Out of order structure tech aquisition = multiple structures

At first I thought this was a bug related only to the neutrality learning center, and caused by the fact that you have two tech branches both leading to similar buildings. But yesturday I conqured some enemy planets and aquired new building tech, specifically virtual reality modules, and ended up with multiple structures from that tech tree on my to build list. That is, I could build both entertainment networks AND VR centers? (don't remember their exact name, the +morale structure, not the trade good!) on my planets. This underlines a bigger problem with the engine then I thought.
Basically it will only properly replace the "current tech" structure if the higher tech structures are discovered in an exact specific order (the order in which they would normally be researched). Any diviation from that order results in breakage of the autoupgrade and the colonial building engines...

So any time that you:
1. Research Neutrality learning center out of order. - Tested
2. Capture tech by conquering a planet out of order. - Tested
3. Trade for techolongy w/ alien races out of order. - Assumed... can someone verify?

There is a good chance that you end up with multiple structures of the same type from different tech levels on your planets construction list, and that they would not upgrade properly...

Also, I am pretty sure AI surrendering to you adversy affects the whole system aswell.. I think their planets don't autoupgrade when that happens or some such... (or maybe they didn't use to, I don't remember anymore).

If this bug is solved, it will take a while. So can anyone share a workaround? specifically, a method to "call" on whatever function it is that autoupgrades planets and cleans up the "build interface" of colonies that I could use in the meantime?

USERS: DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE POST A RETARDED AND USELESS COMMENT SAYING SOMETHING TO THE EXTENT OF "Well, duh, then don't get tech out of order, bug solved". The developers don't need you to "protect them" from bug reports, this is not working as intended which makes it a BUG not a FEATURE. I don't care how hard you the user thinks it is to fix, if the developers decide so they will tell us it is a bug they cannot fix at the moment. It is sad that I even need to post this note but experience tought me otherwise...

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Mumblefratz

Join Date 07/2006

+139

The effect you're describing occurs only if and while there is a discontinuity in the tech tree. That is you have entertainment networks as your top morale building. You then aquire Virtual Reality Centers by trade or conquest, doesn't matter which. As long as you don't have the intervening techs your entertainment centers won't upgrade to VRC's. If you happened to conquer a planet that had a Zero G Sports Arena it would correctly upgrade to the VRC. If you got all of the intervening techs then your entertainment centers would correctly upgrade to VRC's. (You could verify this for yourself).

I believe that this is an artifact of the implementation of the upgrade functionality. Essentially, in the definition of a building you can specify a (single) building that this building upgrades. So VRC upgrades Zero G Arena, Zero G Arena upgrades Extreme Stadium, Extreme Stadium upgrades Multimedia Center, and finally, Multimedia Center upgrades Entertainment Network. If any one of the intervening techs is missing the upgrade stops at the gap.

This is also the source of the problem with the NLC. I'm sure the developers could cause one building to upgrade to the NLC. The problem is that they can't have two buildings upgrade to the NLC. The other question is can you have one building upgrade to two different buildings? For example, Research Academy upgrades to NLC if neutral and Invention Matrix if not. I don't know the answer to this.

Clearly, if you could change the mechanics of the way upgrade works then you could accomplish what you're looking for. But I think the response we've already received from the developers is that this can't be done without changing the update mechanics and that this issue isn't significant enough to warrant doing that.

Anyway, I hope you don't consider this a retarded and useless comment. I'm only trying to provide you with some explanation of what you're seeing on the off chance that you don't get any immediate developer response.

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Well, yes this is indeed the cause for this. Before it has been pointed out that this happens ONLY in NLC and it was said by a rep that it will not be fixed in the foreseeable future. I was pointing out here that this issue is larger then just NLC, as it seem to affect also conquest and trade and basically any out of order aquision.

Also from my experience, if you DO get the intrim techs it will STILL not upgrade properly sometimes... (if you had aquired one of the tech's out of order).

This changes it from alot of work to fix one little issue to alot of work to fix many bugs all resulting from one faulty engine aspect. Weather or not this will get done is ofcourse up to the developers and the constraints of time. I will however like to point out that it will make the game more fun by considerably reducing repedative pointless micromanagement (ie, manually upgrading buildings that didn't autoupdate)

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