RnD Tech Tree- Perpetual Research; ResearchBuddy

[Guest Marlon Phoenix]

This is a replacement for the standard research tree. This is a tree that you unlock not by deconstruction, but through a puzzle game of deduction and matching.

There is the base 'Knowledge' from which 'Fields' branch into specific 'Topics'. You unlock different 'topics' in the tech tree. Each field has a randomly rolled relationship with the others in terms of a buff or debuff. If you manage to combine the right knowledge together, You create a research paper with a set value in terms of knowledge.

You put that research paper into a machine that evaluates it and it tells you how insightful your research is, and it rewards you with grant money and 'research points' that scientists can use to unlock the current levels of research in addition to deconstruction.

If you need 3 non-repeating topics for a research paper then there are 5814 possible topic combinations. You must pick your main topic from one field of science, and two supporting topics. They cannot be from the same field as your main thesis. They can be from 2 separate fields from each other or the same as each other.

For example, using the chart above, Economic policy, diplomacy, and bluespace combined into a research paper would have a value of 4 * 0.5 = research worth 2 points. A low scoring research paper.

If you wrote one about Combat, anatomy, and bluespace, it would be 4 * 2.0 = research worth 8 points. A pretty good research paper.

Each topic would have a random roll to be either 1 or 2 points individually.

The 2 papers in our example will give RnD 10 points that they could invest in unlocking a higher tier of research. Instead of deconstructing the bluespace beacon to get a higher level in bluespace research for building bluespace tech, you must submit enough valuable research papers to be given access to those prototypes; applying theory before prototyping and application.

Below is the draft of how you would physically make research papers.

Make new paper is what is being shown

Review research lets you see all submitted papers and what Odin had to say about them

The about page is fluff text explaining the system.

Troubleshooting is a joke link that will say it sent a ticket to the IT team and expect a response in [NULL: STACK OVERFLOW] hours.

Withholding the hard data about what made what papers valuable but letting them see WHAT was researched lets players have to use deductive reasoning to try to figure out or guess what fields are dead ends and what have good synergy, which I think is the best way we can reasonably apply the scattershot nature of real research. You just sort of get a "They used these and yielded a result like [x]"

An example of a scoresheet where Odin values your paper would be like,

Quote

0  = "The meddling insights in this document is fit for an 8th grade thesis paper, not an accredited scientist.'

1 - 4 = "After evaluating the possible applications we've found a few middling potentials. We aren't considering a grant for this."

5 - 9 = "We can probably find an application somewhere. We are sending you a standard grant for your findings."

10 - 14 = "This is a very good thesis and we have already found an application. We are sending you a grant shortly."

15 - 20 = "The applications for this knowledge is boundless. We are sending you a large grant and are publishing you immediately."

20+ = "Your discovery is extraordinary. We are building a new science wing dedicated to this new field of study and naming it in your honor. We are sending you the maximum allowance for grant money."

And somewhere there would be a visible list of labs named in the scientist's honor if they somehow get lucky and hit a really high point value.

Or they would name a university course and teach people your findings. So we'd have a list like,

Greg Melon School Of Applied Mathmatics

Bofa Nuttingham School of Combat Equation

Long Johnson Laboratory of Electro-Magnetic Economic Policy

It's my argument that it would be great if scientists were egotistical about these things rather than having mad skills in combat mechs. Any feuds between scientists about who has the better university course named after them would be delightful, because they earned their recognition as a scientist through deductive reasoning in genuine research
 

Edited August 24, 2019 by Marlon Phoenix

[Naelynn]

looks great, except for this part:

 

48 minutes ago, Marlon Phoenix said:

research points' that the RD can use to unlock the current levels of research in addition to deconstruction.

From what I understand, that means that research would essentially be useless except for money without an RD. This.. it just feels bad to lock a core mechanic behind a command staff player.

[Guest Marlon Phoenix]

Sorry. It means Research Department. I will clarify.

[Naelynn]

Just now, Marlon Phoenix said:

Sorry. It means Research Department. I will clarify.

Ahh! That makes so much more sense! Thank you! ❤️

[Carver]

Interesting idea but I think the philosophy branch/tree is a bit.. Unusual, as far as NT-backed 'science' goes. I wouldn't trust any of the current research characters to write up a new Corporate Regulations/Space Law book, or to even be marginally competent when it comes to Diplomatic or Economics-related affairs. The 3 branches from said 'Philosophy' tree strike me as something that, if NT was interested in, would be handled by specialists off-station and discussed by executives alone.

[Guest Marlon Phoenix]

Theyre not done in isolation.  You can apply phoron research using law and equations. Thats abstract enough that when you publish it you can say its a guide on corporation ls using algorithmic based applications of law loopholes to improve output and inter-actualization.

[Guest Marlon Phoenix]

Large Corporations fund and publish research in every field you can imagine. There are hundreds of philosophical think pieces written by people funded by big business. 

[DronzTheWolf]

I can get behind this just to get rid of the droll repetition of constant deconstruction. 

[Guest Marlon Phoenix]

Bump

[Nantei]

It's a really great idea. R&D is awful, so replacing it with a minigame that is actually enjoyable to some degree would be lovely. The only question is if someone will code it.

[DaTimeSmog]

I'm not really all in for this, as from what I can read it's very much so just RNG based research with the only control being how you'll optimize the process of getting the most research points and after that spam out one specific paper type.

[Skull132]

A thought I had while sitting on the toilet and having glanced this topic prior to my sitting session.

Why not take the current research system, and instead of requiring deconstruction, we make it all time based. BUT, we make it so that deconstructing items of appropriate level will speed up said timer.

[Nantei]

9 hours ago, Skull132 said:

Why not take the current research system, and instead of requiring deconstruction, we make it all time based. BUT, we make it so that deconstructing items of appropriate level will speed up said timer.

That's pretty much exactly what I want as a bandage fix, but I think that's more appropriate to the other thread about R&D.

[DaTimeSmog]

10 hours ago, Skull132 said:

A thought I had while sitting on the toilet and having glanced this topic prior to my sitting session.

Why not take the current research system, and instead of requiring deconstruction, we make it all time based. BUT, we make it so that deconstructing items of appropriate level will speed up said timer.

TG wants their ideas back.

[Guest Marlon Phoenix]

10 hours ago, Skull132 said:

A thought I had while sitting on the toilet and having glanced this topic prior to my sitting session.

Why not take the current research system, and instead of requiring deconstruction, we make it all time based. BUT, we make it so that deconstructing items of appropriate level will speed up said timer.

Make your own suggestion thread ?