Changing the way research requirements are displayed

[sckuzzle]

Currently, there are a number of parameters that go into defining a technology, including the costs: Time, Number of researches ("cycles"), and Number of Science Packs per research.

A research time of 100 cycles, 30 seconds per cycle, and 1 red is functionally the same thing as a research of 50 cycles, 60 seconds per cycle, and 2 reds. One need only scale scale the variables such that cycles * (time per cycle) and cycles * research packs required stays the same, creating an infinite set of equivalent researches. This is using three parameters to define two things, filling the screen with extra information that just adds a layer of complexity for users to try and understand.

What I suggest is the following: removing the "cycles" definition. A research should only include total time and total number of science packs required. This will make the interface easier to understand and interpret, eliminating the need for mental math.

Since the game already allows science packs to be partially consumed and multiple science labs can each research half of one cycle to create one full cycle, this should also be easy to implement. At it's simplist, cycles can be hardcoded to 1, and only allow modification of cycle time and science packs required. Then clean up the UI and fix that data and you are done!*

*well, and test it, but who needs to beta test when you have us chumps?

[ssilk]

Well, the vanilla doesn't currently make much use of this, but mods do.

I try to explain: It's definitely a difference of researching 2 cycles, that takes 20 minutes vs. 20 cycles that take 2 minutes. For the first case only 2 labs can do the research and the minimum time takes 20 minutes. For the second the minimum time is 2 minutes (if you have 20 labs available).

And what I support here is this: It currently makes no sense, yes. But it should! There should be researches, which need different number of labs and different time.

And yes: There should be another representation of this, cause - as you already stated - it's a trap for beginners. I think it should be displayed much more graphically.


I try to share my vision here: There are some ideas (see into viewtopic.php?f=80&t=14645 Research-queue and -progress Visualizaton, where I added this suggestion, too), that go around splitting of research, that you can research things similarly.
But the problem with this is, that such a change would make the research much, much more complicated.

So my idea is, that it is all about the graphical representation of the research, which is currently crap (already agreed).
So - logically - we need first to improve the graphical representation of research.

My idea goes so: Bars represent time and cycles (the length of the bar is the time for one cycle). The color represents the needed item and the height the number of items needed. A box with all that bars inside represents one research-task. All research tasks can be seen in a research scheduler.
This is a try, how that might look (a simple research: 1 item of red, green and blue potion needed per cycle, 3 cycles):

Code: Select all

Research without splitting:

          |------time---------------- v 300secs ----->

          +Logistic II --------------+
Lab       | [red   ][red   ][red   ] |
          | [green ][green ][green ] |
          | [blue  ][blue  ][blue  ] |
          +--------------------------+

Now you can add labs to this box (in the first implementation you can only switch between one and all labs), the bars are partitioned to the labs (simulated of course, the real research depends on many factors; supply with items, available energy...).

Code: Select all

Splitting into several labs:

          |---time-- v 100secs ----->

          +Logistic II
Lab1      | [red   ] |
          | [green ] |
          | [blue  ] |
Lab2      | [red   ] |
          | [green ] |
          | [blue  ] |
Lab3      | [red   ] |
          | [green ] |
          | [blue  ] |
          +----------+

You see: this box, that represents a research-task will become shorter, but will be higher. I think this is a very simple way to show - even very new users - the deeper sense of this strategic element.

So if we would have such a representation, the next logical step would be to move the boxes around in the "scheduler" (meaning: do this research after that). You can plan ahead only some tasks (one only at first - as now, but later that can be also researched ).

I think going into that direction would make much sense, cause in the first implementation it is just a compatible way of displaying information and later it enables to limit the number of labs per research, so that you can do some researches at the same time.



Summary
Limiting the research only to the time needed will remove a very clever and quite strategic element, that is currently just not used very much (I think mainly, because the game is alpha). A complete research overhaul is NOT needed, indeed, but on the long run researches at the same time would make sense.