As part of the work on my
Equal Terms mod, I am trying to introduce logical flows to research trees to try to slow the massive jumps in technology that can put a game into end-game mode in less than 2 months. I've already introduced some bottlenecks by inverting the laser weapon technology research path (starts with laser cannons) and requiring a capture and interrogation of an Alien Engineer and the research of a base alien weapon in order to even start to research how to use plasma weapons.
The next portion I am looking to address is the hyperwave decoder. I was looking at adding a complication that requires taking down an alien base before the Hyperwave decoder can be researched. The concept behind this change is while the individual UFOs have communicators on them, they all have what amounts to a 'One Time Pad' form of encryption (
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-time_pad ) so that getting the technology off a UFO is near useless. In order to get the base code, a base will have to be raided.
I can think of a few ways of handling this:
1) Link it to the Alien commander
Pros: Would require a trivial change in YAML to implement
Cons: Would overlap Martial Solution research. I hate two-for-ones
2) Link it to an existing tile that's only found in an alien base
Pros: Would require little work to implement, just finding an appropriate tile. Also would require player to carefully approach the base, instead of just resorting to 'haunted rubble' theory.
Cons: Finding an appropriate tile that is not on a base game UFO would be difficult and would probably be illogical (it would end up being something weird like a rock or something). Additionally, even if a proper tile is selected, many tiles are re-used in mods like Luke's awesome UFO mod or map mods.
3) Create a new tile, in a modified map zone, linked to an geoscape item and a research item
Pros: Would be the best method. Place the tile in an appropriate place in the commander's room, and it would make that final storming that much more difficult.
Cons: I have no idea where to start with this. Also, it may require an actual code change.
This would also allow me to add a research item for improved radar once alien alloys are researched (knowing the radar characteristics of the ufos would improve detection). They would have to be new radars. The perfect alternative would be to have a 1 tile facility that improves all radar, either increasing the detection rate, or shortening the time between radar 'pings'. I think both would require code changes, but both would be within reach of my coding skills.
Anyone have any suggestions on how to tackle this?
