs from the stock game combined. Genocidal Warriors could have extremely strong short-range weapons (we're talking 3-5k at a range of 6 or 7, max), virtually impenetrable armor and massive warships, but who do not get access to higher-level facilities for things like production, research, intel etc.

Please, do your best! I can't wait to see the finished version!

[Combat Wombat]

Whoa Ashton is making a mod! Just don't let it interfere with getting your Invasion! turns done.

[NullAshton]

The Legacy mod? That a good name?

[Captain Kwok]

Sounds something like Lord Kodos did - or was that Legacies?

[NullAshton]

I dunno.

[Strategia_In_Ultima]

Several possible names:

HyperMod
Specialization Mod
HighTech Mod

More to come.

[NullAshton]

Hyper Mod seems nice...

[Strategia_In_Ultima]

Thank you NA.

I was also thinking of something along the lines of "tech mod", but as there already is a tech TREE mod, I thought that would just bring up confusion.....

[NullAshton]

Its not just going to be tech http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Strategia_In_Ultima]

NA, when you get something preliminary, or if you have such a thing already, tell us what you have. If you have a playable beta, plz post it here! looking forward to playing it.

[NullAshton]

It's going good so far, I have the 5 basic research trees so far. Once the research is finished, I'll release a playable version. AI probally won't work though...

[Strategia_In_Ultima]

Forget about AI. If you're doing AI in a beta version, you're going to have to redo it at least once, and I've been told that that is a major PITA, so you can also just post a playable human-only beta version here

[NullAshton]

First version is just going to include the research tree http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Strategia_In_Ultima]

NA I know this is essentially a useless mention but since noone has replied yet I hope to get some attention from people on this thread aswell.....

http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=337975&page=0&view=collap sed&sb=5&o=&fpart=&vc=#Post337975

[NullAshton]

Please no advertising on this topic...

[Strategia_In_Ultima]

This is not advertising, and I didn't mean to hack your thread. I know this must sound strange to you as I apparently did, but I could have chosen any other thread in its stead.

[NullAshton]

IT LIVES AGAIN!

I copied most of the stuff over from stock. There's no racial techs any more... There's also 6 main techs, that you research alongside the normal techs.

[Strategia_In_Ultima]

How are you coming with development?

[NullAshton]

I just said how I was coming with development... I'm busy reordering tech areas and component tech requirements.

[Ron_Lugge]

I like the idea of this mod...

Too bad I'm doing something similar, and inevitably inferior http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

[wake_of_angels]

This is a good mod idea. Don't you think about really pitiful techs like stream energy machines, paysant's agriculture, and such???

[NullAshton]

Not really. I'm basing technology levels off of stock. Ion engines, anti-proton beams, the like. Racial technology, in my opinion, was too unbalanced. That's why I removed it. Probally going to replace it with more balanced components.

[NullAshton]

It is here! Very much in alpha right now though. Ignore the errors that pop up, I don't think they will harm the game.

[NullAshton]

Please tell me what you like/dislike about it so far, and what I could do to improve it.

[Strategia_In_Ultima]

Sorry, but I have to ask.....

Did you do anything outside the Tech Area file? (Please note I simply looked into the actual files, haven't played it yet)

And why do you use the stock dividers of Applied Science/Theoretical Science/Weapon Technology? Make Tech Types based on the theoretical starting techs, i.e. "Advanced Astrophysics", "Military Sciences", "Chemistry" and so on.

In Capship (here he goes again with his beloved Capship) I created many tech types, including "Capital Ship Research", "Xeno-Archaeology", "Engineering", "Ship Construction" (I split up the Ship Construction tech area into about six or so projects), "Advanced Paraphysics" and so on. It gives the research screen a more orderly look in my eyes.

[NullAshton]

Too much work for the alpha. I may do it at one time, just not now. I fiddled a bit with a few of the components, and removed racial tech. You'll also notice that crystalline restructuring plants can now be used by anyone http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif