Technology Research - Suggestion for future Add-On and/or Gal-Civ 3...

from GalCiv2 Forums
One of my favorite aspects of these kinds of games is researching technology and seeing how it applies to the current circumstances in game play. Maybe someday, there's the possibility of considering a couple of suggestions for technology in the future. Such as:
1) Why limit technology researching to just one segment of the tech-tree at a time? Why not several? Why not all? I understand the huge undertaking this entails to Gal Civ 2. Which is why I'm suggesting it for a future add-on and/or version of the game. Even the original MOO had the ability to use "sliders" to adjust for how much research was applied to what area of the technology tree. It makes it more realistic. If the real world were limited to researching one tech at a time, who knows how far back we'd be now. Say you are getting close to a breakthrough, there should be a declining scale invovled to how useful it is to increase the amount of research on that item. Sure, it will help - but with each increase toward the end, it should drop the benefit further.
2) I like the idea of having some research be "unique" and not specific to a product/tech. For example, when 3M came up with the glue for post its, as I understand it, they were actually looking for a "super glue". This makes for some interesting opportunities in game play with a great game like Gal Civ 2. Some techs should fall "outside" the tech tree. Such as a couple of researchers discovering a new kind of mirror that winds up giving that civ's version of standard lasers a little bump even above the basic laser tech. It would be unique to the Civ that discovored it. I understand this kind of "randomness" would be challenging to create to say the least. But it would make for some more interesting results and strategy decisions.
3) Perhaps early on in the game, you are limited to researching one tech at a time. Later, you maybe research a tech that allows expanded tech research and increases the researchability from one tech at a time to two. And so on as you go up the tree.
4) The Wildcard research factor. Randomize the product researched a bit within each category. This has the advantage of making it hard to anticipate what tech is coming next and how it may or may not assist your current game play. For example, you research laser technology - HOPING they'll discover a better weapon. But instead, they find not a weaponized application, but rather discover a better hologram technology that increases happiness. I like the "unkown". It challenges strategic gameplay with one more layer of "unkowns" you have to deal with.

I realize its a bit silly to talk about this so soon after the release of such an INCREDIBLE game. But, I'm on a roll with a couple of other posts and had to put my 2-cents in while I was thinking about it.

I'm very open to criticism and differing viewpoints on this subject. And since I have no influence over the game at all, I just enjoy throwing ideas around to see how others view these ideas.

Anyway, Thanks for reading my post.

Finally, for those hard-working folks who have done such a marvelous job of creating the Gal Civ 2 game. I have nothing but respect and admiration for what is proving to be a VERY addicitive and gorgeous game! Thank You!
7,723 views 9 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
That actually sounds like a really great Idea, but I dont know how feasible it would be to implement. Lets go through an add-in checklist (If I can remember all the checks):

Does it add to gameplay? Yes, a good deal.
Is it fun? I would think so. Some might not.
How much time would it take to implement? Quite a large amount of time methinks
Does the fun/gameplay outweigh the time taken to implement (Time that could be used to add/fix other things)? I think it might, depending on how many people would think its fun.
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
I haven't tried them yet but it seems there are "parallel" technologies like the psionic missile. You can't further down their branches and according to the description they're much stronger... but also bigger/more expansive. I like the idea of having a tech boost like that but probably putting it on only one ship because of the cons of it.
I do hope custom content will bring in a lot of new technologies because it's fun to explore the tech tree

There are trade goods that are exclusive to the civ discovering it, so I think exclusive techs could be fun too indeed.

Randomization : it's interesting but it could get frustrating. I'd rather have it be very rare and maybe exclusively positive (looking for weapons and finding planet improvements, but *very* good improvements). Otherwise it would just hinder your evolution. Good point : since GalCiv2 isn't multiplayer, it doesn't matter as much in terms of balance
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Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
I really like the idea of "accidental breakthroughs" hehe.

it would be interesting to be researching a new type of laser.. and inadvertantly discover a "frequency" or causes the laser project to explode in tremendous fashion.

