Technological arms races

[Jourin]

I did not raise the cloaking level, but added a additional tech requirements. Cloaking 1 is now not available until Physics 4. I also added a propulsion requirement to provide the necessary power to cloak. Each Cloaking Level also has higher Physics and Propulsion requirements. For Sensors I just added Physics at 1 level higher than the Cloaking level.

I also did the same with some other components I thought were very powerful and too easy to get.

Name := Cloaking Device I
Description := Field generated around a starship which passes all energy around the ship. This field has the effect of rendering the ship invisible.
Pic Num := 38
Tonnage Space Taken := 40
Tonnage Structure := 40
Cost Minerals := 1000
Cost Organics := 0
Cost Radioactives := 500
Vehicle Type := Ship\Base\Sat
Supply Amount Used := 100
Restrictions := None
General Group := Shields
Family := 26
Roman Numeral := 1
Custom Group := 0
Number of Tech Req := 2
Tech Area Req 1 := Cloaking
Tech Level Req 1 := 1
Tech Area Req 2 := Propulsion
Tech Level Req 2 := 4
Number of Abilities := 5
Ability 1 Type := Cloak Level
Ability 1 Descr := Prevents level 1 Active EM scans.
Ability 1 Val 1 := EM Active
Ability 1 Val 2 := 2
Ability 2 Type := Cloak Level
Ability 2 Descr := Prevents level 1 Passive EM scans.
Ability 2 Val 1 := EM Passive
Ability 2 Val 2 := 2
Ability 3 Type := Cloak Level
Ability 3 Descr := Prevents level 1 Psychic scans.
Ability 3 Val 1 := Psychic
Ability 3 Val 2 := 2
Ability 4 Type := Cloak Level
Ability 4 Descr := Prevents level 1 Gravitic scans.
Ability 4 Val 1 := Gravitic
Ability 4 Val 2 := 2
Ability 5 Type := Cloak Level
Ability 5 Descr := Prevents level 1 Temporal scans.
Ability 5 Val 1 := Temporal
Ability 5 Val 2 := 2
Weapon Type := None

Name := Cloaking Device II
Description := Field generated around a starship which passes all energy around the ship. This field has the effect of rendering the ship invisible.
Pic Num := 38
Tonnage Space Taken := 40
Tonnage Structure := 40
Cost Minerals := 1500
Cost Organics := 0
Cost Radioactives := 600
Vehicle Type := Ship\Base\Sat
Supply Amount Used := 100
Restrictions := None
General Group := Shields
Family := 26
Roman Numeral := 2
Custom Group := 0
Number of Tech Req := 3
Tech Area Req 1 := Cloaking
Tech Level Req 1 := 2
Tech Area Req 2 := Propulsion
Tech Level Req 2 := 6
Tech Area Req 3 := Physics
Tech Level Req 3 := 5
Number of Abilities := 5
Ability 1 Type := Cloak Level
Ability 1 Descr := Prevents level 2 Active EM scans.
Ability 1 Val 1 := EM Active
Ability 1 Val 2 := 3
Ability 2 Type := Cloak Level
Ability 2 Descr := Prevents level 2 Passive EM scans.
Ability 2 Val 1 := EM Passive
Ability 2 Val 2 := 3
Ability 3 Type := Cloak Level
Ability 3 Descr := Prevents level 2 Psychic scans.
Ability 3 Val 1 := Psychic
Ability 3 Val 2 := 3
Ability 4 Type := Cloak Level
Ability 4 Descr := Prevents level 2 Gravitic scans.
Ability 4 Val 1 := Gravitic
Ability 4 Val 2 := 3
Ability 5 Type := Cloak Level
Ability 5 Descr := Prevents level 2 Temporal scans.
Ability 5 Val 1 := Temporal
Ability 5 Val 2 := 3
Weapon Type := None

Name := Cloaking Device III
Description := Field generated around a starship which passes all energy around the ship. This field has the effect of rendering the ship invisible.
Pic Num := 38
Tonnage Space Taken := 40
Tonnage Structure := 40
Cost Minerals := 2000
Cost Organics := 0
Cost Radioactives := 700
Vehicle Type := Ship\Base\Sat
Supply Amount Used := 100
Restrictions := None
General Group := Shields
Family := 26
Roman Numeral := 3
Custom Group := 0
Number of Tech Req := 3
Tech Area Req 1 := Cloaking
Tech Level Req 1 := 3
Tech Area Req 2 := Propulsion
Tech Level Req 2 := 8
Tech Area Req 3 := Physics
Tech Level Req 3 := 6
Number of Abilities := 5
Ability 1 Type := Cloak Level
Ability 1 Descr := Prevents level 3 Active EM scans.
Ability 1 Val 1 := EM Active
Ability 1 Val 2 := 4
Ability 2 Type := Cloak Level
Ability 2 Descr := Prevents level 3 Passive EM scans.
Ability 2 Val 1 := EM Passive
Ability 2 Val 2 := 4
Ability 3 Type := Cloak Level
Ability 3 Descr := Prevents level 3 Psychic scans.
Ability 3 Val 1 := Psychic
Ability 3 Val 2 := 4
Ability 4 Type := Cloak Level
Ability 4 Descr := Prevents level 3 Gravitic scans.
Ability 4 Val 1 := Gravitic
Ability 4 Val 2 := 4
Ability 5 Type := Cloak Level
Ability 5 Descr := Prevents level 3 Temporal scans.
Ability 5 Val 1 := Temporal
Ability 5 Val 2 := 4
Weapon Type := None

