General > Discussion
Forking tech trees - some ideas
Hertzila:
--- Quote from: DiDiT on April 19, 2010, 04:22:44 pm ---The Drop-ship seems like too much hassle but the big question is, what would the hacker/super computer tech specialist do? locate a alien base? Boost you tech? Be hire-able as a soldier or scientific?
--- End quote ---
I'd expect better implementation of reverse-engineered alien computer tech, better ECM and targeting algorithms and other software upgrades and such. Also if aliens do need electromagnetic radiation for communication between ships and bases, he could provide an interception and decrypting functionality. Locating alien bases could be a natural result of intercepting (enough) communications. This could also be tied to figuring out their language in cooperation between his team and Connors bioteam.
--- Quote from: DiDiT on April 19, 2010, 04:22:44 pm ---with a purpose, it all seems like a waste of codeing time to me. :-\
--- End quote ---
I agree that his function could be done by Navarre but in case he is made and implemented (that sounded very weird) I wanted to drop my €0.02 here.
Silversnow:
--- Quote from: BTAxis on April 19, 2010, 10:56:10 am ---I'm not completely sure, but I *think* there is some support for it.
--- End quote ---
Well, if there is a way to use tech requirements to have mutually explusive techs, it "can" be interesting to give the player the option between two strategies. For instance, we could delve into psionics (distract, panic, illusions) OR bio implants (strength, armor, regeneration), but setting our soldiers on one path would exclude the other.
It can be an interesting story element, but I think that the most important question is: Will it make the game more interesting?
And the second most important question is: Is this delaying of the next release be worth it?
Of course the most important answer of all is 42... ;D
BTAxis:
I don't think it would be an interesting story element at all, actually. Also, note that the next release will have neither implants nor psionics.
Echo:
Thanks for all your feedback!
Personally I find the advantage of having forking tech trees to be expressed wonderfully by these two words: Replay Value. If you can't do everything each time you play, it will give you more incentive to come back and try very different strategies - more so if this opens up the possibility of playing online against other players' highly specialized teams, all different in respect to their abilities. I respect that this being an open-source project, that new tech is hard enough to implement (due to lack of artists/programmers/dedicated teams), making extra tech trees impractical, but I believe that these ideas represent worthwhile and interesting possibilities.
Aside from that, Hertzlia said something that makes me think:
--- Quote from: Hertzila on April 19, 2010, 04:11:46 pm ---2. Again, the fork idea has to go IMO, but I kinda like the idea that you could suddenly be contacted by a hacker who wants to work for you. But I'd change the introduction: At first the Navarre reports his (online, no secret base has every computer connected to net) computer behaving erratically and not always responding to commands. He shuts the computer and reports a possible breach in security (internal note could be sent to everybody, not just commander). Few minutes later, a hacker sends an email to you, expressing that he/she (referred as he from now on) wants to work for you and thought the best way to show his skills would be to take over one of the PHALANX's computer. Then you can decide would you want to assign a dropship to pick him up (would this be too big of a hassle?). No tech gets removed because of him (or so would be in my own perfect world :P).
--- End quote ---
^^^This could be a very interesting mission, picking up this guy in some city (dare I suggest Moscow? I think that would be kinda cool), at a location/date/time specifically chosen by him... Except that aliens are trying to reach him first, due in part to infected spies in your HQ... so a simple pickup becomes an ambush. That way, his successful rescue provides bonus tech, or faster research on certain items. This type of mission would follow the proposed 'hostage' scenario (it hasn't been implemented, has it?) format. Alternatively, UFOs could attack your dropship as you escape with him en-route to your base. This would make it an interesting aircraft escort scenario, where if he gets shot down, a rescue mission (also not implemented, as far as I know) opens up, giving the player a way to attaining this hacker's bonuses.
This itself makes me think of other ways to introduce alternate/unlockable tech trees. What if, for example, a mission opens up, showing a specialized alien base on the planet: an alien food processing factory (or whatever), where.... I dunno, something creepy and alien happens. Upon completion of the mission, if certain principal structures remain undamaged (map objects can't be damaged in UFO:AI, can they?) a research proposal will be generated that opens up new tech branches... implants? genetically altered soldiers? Faster bio research? ... cheaper food? :P
Silversnow:
The way you describe those story elements, they are much more like interesting random events that can be integrated into the plotline rather than tech exclusions.
Interesting possibility for the 2.4 release then ;D
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version