The downfall: You have to start over with that laser technology

The benefit: You just got a very powerful new missle technology.

that would be too cool.


One thing id like to see them expand on in the future is the Galactic Council. There is just so much room for improvement there. Not that it isnt a great feature..I love it.. but it could go so much farther.

Being able to pick things to bring before the council

Getting your allies to back up your proposals

Applying a percentage of your votes to different things

Greater and more drastic votes like "If a race attacks another race, they will automatically be declared on by every other member of the council"

Minor races becoming powerful enough to get a say.


soooooo much that could be done here.
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
Accidental breakthroughs? I thought that was what "creative" did? If not, what DOES it do?
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Is creative a lost cause ??
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
frogboy: "Creativity is supposed to increase the odds of getting an event that gives you techs and increase the odds of getting a powerful tech when you conquer an alien planet."

https://forums.galciv2.com/?ForumID=162&AID=103125#804547
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

I thiink that randomizing the tech tree would help but right now it is obvious what will come next what if they made it so that you told your seintist I need a smaller wepon and they tried to make one

Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Just a idea to throw out there, make the tech tree blind. Now you put money into researching one tech and you get it at some point. When you research, for example, weapons you should invest in the weapons catorgy by giving money to it(like now) and have the tree build itself. You will not know what you get next but that is life.

Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Some of what I suggest now will be things that have already been mentioned, but I don't want to cherry-pick those out of my overall post, so we'll just have to deal with the repeats.

I like the concept of a certain randomness in research.  Not constantly...but you research a technological concept and sometimes it turns out different.  Maybe not as extreme as researching a laser and getting a planetary improvement (although maybe once in a few dozen techs that might be ok), but rather researching a laser and getting a new kind of laser that performs differently than usual...say a drastically different (and preferably useful) balance of output vs cost vs space, etc.  Maybe...1/3 of the time that could happen?

An option to be more methodical in research than usual.  If more randomness were introduced to the system, then creativity could allow for slightly quicker research with more random results...while methodical could slow it down a little but ensure that you get what you're looking for.

A more broad, but smaller basic tech tree.  Certain techs should just be endemic to all space-faring races...but there don't have to be that many.

Larger and more beneficially specialized racial tech trees.  There should be a far greater separation in specialties between races, and more thought should go into how an advantage or deficiency in one category of tech affects their capabilities elsewhere.  Certain combinations of advantageous and disadvantageous tech categories in various race trees are borderline stupid.

Larger and more beneficially specialized alignment tech trees.  Alignment has almost no point in the game.  I always choose neutral solely so I don't have to upgrade the class of my colonies.  Good and Evil are practically worthless, their defensive and offensive bonuses far overshadowed by the configurations of weapons and defenses I place on my ships.  The inherent bonuses of each alignment should be more closely associated with their ethos, and more broad in application.  The number and nature of techs accessed through alignment should also be much, much greater in number.

Something like...basic 1/4, Race 3/8, Alignment 3/8.

Do away with the nonsense that missiles ultimately end up doing the most damage relative to space...etc.  I understand the purpose behind it...but it only leads to ships running around with nothing but missiles because beams and cannons are almost stupidly useless.

On a note only tangentially related to tech...add the feature of power output/consumption to ships.  Just because you've got room for a nice big doom ray, doesn't necessarily mean your ship can power the thing.  That could create a further method of divorcing the similarity between beam, missile, and cannon weapons.  Missiles take little power, cannons take some, and beams take much...though with defenses it would be armor, PD, shields in terms of power consumption.  Researching the power plants in the tech trees as we know them could be expanded more, and also count toward how much power your ships can put out for weapons, defenses, and engines.  Thus, researching larger hulls might not always do you any good if you don't have the power to fully outfit their available space.  And relying solely on little ships for the game wastes power.  Unless power plants for ships are modular like weapons and such.