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In-game research ideas?
Author
Hi,
I''m working on a turn-based strategy game similar in basic idea to the X-Com series. I want to include a research element to the game, not just weapons but other technologies & skills for the characters.
I don''t like the research systems in many other games though, where there is a pre-defined chain of technologies that you can research. It seems stupid to "Research chain-mail armour". If you know about chain-mail armour, why do you have to research it?
I guess i''m after a systen where you take a bunch of materials, and start researching, not knowing what you''re going to come up with.
Does anybody have experience or ideas about this kind of thing?
Thanks,
Neil
I imagine the tech trees are presented to the player as a convenience rather than an attempt at reality. If there is a tech tree, and it''s the same each game, players will soon map it out anyway. Hiding it from them doesn''t add much fun.
In Civ games, you could expect that theoretical research happens much faster than widespread implementation. It''s the difference between performing a chemical reaction in a lab and bulk material processing.
Or the difference between picking up chainmail from a body and training all the blacksmiths to build chainmail that is both light and effective.
That said, the idea of gathering a bunch of materials and experiementing sounds like fun. A mad-scientist sort of research pattern.
JSwing
In Civ games, you could expect that theoretical research happens much faster than widespread implementation. It''s the difference between performing a chemical reaction in a lab and bulk material processing.
Or the difference between picking up chainmail from a body and training all the blacksmiths to build chainmail that is both light and effective.
That said, the idea of gathering a bunch of materials and experiementing sounds like fun. A mad-scientist sort of research pattern.
JSwing
There are a few ways to tackle this, that I can think of..
1) If you''ve ever played "Stars!" (by Empire) or "Star Trek: Birth of the Federation" or something like that, then you''ll know about this one. Research is divided into 6 different areas, Weapons, Bio-Techniology, etc. And certain technologies are avaliable at different levels of knowledge in these areas (or a combination. E.g. Viral Bombs would require a knowledge level of 10 in Bio-Chemestry and 4 in Weapons, Phasers would require just level 2 Weapons, etc...) You just then simply tell your scientists to research in a set area (or in the case of BotF you divide your research points [resources] up between the various areas) Obviously this is in a Sci-Fi rather than fantasy concept, so I''ll leave the translation upto you...
2) Dont use player directed research... E.g. Every time your blacksmiths produce a weapon that increases your research in weapon production, etc.. once a set level is reached you''ve discovered another technology...
NightWraith
1) If you''ve ever played "Stars!" (by Empire) or "Star Trek: Birth of the Federation" or something like that, then you''ll know about this one. Research is divided into 6 different areas, Weapons, Bio-Techniology, etc. And certain technologies are avaliable at different levels of knowledge in these areas (or a combination. E.g. Viral Bombs would require a knowledge level of 10 in Bio-Chemestry and 4 in Weapons, Phasers would require just level 2 Weapons, etc...) You just then simply tell your scientists to research in a set area (or in the case of BotF you divide your research points [resources] up between the various areas) Obviously this is in a Sci-Fi rather than fantasy concept, so I''ll leave the translation upto you...
2) Dont use player directed research... E.g. Every time your blacksmiths produce a weapon that increases your research in weapon production, etc.. once a set level is reached you''ve discovered another technology...
NightWraith
I''ve had thought about this before. I designed this space strategy game (thats as far as it got) where research was implemented by defining goals. For example, a planet that was having many meteor showers would need some kind of shielding around its base or buildings. Rather that saying, research "Meteor Shower Shield", there would be a list of problems that the planet was having. You''d be able to select the problem, and then what kind of resource(s) you would use to combat it (thus specifying the goal). If you already had a force-field generator, you could use that, and hopefully the scientists would be able to modify it to make some kind of shielding. However, you could just select some metal as the resource, and the scientist might come up with a huge metal dome, that covered the buildings. You could also combine resources to come up with really inventive stuff.
Tricky to code though.
T
Tricky to code though.
T
Just *knowing* about something is not the same as having researched it. Think Japanese swords, for example, you can see one, you can *know* about one, but if you try making one without understanding the metal-folding, you will just make another hunk-o-junk sword.
I love that cheesy grin 
Anyways, on with my input...
I remember an old game on MegaDrive called (I think) Megalomania... You could set the number of people to research with, and they worked on something. The tech-tree was progressive - certain things had to be researched before other things were available to be reasearched. Each time you got something researched the cost might be different to produce the item. You got the message "Ergonomically correct" if the blueprint was cost-efficient. If you didn''t like how much a design cost, you could scrap it and tell them to research again (Hoping they researched the right thing).
I think Tessellator''s idea makes more sense though, research needs goals (IMHO).
As wotsisname said - You''re researching how to build what you heard about, or how to improve what you already can build.
Do you have any more information on the game at this time? I loved the X-Com series
Faradhi Sobriet-Treves
Press to test... *click* Release to detonate...
