I misunderstood the purpose of the LCA08 wiki page, so here is the
section I added for discussion.
Research frames
When, what, how?
Although it is generally referred to as a research "tree", most games
with unlockable technology actually implement a directed acyclic
graph. A technology that can be researched is represented by a node in
this graph and dependencies on other technology is represented by the
edges.
A frame describing a research node should probably contain the following:
* name
* long name
* description (flavor text)
* list of technologies that must be available before this one is researched
* list of resources required to research this technology
* list of universal references of things made available once this
technology is researched (components, other technologies, etc...)
But it can be very different from that. Some games support
research only one technology at time, some support multiple, some
don't even let the player choose. Some don't have specific
technologies, just "areas" and at random intervals give a component,
ability, etc. So it isn't quite as cut and dried as you have made it
sound. We (mithro and I) talked about it last year and I guess we need
a bit more. --Lee Begg 00:48, 21 January 2008 (EST)
A research node doesn't necessarily describe a specific technology. It
could represent a broad "area". A research tree made of areas would
look something like this:
* Biology I <- Biology II <- Biology III <- ...
* Energy I <- Energy II <- Energy III <- ...
* Construction I <- Construction II <- Construction III <- ...
* ...
A research tree could be arranged linearly if the client is to be
given no choice in what to study. In such cases the only reason to
send these frames would be to allow the client to choose what
resources to allocate to research. A simplified, linear "tree" might
look like this on a client:
* Tech Level 1 <- Tech Level 2 <- Tech Level 3 <- ...
As each node is researched it could bear fruit after, for example, the
amount of "research points" allocated to it are spent. Alternately,
the server may not tell the client how long this research will take to
complete. In such cases the time needed to complete a node may be
predetermined, but hidden or simply randomized. Similarly, the results
of completing a research node may be randomized or hidden from the
client.
Research nodes describe to the client what can be researched, but not
how that research is accomplished. I propose a system with minimal
changes to the protocol and maximum flexibility. In addition to a
"research node" frame described above and a universal reference ID for
referencing research nodes (or perhaps they should be called
"technology descriptions" to be more consistent with other universally
referenced objects), no changes to the protocol are required.
Clients will tell the server which tech to research by sending an
order that references a technology node. The object that the order is
sent to may differ depending on the game, but will most likely be the
first object belonging to the player with the name "Research" (or
something similar). In this common setup, each player has a single
"research queue". The server may allow research on more than one
technology depending on the resources allocated to each order in the
queue, or research may be limited to a single item at a time.
Having a default object (i.e. named "Research") allows the client to
have a dedicated research menu or screen as many games do, but allows
flexibility to implement research in different ways. If a client
cannot find the default object, the research screen would be
unavailable.
Other implementations within this framework are possible. Since each
object can have their own research queue, research could be managed at
the level of individual planets, buildings, "science vessels", etc...
Perhaps each object researching a technology has a certain chance of
completing it on each turn. The more planets, buildings, science
vessels, etc. that are researching that tech, the faster it would be
completed. Such systems would not need to be implemented on the
client. The standard order system would be enough.
I believe this addresses all the specific situations mentioned by
Lee. It certainly covers all requirements to emulate the games I've
played, but my experience is limited. I welcome any further criticism.
--MidoriKid 17:03, 21 January 2008 (EST)
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