Any way to improve tech level?

MsMeiriona · July 25, 2016, 08:05:37 PM

I understand starting out you would have a lower tech level, but when you have recruits coming in from your raiders with glitterworld tech, one would think you might be able to go up in tech level at some point. Or maybe a scenario you create would dictate a higher level making sense? (I can't find it in the options, but I haven't checked the code to see if it could be hacked in.)

Anyone else feel like the tech level limit is holding their storytelling back?

lt_halle · July 25, 2016, 10:19:46 PM

At the moment no, there's no way to increase tech level, although it might be introduced in a later patch.

Andy_Dandy · July 26, 2016, 01:31:21 AM

Why would you want to og up in Tech Level? I like to play a tribe much because of the much slower tech. If it bothered me I'd play another scenario.

MsMeiriona · July 26, 2016, 01:46:12 AM

Well, even in a different scenario, you're limited to industrial. And when my colonists are walking around with 2 bionic parts each, you'd think we'd have moved past that point.

Lightzy · July 26, 2016, 04:54:28 AM

While it makes sense in some respects, I'm not sure I'd like it. From my player perspective it's a very convenient way of controlling the speed and challenge of the game.

Also, in some respects it doesn't make sense.
If you put me in a rimworld right now, I would know electricity is a thing, but I wouldn't know how to make ANYTHING. I don't think even a glitterworld surgeon would know how to assemble a television set etc.
We don't really carry our tech level with us

stefanstr · July 26, 2016, 08:33:41 AM

Quote from: Lightzy on July 26, 2016, 04:54:28 AM
While it makes sense in some respects, I'm not sure I'd like it. From my player perspective it's a very convenient way of controlling the speed and challenge of the game.

Also, in some respects it doesn't make sense.
If you put me in a rimworld right now, I would know electricity is a thing, but I wouldn't know how to make ANYTHING. I don't think even a glitterworld surgeon would know how to assemble a television set etc.
We don't really carry our tech level with us

You're using a computer to write this. But would you know how to build a computer if you got stranded on another planet? Doubtful. You probably drive a car. Does it mean you would know how to build a car?

If anything, research is unrealistically easy and quick in RimWorld.

Lightzy · July 27, 2016, 03:42:02 AM

Err yeah that was my point

stigma · July 27, 2016, 02:44:16 PM

I've been thinking that it does seem a bit odd as-is, but tech levels are a new addition to the game so maybe that is why it seems a bit wonky.

Perhaps there should either be key technologies that increase your tech level, or have it increase once you have researched X amount of point in the previous level. It does seem a little strange that your tech-level is still neolithic while you have workshops cranking out energy weapons and power armor.

I guess it's not terrible in practice as it stands, but it basically means that tribal = very slow research progress through the entire game + the slow initial tech start. I like the scenario since I love "starting from the bottom" and not just having electricity and automated defence turrets straight away, but it certainly seems overall much harder than classic crash-landing.

-Stigma

GHXX · September 13, 2016, 04:26:00 PM

Quote from: stigma on July 27, 2016, 02:44:16 PM
I've been thinking that it does seem a bit odd as-is, but tech levels are a new addition to the game so maybe that is why it seems a bit wonky.

Perhaps there should either be key technologies that increase your tech level, or have it increase once you have researched X amount of point in the previous level. It does seem a little strange that your tech-level is still neolithic while you have workshops cranking out energy weapons and power armor.

I guess it's not terrible in practice as it stands, but it basically means that tribal = very slow research progress through the entire game + the slow initial tech start. I like the scenario since I love "starting from the bottom" and not just having electricity and automated defence turrets straight away, but it certainly seems overall much harder than classic crash-landing.

-Stigma

I accidently went for playing as tribe in A14, and when i realised that i would be stuck at that low techlevel and would get a x3 or x4 multiplier on the research cost, i created a mod for increasing it once you researched enough projects (See my signature for the post)
I hope this helps

Sanaart · September 13, 2016, 06:23:27 PM

I think the tech level should increase because it's a precedent set by other games (tech in civilization for instance, costs less the more science your society makes), it's what I thought would happen when I first played as a tribe, and it's also what most lets players I've watched assumed would happen as well.

I don't think the most basic fix should be put in now, though (which would be just to raise tech level when all previous technologies are researched). I think it would remove the personality of each scenario. BUT I hope it is something to be addressed in a future alpha. I assume it will be because we're getting a lot of technologies that would look much nicer in a tech tree than in one giant list.

Zhentar · September 13, 2016, 07:23:09 PM

Your technology level doesn't represent the level of technologies available to you on a regular basis, it represents the foundational understanding of your pawns. e.g. I don't know how to build a car but I understand the basic concepts of chemical batteries and internal combustion engines, so I would find it much easier to figure out how to build one from scraps of those technologies than would someone who has never been exposed to such things previously. So your technology level shouldn't be affected my how much or little research you've done, but rather the tech level of the background of your pawns (whether just the researcher(s) or an average across your colonists).

SpaceDorf · September 14, 2016, 11:19:21 AM

I got two questions about this.

Why do the Crashlanders have Industrial Tech and not Spacer ? Considering where they come from.
And why can't we select the Tech Level in the Scenario Editor ?

Also I concur with the oppinion that the techlevel of a person/group exists more in the heads, because it is based on education and a general knowledge of posibilities.

Concepts that we believe to be right, were told once and have seen or imagined are easier to get to work than something no one has ever thought of.

The tribe starts civilisation anew. Everything above their Tech-Level is a "new" invention.
The industrialists or spacers have seen it, maybe done it before .. learned it in school.
And even today there are projects on the internet that describe how to built basic tools, vehicles and everything from scratch as a new colony or under developed country.

In my headcanon the every cryopod has something like the hitch-hikers guide, a wiki or a smaller STC ( Standard Template Construct ) from Warhammer 40k built in, where settlers can look up stuff. So yes, we can and take our techlevel everywhere with us.