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tnevolin, are you able to add new techs to the tree, or are you limited to having to "rewire" the existing tree to make the linkages and dependencies more sensible?
Are you picking on the names of the techs, or what the techs give you? Because I'm inclined to view the former as whatever techno babble they came up with, and not problematic. BTW it's Nanometallurgy, not Metallurgy. Metallurgy is what gives you Cannons in Civ II or Freeciv. The dumb part about some of that was giving you things like a Carrier Deck as some kind of "advanced" ability. This is an artifact of skinning the tech tree of Civ II.
Bad guidance if it's to be SMAC. You have to explore an alien landscape to understand and utilize its flora and fauna. Xenobiology 101. You can discover anything. You can discover you had an extra sandwich in the back of your refrigerator. If you're climbing a tech tree, how is anything not a discovery? Only thing I can think of, is the things inserted in the tree that aren't actually techs, but social conditions. Like Democracy.
So we agree on that problem, that "to discover" doesn't mean much in a tech tree. At least the original game is recursive about it! "Discover is about making discoveries more quickly." Yeah, uh, discover what? "Everything". Well except you'll spend most of your time discovering the discoveries that make you discover everything faster.We have nothing to research, except... research itself!
I'm trying to tell you that your tonal poem "Command vs. Choose" means more to you, than it does to an arbitrary player trying to figure out what's going on. It's a specific instance of the general game design problem, "categories mean more to the designer who wrote them, than the new player who hasn't seen them used before."
Players actually quit games when guidance is fantastically bad. It may take more than one such thing, but player irritation with things they don't understand, is cumulative.
There are three unused slots in the list those can be added. All tech are completely customizable. So in addition to rewiring they can be renamed. However, this'll be a completely new experience for user. There are tons of mods out there with renamed techs. I am trying to stick as close to vanilla. However, I am open to suggestions. Like small renaming here and there to make it stick together better.
Nonlinear Mathematics <- Applied Physics + Information Networks
Industrial Economics <- Industrial Base
Centauri Empathy <- Secrets of the Human Brain + Centauri Ecology
Silksteel Alloys <- Advanced Subatomic Theory + Industrial Automation
Planetary Networks <- Information Networks
Nonlinear Mathematics <- Applied Physics + Information NetworksApplied Physics seems to be overloaded already because every science stems from it. Besides, usually breakthrough in math is extended to science and not other way around.
Would it be more logical to drive something nonlinear from Progenitor Psych instead?
Industrial Economics <- Industrial BaseThat is perfectly fine. However, I feel the Economics part needs another prerequisite. How about Biogenetics? It seems like most economical aligned first level tech. Other options would be Centauri Ecology and Social Psych but they are very overloaded already.
Intellectual Integrity <- Ethical Calculus + Doctrine: LoyaltyEthical Calculus seems on target but Doctrine: Loyalty is clear opposite to "unburdened by prejudices" and "clarity of undistorted knowledge". Yet, despite their own description game designers perceive it as a military/totalitarian technology that unlocks Citizen's Defense Force, High morale and non-lethal methods. So maybe this dependency is fine in a scope of a game.
Centauri Empathy <- Secrets of the Human Brain + Centauri EcologyCentauri Ecology is a logical "Centauri" prerequisite. Secrets of the Human Brain is kinda off target, though. How human brain function align with Centauri anything? Too big of a stretch. I think it is a perfect opportunity to involve more alien technologies and make Centauri Empathy dependent on Field Modulation, for example.
There are three unused slots in the list those can be added.
All tech are completely customizable.
I don’t have the same instant recognition for “Nonlinear Mathematics” or “Monopole Magnets.”
So does the tonal poem “Monopole Magnets.”
Educated grade school kids know that magnets are dipole. Talking about them being monopole may be exotic, but it's hardly off-topic. Adults may not remember the terminology because their teachers aren't whipping them for compliance , but if a player is really put out by this and can't wrap their head around it at all, they're dummies and shouldn't be playing a sci-fi game. Let alone roleplaying one in your extended wargame. I mean there's a point at which "I don't know what 'monopole' means" just isn't a valid objection about anything. It would be like "don't write with fifty cent words", which is a non-goal for making a sci-fi game.
Quote from: bvanevery Players actually quit games when guidance is fantastically bad. It may take more than one such thing, but player irritation with things they don't understand, is cumulative.Based on experience from 2014 and feedback from other reviewers, this isn’t causing irritation to anyone right now.
Technically speaking, it is Industrial Base that builds everything in the game.
Did we ever expect to hear pacifistic Skye talk about the aftermath of a military victory against the Spartans?
How about Lal talking about mobility?
Nonliner Mathematics doesn't present a problem by merely existing--it is just that it has no obvious application at first glance.
Monopole Magnets is problematic because the immediate industrial application of a magnet isn't intuitive.
I know what a magnet is, and I know what monopole magnets must be in broad strokes, but I don't immediately think "monorails!"
What if I thought, "Gauss cannon!" instead?
There are times I wonder if you just enjoy argument for its own sake.
You complained previously that a good game is one in which the players needn't do too much intellectual gymnastics to apprehend what happens if they push Button A or pull Lever B. Now, you're waving all that away.