Name := Tachyon Sensors I
Description := Modulating tachyon sensor grid which can detect cloaked ships in a system.
Pic Num := 39
Tonnage Space Taken := 40
Tonnage Structure := 40
Cost Minerals := 1500
Cost Organics := 0
Cost Radioactives := 500
Vehicle Type := Ship\Base\Sat
Supply Amount Used := 0
Restrictions := None
General Group := Sensors
Family := 27
Roman Numeral := 1
Custom Group := 0
Number of Tech Req := 2
Tech Area Req 1 := Sensors
Tech Level Req 1 := 4
Tech Area Req 2 := Physics
Tech Level Req 2 := 6
Number of Abilities := 1
Ability 1 Type := Sensor Level
Ability 1 Descr := Allows EM Active scanning at level 2.
Ability 1 Val 1 := EM Active
Ability 1 Val 2 := 2
Weapon Type := None

Name := Tachyon Sensors II
Description := Modulating tachyon sensor grid which can detect cloaked ships in a system.
Pic Num := 39
Tonnage Space Taken := 40
Tonnage Structure := 40
Cost Minerals := 2000
Cost Organics := 0
Cost Radioactives := 800
Vehicle Type := Ship\Base\Sat
Supply Amount Used := 0
Restrictions := None
General Group := Sensors
Family := 27
Roman Numeral := 2
Custom Group := 0
Number of Tech Req := 2
Tech Area Req 1 := Sensors
Tech Level Req 1 := 5
Tech Area Req 2 := Physics
Tech Level Req 2 := 7
Number of Abilities := 1
Ability 1 Type := Sensor Level
Ability 1 Descr := Allows EM Active scanning at level 3.
Ability 1 Val 1 := EM Active
Ability 1 Val 2 := 3
Weapon Type := None

Name := Tachyon Sensors III
Description := Modulating tachyon sensor grid which can detect cloaked ships in a system.
Pic Num := 39
Tonnage Space Taken := 40
Tonnage Structure := 40
Cost Minerals := 2500
Cost Organics := 0
Cost Radioactives := 1100
Vehicle Type := Ship\Base\Sat
Supply Amount Used := 0
Restrictions := None
General Group := Sensors
Family := 27
Roman Numeral := 3
Custom Group := 0
Number of Tech Req := 2
Tech Area Req 1 := Sensors
Tech Level Req 1 := 6
Tech Area Req 2 := Physics
Tech Level Req 2 := 8
Number of Abilities := 1
Ability 1 Type := Sensor Level
Ability 1 Descr := Allows EM Active scanning at level 4.
Ability 1 Val 1 := EM Active
Ability 1 Val 2 := 4
Weapon Type := None

[Suicide Junkie]

The point here was not to nessesarily make the techs harder to reach, but to create a one-upmanship cycle.

Ha! Cloaked ships
HA Ha! tachyon sensors!
oh, yeah, i got level 4 now!
no prob, i'll just get level six
too late, I'm at ten!

specific scanner-blocking cloaks would be good, so we could split it up so that you have to research the techs individually, but each one area will give you general cloaking against all, but of a lower level.

Ie. research active-cloak V, get active cloaking lev 5 & general cloak lev 3

[AJC]

I agree Suicide_Junkie- More levels of cloak and sensors are needed. Right now cloaking becomes obsolete rather early in the game once all the sensors have been researched.

[Aussie Gamer]

I think that just increasing the number of levels for both is the best way to go.

The more tech to get the better, really makes the game more fun.

Increasing the tech points required for the lower end stuff will just unbalance the game I feel.

[Marty Ward]

Not only increasing the number of techs but also the possible combinations of cloaking/sensors. If you had a cloaking device for each type of sensor you would have what, 5X5 combos? Now any level 1 sensor reveals level 1 cloak.
I like more combinations. That way I have to ask myself did I research the right thing?

[mottlee]

Cool Ideas..a lot like life My hat's off to those of you that can and do hack into this it makes it a lot more enjoyable!
Mott

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mottlee@gte.net

[Aussie Gamer]

It's not hard to alter the game, as most of it is in a text file.

The game tells you if you stuffed a file up as it is loading, so it is pretty easy to change components, facilities and data like that.