Research without eras
I took eras out. A technology can start once its parents are done, and the best ones are rarer and dearer. Also new are a Research panel, reports for finished techs, and great works with techs of their own.
Research used to have eras, a calendar of what you were allowed to research and when. I’ve taken them out.
Classes instead of eras
You can start any technology as soon as the ones it builds on are done. What sets the good ones apart is their class: common, uncommon, rare, legendary or unique, each dearer than the last. A tech’s price depends on its class and how far along the tree it sits. Seven Milestone technologies mark the big steps, and the tree now holds 475 technologies across eight fields.
The Research panel
- Now: what you’re researching, how far along it is, and when it will finish.
- Pick next: every tech you can start, with reasons you can filter by, such as “Short of Food” or “Milestone”.
- Goals: the Milestones on one ruler, and the way to each, added to your plan in one click.
- Finished: the last ten years of research as a timeline.
Every tech has its own page with what it costs, what it does, what it needs and what it opens.
Reports
When a technology finishes, a short report card says what it did for your empire. The big ones get a full card.
Great works
Megaprojects are in, such as the Stellar Engine. They’re built in stages over many years, and each tier needs its own technology. Most stand on a world; the Stellar Engine takes a whole star system. AI empires build them too.
Checking it
I checked that all 475 technologies can be reached and that each does what it says, then measured the pace in simulated games. The seven Milestones arrive within 15% of their targets.