Tech Tree with descriptions?

Echo Mirage · #1 December 12th, 2002, 09:47 PM

Why isn't there a tech tree anywhere with descriptions (and icons) of the technologies in this game?

For a new player (such as myself) the sheer number of technologies is astounding and very demanding.

Space Empires IV has the small reserach/technology display but it provides no description of the technologies nor does it outline the advanced Versions of resreahced techs.

Has anyone found any such resource? I have viewed the text document someone on this forum put together, but it's only the technology tiles, no description!

I have also downloaded and ran a java-based viewer which unfortunately wouldn't run on my rig.

I'd greatly appreciate any help or assistance!

Captain Kwok · #2 December 12th, 2002, 09:51 PM

There is a lot of tech tree stuff around, I just can't remember where.

However, you might just want to play the game and discover things for yourself. It makes it more interesting and makes the choices harder!

Wanderer · #3 December 12th, 2002, 10:09 PM

Heh. If my mod ever gets finished it'll have a sumptious manual (web-based probably) explaining everything. But then it's not scheduled for completion until 2009...

If you start a game with all the technology available (part of the Player Settings tab) you can click Help (somehwere in the top-left set of buttons) in-game and have a look. It's a bit of a spoiler and there aren't any long descriptions of what everything does and how. Some would say that's the fun of the game - there's always something you don't know/fully understand about the game.

As with all games, it's part of the learning curve to learn what's good to research and what isn't.

Echo Mirage · #4 December 12th, 2002, 10:11 PM

I'm very spartan and hate "guessing" at things, it drives my wife crazy, always planning trips ahead of time, reviewing logistics, tuning up the car before a road trip and typically reading the manual before plugging in my new DVD player/Television/whatever.

I guess I am SOL, eh?

[ December 12, 2002, 20:11: Message edited by: Echo Mirage ]

Arkcon · #5 December 12th, 2002, 10:16 PM

Many people feel it's part of the fun to guess at what components are good for each tactic.

A suggestion -- research what's cheapest, it will be done quicker and you'll learn what you like and what you don't.

Phoenix-D · #6 December 12th, 2002, 10:23 PM

I was considering putting together a "Space Empires TRO" (technical readout) at one point.

Basiclly the idea is you click whatever you want to research, and it tells you what you get, what it does, and what you can get from that. One page would be a very large tech tree diagram.

Would there be any interest in that? I let the idea die because I wasn't sure anyone wanted it, and it would be a fair amount of work. Especially since I was going to provide "fluff" for each entry- my idea on how it works. Totally useless but mildly entertaining.

Phoenix-D

Echo Mirage · #7 December 12th, 2002, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Arkcon:
Many people feel it's part of the fun to guess at what components are good for each tactic.

A suggestion -- research what's cheapest, it will be done quicker and you'll learn what you like and what you don't.

Ah man, ah'right then have it your way ...

Phoenix your idea has promise! Perhaps the marketability and audience for this game would expand if the game mechanics were more visible?

[ December 12, 2002, 20:25: Message edited by: Echo Mirage ]

capnq · #8 December 12th, 2002, 10:29 PM

The file TechArea.txt in the Data folder has a bare-bones description of what each technology does. Components.txt and Facility.txt include the text descriptions and the tech area requirements for each item.

I don't know whether anybody has done a viewer that combines the raw info in those three files into one readable format.

Ruatha · #9 December 12th, 2002, 11:11 PM

I made HTML files once with the info from the Facilty.txt Components.txt and inserted the pictures to all.
It was quite easy, I used a macro that replace the picture number with a html tag for the picture.
I then asked if it was of interest to anyone here at the forum and got a massive NO!
As the info could be found in the txt files and the SE4 Modder was better anyway.
So now I use the SE4 Modder too to watch the tech tree and facilitys and components.

You can find a link to the SE4 modder in the SE4 FAQ (se link in my signature) at the Interesting reading paragraph.

Dobian · #10 December 12th, 2002, 11:13 PM

I like Phoenix's idea too. I'm almost done with my first full game, and know at least part of the tech tree reasonably well now, but a reference would be nice. Whenever I go back to other games I haven't played in awhile, I always find myself having to learn the tech tree all over again.