What might more closely resemble reality is using a statistical tech tree. You have modules for each of your units that can be upgraded. Each of these modules go through periods of fast growth, lessening to marginal growth, until the next major breakthrough sending that statistic increasing quickly again.

For example, armor started as nothing but skin, then someone realized that an animal skin helped take the brunt of a blow, and everyone started looking for a skin that absorbed the most energy, but after the local animals had been gone through, the armor''s ability stagnated. Next someone realized that they could take some wood and block the blow, and the shield was invented, etc.

So additionally, there should be a relationship between the statitists. When one player creates a better weapon, your scientists are going to look for ways to counter that weapon, beefing up your armor, etc.

Tech trees just need to be a bit more dynamic. And since they mainly sit in the RTS market, I''ve got to say that its all the same ''rush-and-swarm'' tactics most of the time. Mech Commander *was* a needed change, heck, I''m motivated to go play it again now. I recall online games i''ve played where it was my four injured Timberwolves vs. two enemy players. I *nearly* pulled off a win using tactics....*nearly* in almost any other RTS, a 4v8 odds against somewhat evenly-matched opponents would be a slaughter. Damn, ima go boot up MCG now.


-Ryan "Run_The_Shadows"
-Run_The_Shadows@excite.com
"Doubt Everything. Find your own light." -Dying words of Gautama

The best tech tree I've seen in any game was probably in Alpha Centauri. What made it so great was that it was so HUGE and VARIED. You never felt like you just had to keep getting better and better tech, you were always having to choose which route to go. And then the descriptions of the techs were so realistic, and quotes from various fictional sources, man, it was great. One of my few gaming experiences where every once in a while you just step back and go , "Wow. That must have taken A LOT of work." Back to the main topic, I think the main thing you should try to do with a tech tree, is make the player choose which way they want to go. In any game with player evolution, rpg's, rts's, etc, its just better when you can choose what you want to improve. Do I want a better weapon skill, so I can attack better, or would I rather have better armor so I don't have to worry so much about dying. If there is a better way to do things than a tech tree, that might be cool too. How about having to research each unit independantly, but researching some units gives less time to research others. Example: You start researching bow-and-arrows, which takes 50 days to master. Once it's completed, you decide to start researching catapults. Catapults usually take 230 days to research, but now that you already understand the physics of the bow, having a tightened string release a projectile, figuring out how to make a catapult work is easier. So now it only takes 50 more days to research. Now if you went the other way around, and started researching catapult first, midway through research, at maybe 100 days, you would automatically learn the bow and arrow because you discover it along the way. To make it more interesting, the days things take to research could vary based on the intellegent level of scientists, how many scientists there are, the scientists facilities (which could also be improved through research) and good old randomness as well. Just some ideas I had while I was writing this reply. Hmm, maybe I'll flesh it out some more and put it in a game

Also, being able to choose what you learn next may be unrealistic, but it provides for better gameplay. Perhaps having the option of random selection of tech for realism buffs, and leaving it the other way for everyone else could satisfy both sides of the gaming spectrum. Whatever.

Saluk

Edited by - Saluk on April 22, 2001 1:11:25 AM