Making Research more difficult / rewarding

[Mctittles]

I've just recently starting playing and the only big issue I see with the game and balancing is how boring research is. It's not boring because you can't research cool stuff, but boring in that it's too easy.

The first thing I decided to do once I figured out machines could assemble items is build a science making factory. Shortly after automating making the red and green flasks and putting them into science stations I had more stuff researched than I knew what to do with. I had the ability to build trains and laser guns and rocket launchers before I even encountered a single enemy. There was so much research being done I didn't even know what half the stuff was or what to click on next. I pretty much just randomly clicked all the red/green ones until they were done.

So while I love tech trees, I like to look forward to researching a new tech in a game. The game should have you excited about researching shotgun upgrades and rocket launchers because it's something you need.

So in how to go about this I would suggest moving a lot of the research things for later game (trains comes to mind) into locked off areas that you need to have certain building/factory requirements before you can research them. I understand there are already item requirements that keep progression linear like you need to mine oil before you can build rockets, but then what's the point of research?

Perhaps it would work better if the resources required for science flasks were rarer for some items. There is the purple alien tech for later in the game, but a lot of earlier research can be done with minimal work. I don't think complicating the flask creation anymore than it already is would be any fun, but maybe having to search out further for mining science resources. Perhaps all science materials themselves could be a special type of resource that isn't as plentiful as metal and copper.

Anyway, to sum up, research as it stands seems rather pointless and boring as you never have to wait for the good stuff as you likely already have it researched before you even desire it.

[ssilk]

Anyway, to sum up, research as it stands seems rather pointless and boring as you never have to wait for the good stuff as you likely already have it researched before you even desire it.

Nobody is forced to play like others do, but did you consider in your thoughts, that others do play differently? Me for example need always to wait for the logistics.
More rare resources is one way. Another is to add more complicated science packs.

[Dysoch]

I've just recently starting playing and the only big issue I see with the game and balancing is how boring research is. It's not boring because you can't research cool stuff, but boring in that it's too easy.

i notices the same thing. that is why i started working on my dynamic system. it allows you to unlock recipes during playing, that require a set of "counters" to be at a level. those are raised by doing stuff. mining, crafting, killing and even building (at least in the dev build now) is counted, and when the requirements are met (they are random, and switch between numbers every few seconds) you unlock a recipe.
this gives, to my knowledge, a different experience and a less boring "research"

Anyway, to sum up, research as it stands seems rather pointless and boring as you never have to wait for the good stuff as you likely already have it researched before you even desire it.

this was also in my mind while making the system. you will never get something, until you deserve it. in v2 of DyTech, you can only unlock the tiered laser turrets by killing biters. so you start small, and have to actively search and kill biters to get a better defense. but this goes for more stuff. The tiered Electric Mining Drills are only unlocked when you yourself have mined a sufficient amount of resources. This gives a dynamic feeling to the game, as you will never progress the same as the previous world when you start a new one. But this is just my idea

BTW: everything i described will be in v2, which is set to release around April 7th (i hope so at least xD) a small portion is already in the current version of DyTech, but that is severely limited compared to v2