Mudmarine

Join Date 01/2007

Raceconfig file: Other races start with Ion Drive question?

Kryo,
I have looked over the raceconfig file. Something I have noticed that certain races start with Ion drive. My impression/understanding of the GC2:DL&DA universe is that the Human Race invented it and that is where the game universe starts. If so would not these races only have hyper drive instead of Ion Drive, big advantage. If the Ion Drive was modded out how would that effect the AI's play?

Is there a reason for races starting with Ion drive for play balance or keeping them in character?

modding

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The humans did invent Hyperdrive, but other races have improved on it. The game starts a ways after the gift of Hyperdrive. Some races with more research ability embraced the technology and expand on it before the start of the game.

As for removing it, the AI will be just fine, if it leans towards engine techs it will just research Ion Drive on it's own. Tho currently the AI doesn't really seem to use engines at all, I believe thats a bug.

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Sic jake got it. It was a gift from the humans, and for the most part - all the galaxial tenants knew each other well before you start your random games.

Interesting thought for a specific game-type (mod) though!

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Except that none of those races have a research bonus, just like the humans, and those that do have start out with HD only...

That the humans couldn't expand on the HD faster than any other race, having the edge on the tech itself and supporting techs, is strange.
There's a lot of stuff from the *game* storyline that doesn't translate to, or even contradicts, the game's setup.

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kryo

Join Date 05/2003

+458

Maybe they already had (Non-Hyper) Ion Drive technology, and coupled that with the Hyper tech they were provided by the Humans, (rather than with standard thrusters as everyone else did).

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ToS Iceman,
I agree with you, at least the human race should start out with a research bonus since they did invent hyper-drive. If not that the bonus for creativity or luck.

Kryo,
I have to disagree with you about (Non-Hyper) Ion Drive Tech. This does not make sense, There would be another research tech branch which is not stated and supported by the story line. This is also a jump in the tech tree. They would have to have had to researched "New Propulsion Techniques" before Ion drive. There is just a jump that is not explained.

Kryo your post ignited a thought in a new tech that would give credence to your reasoning:

Tech tree mod: This would be in the line of thruster tech which would increase base hull speed without the use of additional engine componets. Hulls woulld have a speed increased by 1 with a decrease in size proportionally. I would also tie it into Xeno industry tech tree. Why? The fact of retooling to manufacture those new hull types.

Amazing how a conversation can ignite ideas when a question is posted!

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kryo

Join Date 05/2003

+458

I have to disagree with you about (Non-Hyper) Ion Drive Tech. This does not make sense

Really? We already have very primitive ion engines on satellites and space probes. So I'm not sure how that could be so strange that other races would have perfected it into a more powerful form of propulsion first, and combined it with the new hyper tech

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Really? We already have very primitive ion engines on satellites and space probes.

So basically you're saying the techtree and the storyline don't make sense

In 200 years we haven't improved Ion Drive?! Gah!
It's all in the techtree really, mixing normal and warp propulsion is a bad thing. Now if they were seperate branches and normal prop would also help with combat speed... if there was combat speed.

at least the human race should start out with a research bonus

They do have Research 10, but then the Iconians have 20 and see if they came up with anything...

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Kyro,
I must agree with ToS Iceman again. With the tech tree as it is in the game does not match or explain the abnormality that exit in the game, unless Modded.
The existing vanilla Tech in the game are the rules of the GC2 universe as it exists now.

So within game parameters those races that have ion drive should have researched,
"New Propulsion Techniques" and advanced to "Ion drive" and have this within there race config. Which is not reflected.

The only way to get a jump in tech as far as the vanilla (unmodded) game is trading tech. This still does not explain the abnormality unless the game is modded.

As far as trading tech we must remember is that the humans started the new tech branch of hyper-drive thus a new branch of research in drive systems which does away with the Star Gate system that existed. Which should still be present and is not. So who traded these races ion drive? The only way to explain this is a new race and it would be another mod.

Will it was left over from Precursor tech as an artifact. Until hyper-drive tech no one could solve its true nature, a puzzle which was only solved with the new tech of hyper-drive which was like the Rosita Stone.

To match this hypothesis the home worlds of races must have the resources tile of bonus research. Only luck of the draw gives that. So that explanation must be modded in for those races with Ion Drive.

So my conclusion is that such abnormalities of race configs with Ion Drive at the start is unexplainable within the context of the game tech, unless modded.

So Kryo within the existing context and rules in the vanilla game can you still explain the abnormality? Or even from the story line that now exists and posted?

Note: My spellin is awful nice to have iespell! Now I need somthin for my grammar!

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kryo

Join Date 05/2003

+458

The tech tree is simply a game mechanic. Were the game reality, there's no reason a civ could not make a breakthrough, or indpendently discover a slightly higher tech without first knowing one immediately preceding it in the tech tree.

Your question could just as easily be asked about the Yor's natural miniaturization bonus. I mean, how could they possibly know how to make things smaller without researching Advanced Computing (not to mention the fact that it's an unpickable bonus)?

Because that's the way they were made by the devs, that's why

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Kyro,
Point taken:Because that's the way they were made by the devs, that's why.
My pet P: quirks in the game erk me. Yet it does not take away from the fun of the game. I have another about those Tiny and Small hulls, thats another thread.

Questions do make for interesting discussions, right? They lead to mod possibilites?

Thanks again for your timely input.

These quirks bug anyone else?

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there's no reason a civ could not make a breakthrough, or indpendently discover a slightly higher tech without first knowing one immediately preceding it in the tech tree.

That's why it's a tech*tree*

These quirks bug anyone else?

Oh yeah. There's lots of them. You'd think that a storyline tailored for the game would be consistent with it, but nope.

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Ice,
I have to agree with you. Just like the movies. The books they make movies from never as good. A few exceptions. God Father and Lord of the Rings. Heck they butchered my favorite book,"StarShip Troopers".
It happens in the GC2 universe also. The Story line would make a great read as Sci-Fi novels, worth buying.

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