We did a (I would consider very successful) shake up of the Ancient Era tree recently. And I would like to take a look at the last tree in Information. Now granted this tree doesn't see all that much use, but I think it could use a pass.
Now its fair to say I am looking at this from a standard speed point of view, so I would love some Epic Speed players to pipe in on this one.
First, my thoughts:
1) In general I would argue that the top half of the tech tree is much stronger than the bottom half. Telecommunications is key for CV players. Sydney Opera House is a wonderful wonder, and Satelites is of course good for SV players. And of course SV players want to move to Robotics to snag the Hubble Space Telescope.
2) On the bottom half, I feel that the units are a bit too spread out for what amounts to the last turns of the game. If military is going to get a worthwhile bump, I think it needs to come into play quicker. Meanwhile, the Xcom squad is arguably the best military unit of the late game, but again is on the top shelf. While its the weakest in overall terms, it is tremendously mobile, and serves the purpose of pillaging key areas and entangling players you need to hold up while you try to win your own game.
3) Our overall goal is to deliver the last surge of military power a bit quicker, while doing a little rebalancing on the top part of the tree.
New Information Tech Tree
1) Mobile Tactics and Advanced Ballistics are switched. Mobile Tactics gains Mobile Sam and Rocket Artillery (if needed you can remove the bonuses from the citadel and fort, which lets be honestly are 100% useless at this point in the game. If you really want to keep them, they can be moved to Lasers).
--So what we are doing here is bringing a lot of the ground toys in one major package, giving you a chance to bring these weapons to bear in the last stage of the game.
2) Advanced Ballistics: Giant Death Robot and Modern Armor are moved to this tech.
--This is the most radical of my changes. With this, we are basically bringing the last real "special toys" to one tech, and bringing both Modern Armor and GDR earlier into the fight. No longer is the GDR a quirk you see for 2 turns before the game is over, its an actual unit.
Note that since Advanced Ballistics is now at the bottom of the tree, it requires a dedication to military to pick up these "super weapons"...as opposed to just getting it on your way to CERN.
3) Stealth: Gain the Jet Fighter
--So similar to mobile tactics, we are packing our late game military units into tighter packages. Now all of your air and sea needs are in this one tech.
4) Laser: Gain the Spaceship Factory
--Hubble will be your capitals way to get the Spaceship factory for SV players, but it puts this late game building in a place where some of the other types can try to get a little use out of it, taking a small edge away from the top of the tech tree.
So in summary:
a) Our main military units are now condensed into 3 techs:
Mobile Tactics: All of your core ground units (Rocket Artillery, Mobile SAM, Mobile Infantry, Helicopter)
Advanced Ballistics: Your super weapons (Nuclear Missile, Modern Armor, GDR)
Stealth: Your combined arms (aka air/sea) need (Jet Fighter, Stealth Bomber, Missile Cruiser)
b) Spaceship Factory is now lower in the tech tree, and opens up this building to lower tech tree playstyles (leaving Hubble as the SV players main way to get their factory).
Now its fair to say I am looking at this from a standard speed point of view, so I would love some Epic Speed players to pipe in on this one.
First, my thoughts:
1) In general I would argue that the top half of the tech tree is much stronger than the bottom half. Telecommunications is key for CV players. Sydney Opera House is a wonderful wonder, and Satelites is of course good for SV players. And of course SV players want to move to Robotics to snag the Hubble Space Telescope.
2) On the bottom half, I feel that the units are a bit too spread out for what amounts to the last turns of the game. If military is going to get a worthwhile bump, I think it needs to come into play quicker. Meanwhile, the Xcom squad is arguably the best military unit of the late game, but again is on the top shelf. While its the weakest in overall terms, it is tremendously mobile, and serves the purpose of pillaging key areas and entangling players you need to hold up while you try to win your own game.
3) Our overall goal is to deliver the last surge of military power a bit quicker, while doing a little rebalancing on the top part of the tree.
New Information Tech Tree
1) Mobile Tactics and Advanced Ballistics are switched. Mobile Tactics gains Mobile Sam and Rocket Artillery (if needed you can remove the bonuses from the citadel and fort, which lets be honestly are 100% useless at this point in the game. If you really want to keep them, they can be moved to Lasers).
--So what we are doing here is bringing a lot of the ground toys in one major package, giving you a chance to bring these weapons to bear in the last stage of the game.
2) Advanced Ballistics: Giant Death Robot and Modern Armor are moved to this tech.
--This is the most radical of my changes. With this, we are basically bringing the last real "special toys" to one tech, and bringing both Modern Armor and GDR earlier into the fight. No longer is the GDR a quirk you see for 2 turns before the game is over, its an actual unit.
Note that since Advanced Ballistics is now at the bottom of the tree, it requires a dedication to military to pick up these "super weapons"...as opposed to just getting it on your way to CERN.
3) Stealth: Gain the Jet Fighter
--So similar to mobile tactics, we are packing our late game military units into tighter packages. Now all of your air and sea needs are in this one tech.
4) Laser: Gain the Spaceship Factory
--Hubble will be your capitals way to get the Spaceship factory for SV players, but it puts this late game building in a place where some of the other types can try to get a little use out of it, taking a small edge away from the top of the tech tree.
So in summary:
a) Our main military units are now condensed into 3 techs:
Mobile Tactics: All of your core ground units (Rocket Artillery, Mobile SAM, Mobile Infantry, Helicopter)
Advanced Ballistics: Your super weapons (Nuclear Missile, Modern Armor, GDR)
Stealth: Your combined arms (aka air/sea) need (Jet Fighter, Stealth Bomber, Missile Cruiser)
b) Spaceship Factory is now lower in the tech tree, and opens up this building to lower tech tree playstyles (leaving Hubble as the SV players main way to get their factory).
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production cost and no strategics
