Exclusive technologies in tech tree

[Unfawkable]

I've seen this before, notably the first time in StarDrive, where there are invisible branches in the tech tree that can't be unlocked in a regular grindy way, but would require something specific and more difficult, but more rewarding.

For example (when resources get implemented) you get far more efficient fuel for production from a special lake on Eve, or a special, more powerful engine from a recovered alien craft (yes, I'm going on about aliens again, but it's an easiest example I could think of, it doesn't have to include aliens at all), and all in all techs that you can only use as much as you could find resources to produce, or the found techs themselves basically.

Grinding science points for tech can get old fairly quickly, and this would add a more specific and refined role for some places. It would add more purpose.

Thoughts?

[jordanjay29]

Sword of the Stars 1 had this kind of thing. You could find unknown technologies in a space battle and devote research to it as a "special project" to gain new technologies. Of course, SOTS had a random tech tree, so every playthrough had a different possible research configuration, so special projects were a way to jump to tech your race would not normally access or couldn't access in that playthrough. It would generally only be THAT tech, though, and wouldn't unlock future technologies that you wouldn't normally receive.

It's interesting, but it's possible this isn't the way KSP will go. KSP is more sandbox, less strategy or adventure, so I'm not sure those game elements would work well.

[Unfawkable]

Sword of the Stars 1 had this kind of thing. You could find unknown technologies in a space battle and devote research to it as a "special project" to gain new technologies. Of course, SOTS had a random tech tree, so every playthrough had a different possible research configuration, so special projects were a way to jump to tech your race would not normally access or couldn't access in that playthrough. It would generally only be THAT tech, though, and wouldn't unlock future technologies that you wouldn't normally receive.

It's interesting, but it's possible this isn't the way KSP will go. KSP is more sandbox, less strategy or adventure, so I'm not sure those game elements would work well.

Randomization of the tech tree would be a bit over the top, but yes that's roughly what I mean, having special resources to produce a tech, and maybe to spend the said resource so you can keep using the tech (without the special Eve fuel, the Engines wouldn't work for example)

I don't think the sandbox element would ever be affected since the game has been officially separated into the sandbox mode and the career mode. Any ''secret'' or not normally obtainable technologies would just be unlocked to infinite resources in sandbox mode like anything else. Heck, if that's the problem, make it switchable, the more customization the game has the better.

[Halsfury]

I agree, you should have 6 special areas of development outside the regular development tree.

Other groups (like the Kerbal government) can give you knowledge points which come with program contracts, these contracts will also open a development avenue for a limited time (since it is too costly in knowledge and resources for the space program by itself)

These points can be spent on the special development areas while the contract is active but when it is over, the development of that tech tree closes down.

However this is not limiting because a player can collect contracts together and then combo them in the building of vehicles and payloads so as to make use of all the special technologies, but without being OP.

Instead this would let the player make a vehicle which is designed to be versatile in fulfilling multiple goals and then be rewarded with a science point multiplier for all the science collected in that mission (for the regular tech tree) depending on how many objectives were reached in a single mission.

This would allow the player to use all kinds of cool technology and even to skip some of the regular tech and move non sequentially through the tech tree without feeling that it was some kind of hack.

[Unfawkable]

I agree, you should have 6 special areas of development outside the regular development tree.

Other groups (like the Kerbal government) can give you knowledge points which come with program contracts, these contracts will also open a development avenue for a limited time (since it is too costly in knowledge and resources for the space program by itself)

These points can be spent on the special development areas while the contract is active but when it is over, the development of that tech tree closes down.

However this is not limiting because a player can collect contracts together and then combo them in the building of vehicles and payloads so as to make use of all the special technologies, but without being OP.

Instead this would let the player make a vehicle which is designed to be versatile in fulfilling multiple goals and then be rewarded with a science point multiplier for all the science collected in that mission (for the regular tech tree) depending on how many objectives were reached in a single mission.

This would allow the player to use all kinds of cool technology and even to skip some of the regular tech and move non sequentially through the tech tree without feeling that it was some kind of hack.

Do you get to keep the earned techs after the tree has closed down? I didn't quite fully get your idea.

[Halsfury]

Do you get to keep the earned techs after the tree has closed down? I didn't quite fully get your idea.

Yes but you can't use them until the contracts come along

The Idea is to incentivize the player to do certain things along non linear paths so that development isn't just a progression but is actually interactive. For instance, another group could cause accelerated development and unlock of the NERVA engine without all the intermediate steps, then as you progress along the regular tree (after the special program development closes), you wouldn't have to unlock that part.

There may be other technologies which are purely program oriented, such as mining parts (which you wouldn't have a use for unless you had a contract) or space telescope parts, or even later in the game they might provide the ability to research and use expensive exotic parts like antimatter engines or what have you.

Edited December 12, 2013 by Halsfury

[Unfawkable]

Yes but you can't use them until the contracts come along

The Idea is to incentivize the player to do certain things along non linear paths so that development isn't just a progression but is actually interactive. For instance, another group could cause accelerated development and unlock of the NERVA engine without all the intermediate steps, then as you progress along the regular tree (after the special program development closes), you wouldn't have to unlock that part.

There may be other technologies which are purely program oriented, such as mining parts (which you wouldn't have a use for unless you had a contract) or space telescope parts, or even later in the game they might provide the ability to research and use expensive exotic parts like antimatter engines or what have you.

Well that does seem more complex than my idea, I was going along the lines of ''Oh, I found an awesome alien engine, I get to use it now, yay''

But that sounds interesting too, why not both I say.