Another kind of tech grid

Ed Kolis · #1 February 14th, 2003, 06:36 PM

I'm thinking in terms of weapons here, but I suppose this could be applied to other techs as well... what if you could make any type of weapon (beam, projectile, missile, etc.) out of any type of underlying physics (ion, fusion, antimatter, etc.)? So you research the theoretical tech area "Polaron Physics", and if you have the applied area "Shields" you get Phased Shields; if you have Beam Weapons you get Phased-Polaron Beams, if you have Explosive Warheads you get Polaron Saturation Charge (might be useless - do warheads automatically penetrate shields?), if you have Missiles you get Phased Energy Missiles, etc. Each type of weapon would have its own advantages and disadvantages, and so would each physics type, much as in regular SE4, the difference being that you can now mix and match them as you see fit, instead of polaron weapons always being beams and such.

dogscoff · #2 February 14th, 2003, 06:52 PM

Would be quite cool- you could throw engines into the mix as well, so you might specialise in gravity to get cool gravity engines, but have to put up with sucky gravity guns...

Could make the organic and Crystalline traits interesting...

Suicide Junkie · #3 February 14th, 2003, 07:14 PM

Well, P&N has had the polaron (phased energy) part of that for quite some time.

I agree that itis a very good idea.
You may have to increase the number of tech levels for each area, and reduce the cost of each level, so that capture and anaylsis dosen't become too powerful...

Ed Kolis · #4 February 14th, 2003, 08:19 PM

Yep, engines too... just couldn't think of any sort of "polaron engine"

I was also thinking, with some of the stuff like nuclear, fusion, ion, antimatter, etc. reactions, perhaps there should be a tech area for uncontrolled reactions and a tech area for controlled reactions that requires the maximum level of the uncontrolled reactions tech; the uncontrolled reactions would provide bombs and missiles (and maybe Orion drives), while the controlled reactions would provide beams, reactors, and engines... after all, we do have the tech to build fusion missiles (do we actually have any or are they all regular fission warheads anyway?) but not fusion reactors yet since that requires a controlled reaction...

capnq · #5 February 14th, 2003, 08:34 PM

Quote:

we do have the tech to build fusion missiles (do we actually have any or are they all regular fission warheads anyway?)

We have them, but the warheads have to be replaced every three years (IIRC), because the tritium decays.

Suicide Junkie · #6 February 14th, 2003, 11:46 PM

I imagine the tech area would be a smooth progression from "completely uncontrolled" to "extremely fine control", rather than two separate areas.
I suppose you could refine the weapons side and tech side into separate grid tech areas as well though. (for accuracy, damage, range, cost, etc)

So you'd get wild weapons at first, later, you'd have better weapon stats, and some very basic non-weapons, then later, you'd have advanced weapons (shaped charges, etc) and standard tech, then at the top, you'd get advanced non-weapons tech.

[ February 14, 2003, 21:48: Message edited by: Suicide Junkie ]

couslee · #7 February 15th, 2003, 12:01 AM

Sounds cool. but wouldn't that also require a but-load of picture files? Being able to make so many different weapon mixes would require a seperate bitmap. Lot of work there to do that. in my noob opinion.

Graeme Dice · #8 February 15th, 2003, 02:34 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Suicide Junkie:
I imagine the tech area would be a smooth progression from "completely uncontrolled" to "extremely fine control", rather than two separate areas.

For what it's worth, we had controlled atomic chain reactions long before we had uncontrolled ones. The reactor built under the stadium n Chicago was part of the initial phases of the Manhatten Project.

Phoenix-D · #9 February 15th, 2003, 02:37 AM

"For what it's worth, we had controlled atomic chain reactions long before we had uncontrolled ones. The reactor built under the stadium n Chicago was part of the initial phases of the Manhatten Project."

On the other hand, we've had the exact opposite situation with fusion for some time now.

Phoenix-D

Suicide Junkie · #10 February 15th, 2003, 03:34 AM

True. There should be some variation between techs anyways. Perhaps a second and third (or more) tech areas such as "XYZ weapon applications" and "XYZ peaceful/civilian/productive applications" ?

Quote:

Sounds cool. but wouldn't that also require a but-load of picture files? Being able to make so many different weapon mixes would require a seperate bitmap. Lot of work there to do that. in my noob opinion.

I don't see why. The DUCs in game all use the same picture, and have a wide variety of damage and range. Same thing here.