Science -> Tinkering

[Hollow]

I used the word tinkering as I'm familiar with it being used in some other games, but hopefully my explanation will be sufficient, and any word like that might do.

I know the research tree will be expanded in future, which is great, but eventually the faction will have researched everything and that'll be that. Most games don't have anything past this point. You've got everything, well done, now go and win the game or something. In a sandbox, though, where time is potentially infinite: this doesn't usually end so well.

As a result, and sorry if this is already planned, but I think there should be some further improvement research. I personally think it should be more arbitrary so that rather than concentrate on something in particular (like beds, hemp farming, etc.) you're given either no option at all or a very generic option like farming, combat, etc. The idea being that after a pre-determined amount of time has passed: you're given an enhancement to something in that area. If you picked farming then you might see a 5% increase in the efficiency of all hemp farms, for example. These could all be taken from a giant master list of effects and percentages with the result being almost random, but within the confines of the area you selected. This way there's an incentive to continue research beyond the tech tree.

In addition, you could extend the amount of time each improvement needs to research by one hour... or you could not, depending on how the balance ends up working out.

Since there's an automatic research table, I suggest that to do the improvements you need an additional "tinkering" table which requires at least one actor to operate, but again that would depend on balance.

[TheCowabungaKid]

Sounds like a good idea to me. i agree that you couldn't use the automated tier 2 research bench, but i guess you could use the small one actually operated by a character. the way i understand it, research atm means "loading" blueprints into your repertoire of available technologies. tinkering would rather be like original research, where you have to expand beyond the technologies available in blueprints. like it, now get it into the suggestions

[Katerchen]

Well i added the Idea of "books with forgotten wisdom" a few hours ago to learn "new" stuff and some kind of tinkering to improve this wisdom - so i'm totally for making it more arbitrary, not such a "targeted research" - and as you can read in my post http://www.lofigames.com/phpBB3/viewtop ... =16&t=3233 here i'm also for the Idea of adding Books that you have to find for getting the basics of a new tech

[iSuck345]

I agree with this. But seriously, when did chris state that there was any kind of apocalypse?