Anyways, on with my input...I remember an old game on MegaDrive called (I think) Megalomania... You could set the number of people to research with, and they worked on something. The tech-tree was progressive - certain things had to be researched before other things were available to be reasearched. Each time you got something researched the cost might be different to produce the item. You got the message "Ergonomically correct" if the blueprint was cost-efficient. If you didn''t like how much a design cost, you could scrap it and tell them to research again (Hoping they researched the right thing).
I think Tessellator''s idea makes more sense though, research needs goals (IMHO).
As wotsisname said - You''re researching how to build what you heard about, or how to improve what you already can build.
Do you have any more information on the game at this time? I loved the X-Com series
Faradhi Sobriet-Treves
Press to test... *click* Release to detonate...
Author
The game will be more mission-based than X-com, and will have a different setting. Each level will have different objectives, rather than just "destroy all the enemy".The storyline isn''t very well developed yet, but heres''s what i''ve got so far:
Game will be set in a series of large, abandoned laboratories and factories. The player controls a team of scientists who are going into the labs to find out what has been going on there. They need to collect materials, use them together with equipment in the labs, and break into the computer systems to get information.
Enemy soliders are also there to stop the scientists getting the information. The player will have use of his own soldiers to fight with.
I''m hoping to make the game into a kind of turn-based strategy game crossed with an RPG. Each of the scientists and soldiers will have different skills, which can be developed during the game.
Any thoughts welcome.
Neil
Game will be set in a series of large, abandoned laboratories and factories. The player controls a team of scientists who are going into the labs to find out what has been going on there. They need to collect materials, use them together with equipment in the labs, and break into the computer systems to get information.
Enemy soliders are also there to stop the scientists getting the information. The player will have use of his own soldiers to fight with.
I''m hoping to make the game into a kind of turn-based strategy game crossed with an RPG. Each of the scientists and soldiers will have different skills, which can be developed during the game.
Any thoughts welcome.
Neil
Still love that grin...
I think it sounds like a great idea (I think I already said that...).
Will the player be able to use the resources from the last mission while they are doing the current mission (Sort of like Warzone)? Will time spent on the last mission (maybe beyond a certain point) affect the next mission? Will research carry over through the entire game (go through really fast and fight less people, or go through slow and fight more people, but better equipment)?
More questions to ask after these, eagerly awaiting answers
Faradhi Sobriet-Treves
Press to test... *click* Release to detonate...
I think it sounds like a great idea (I think I already said that...).
Will the player be able to use the resources from the last mission while they are doing the current mission (Sort of like Warzone)? Will time spent on the last mission (maybe beyond a certain point) affect the next mission? Will research carry over through the entire game (go through really fast and fight less people, or go through slow and fight more people, but better equipment)?
More questions to ask after these, eagerly awaiting answers
Faradhi Sobriet-Treves
Press to test... *click* Release to detonate...
Author
The research you do in a mission will carry on to the next mission. I want to make the missions link together, so that you exit out of a door at the end of one mission, then start the other side of it for the next one.
I haven''t considered time yet. I like the idea of time passing, so that taking a long time in one mission affects the game later on, but how would I do that in a turn-based game?
Neil
I haven''t considered time yet. I like the idea of time passing, so that taking a long time in one mission affects the game later on, but how would I do that in a turn-based game?
Neil
Unless I''m missing something here all you''d need is a "Number of turns elapsed" counter...
Or are you aiming more for the answer to "How do I use the counter?" and I''ve just misread? In this case you could try modelling the computer''s own research abilities - although that could lead to a very powerful computer against new players. Maybe affect the computer research rates with the difficulty level...
If you don''t want to do that, you could sort out how long it would take each weapon to upgrade, and just upgrade it when the required number of turns have elapsed (Ignoring units in the current mission, or give them a point they can get the upgraded weapons).
Something similar to above that just hit me (I won''t say ouch, that joke is just too darn old...) have units with an "upgradable" flag set and give them better equipment, squadmates, and knowledge (Knowledge is optional).
Gotta get back to work
Faradhi Sobriet-Treves
Press to test... *click* Release to detonate...
Or are you aiming more for the answer to "How do I use the counter?" and I''ve just misread? In this case you could try modelling the computer''s own research abilities - although that could lead to a very powerful computer against new players. Maybe affect the computer research rates with the difficulty level...
If you don''t want to do that, you could sort out how long it would take each weapon to upgrade, and just upgrade it when the required number of turns have elapsed (Ignoring units in the current mission, or give them a point they can get the upgraded weapons).
Something similar to above that just hit me (I won''t say ouch, that joke is just too darn old...) have units with an "upgradable" flag set and give them better equipment, squadmates, and knowledge (Knowledge is optional).
Gotta get back to work
Faradhi Sobriet-Treves
Press to test... *click* Release to detonate...
This topic is closed to new replies.
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