I propose an extension to the current research trees. After each line is finished, Hyper Advanced (blank) I is available. Each time a Hyper Advanced tech is researched, it either increases the equip limit of the respective module type by one and/or increases the effect of its class of planet buildings by a certain percent. After tier I is finished, tier II can be researched (and so on indefinitely), but for double the price each time.

To be specific:

Weapons, 1 level per tier, each level increases the weapons equip cap by one and the effect of minefields by X%.

Energy, 1 level per tier, each level increases the reactor cap by one. Sorry, more relays would be unbalancing!

Shields, 1 level per tier, each level increases the shield system cap by one and the strength of planetary shields by X%.

Cloaking, 2 levels per tier, one level increases the cloak system cap by one and the other increases the jammer cap by one; one of them would also increase cloak satellite strengths by X%.

Armor, 1 level per tier, each level increases the hull cap by one.

Defense, 2 levels per tier, one level increases the dampener cap by one and the other increases the thruster cap by one.

Scanning, 1 level per tier, each level increase the scanner cap by one.

Planet Buildings, 4 levels per tier, each level increases in turn pop buildings, miners, researchers, and artifact factories by X%.

Base Tech would not be affected.

Note that these cap increases and percent bonuses would only apply to researched modules and buildings, no NPC or mission stuff would be affected.

If raising equipment caps through research is either unbalancing or technically infeasible, I suggest that they all give a percent bonus to researched modules and buildings.

I'd rather more tiers in general

Hmm...i would preferr both because this idea is pretty good actually. ^^ This could be a seperate tab, or be in the research tab, but have it's own sub-tab sorta thing where u click it and the Hyper Advanced research chain pops up. And yes definitely more tiers to the current research tree (even tho im only rank 149 lol).

Tiers need to be increased, +1 to that idea..

I like the idea.

But I don't like the context you put it in.

Some players have ridiculously high research.

What this would allow is players with A LOT of thetas (I'm pretty sure no one wants to pay upkeep on 10 Qausi's), players with a bunch of scanners, thus increasing the amount of cloak needed for planets indefinitely as well.

I like how with it I could install near infinite reactors, BUT, that would be game breaking. People would running around with 10+ reactors. If this was implemented, and I research say, two energy tiers, and gained, we'll say 10 ranks, I'd have 906 more energy then what I currently have, putting me well over 10 energy/level ratio, allowing me to auto rank.


Your interpretation of this idea is too game breaking.

Think about it. 25Bn Upkeep? hmmm.

I do have hundreds of shipbots just sitting there waiting for new modules...

one idea that could slow down the gae breakage from the idea is each upgrade tier have a number of levels equal to the variations of the equipment type so you do level one of weapon slot tier one you can add a 9th of the most basic weapon type, completing more levels of the same tier upgrades the maximum type of gear you can place in the slot and each new tier requires maxing the previous just so we don't have people stopping at theta and moving to the next slot. The levels could be graded so that you don't spend 3 million for each level but like a hundred thousand for the first move up to the millions for the last level. The two tiered techs would alternate between tiers for each level to keep it balanced.

Other than that I like the idea of going with something similar to "future tech" from the civilzation games that loops to allow rp to be more than just extra income after you've finished the last base tech

I never actually gave a base cost. This barrier could be quite high, combined with a DOUBLING of cost EACH TIME (so after three levels the next cost EIGHT times as much) should easily limit this. To get 10 reactors, as you suggested, you would have to research the energy one seven times, for 1 + 2 + 4 + 8 + 16 + 32 + 64 = 127 times the cost of the first level. Could you stomach 127 times dimensional logistics?

this is one of the reasons why dan adds new special ship mods via missions and new NPCs

We prefer new tech tiers to feel like the current progression (representing actual in-game fictional technology with distinct modules and structures).

With that said, to balance out the high upkeep costs of some new tiers, we've considered that the next tiers of modules will probably need to include 'special abilities' to set them apart from their predecessors and make them worth the research investment and maintenance.

oh now that would be nice

Anyone actual time table of when this would be released?

No set time - just trying to help frame the context of new ideas.

Weapons that sometimes lower enemy defense
Defenses that sometimes give a bonus when attacked (someone attacks you, your defense might increase a few percent)
Shields that sometimes reflect damage when attacked (you do usual damage plus a percentage of the damage they did to you)
Hull that sometimes reduces damage you take by a percentage when attacking
Scanners with an attack percentage buff (constant)
Cloak with a defense percentage buff (constant)

EDIT: Or defense that sometimes allows you to avoid all damage

no no no....

time travel

time traveling ammo, time traveling scanners

just one thing to keep in mind: you must be at 88 mph before the lightning strikes the clock tower!

Dark Matter Hull with plasma cannon style ability ablative charge -Each grade as a trap-like effect provides an extra %def boost while sacrificing some hull(low grade 1%def boost per mod while reducing hull provided by the mod by 10%) This would last for 30 min or an hour after activation.

Recursive Interplanar Shields - Each shield provides % of shields immune to the torpedo I was thinking 1%-3% for each shield mod on.