Tech Trees

The_Shark

So, I was in the car when an idea hit me. What if Subnautica were to have tech trees? Like, you have to build some things to unlock others, and put them in certain combinations in the Fragment Analyzer. You want a harpoon gun? No problem. Just put a knife and a propulsion cannon in the Analyzer, wait for a minute or so, and get some blueprints for the Fabricator.

Not really going overboard on specifics and stats this time, just an idea I had, thought I'd type it up.

TIEbomber1967

Or perhaps if I put in a fish and a woman, and get blueprints for a mermaid?
Okay. I'm sold.
Make it so!

Captain_Pyro

I don't know if the "mash one and one together" works with the tech standards alterra has. I actually liked Subnautica for not being just another minecraft.

The_Shark

Captain_Pyro wrote: »

I don't know if the "mash one and one together" works with the tech standards alterra has. I actually liked Subnautica for not being just another minecraft.

I didn't say that's what it was. It's something more along the lines of, again, a tech tree. In order to unlock a Harpoon gun, you need to unlock and build a knife and a propulsion cannon. To make a grapple gun, you need to unlock and build the harpoon gun and find some creepvine.

The thing is, unlike in MC, you would get the materials back after the "research" is done. It's literally just taking the technologies. Then, after you get the stuff back, you would have the blueprint in your library to build the new item.

Captain_Pyro

Yeah... no!
I know what you mean and what i mean is not the specific mechanical differences but the whole "this resembles a pointy piece of metal and this is sort of a launching device! Let's make a harpoon by mashing them together!"

Much technology. Very science.

The_Shark

Captain_Pyro wrote: »

Yeah... no!
I know what you mean and what i mean is not the specific mechanical differences but the whole "this resembles a pointy piece of metal and this is sort of a launching device! Let's make a harpoon by mashing them together!"

Much technology. Very science.

Don't think I'm not aware of how incredibly illogical that particular combination would be. I was using it as an example to better explain the concept.

Captain_Pyro

Hmm, okay, to be fair, do you have a handfull of quick other examples? Because i can't really think of good stuff to create by this method. Maybe to discover workbench options have the original item and the upgrade material.

The_Shark

Whoops, sorry, I was away for a bit. Anyway, lemme think...
I do like that idea:

Captain_Pyro wrote: »

Maybe to discover workbench options have the original item and the upgrade material.

So maybe... like, to get the heat knife, you research a knife and... I dunno, some heat-thingy. If, as most people assume, UWE is going to add temperature into the game, there will likely be a room you can put in your base to make the temperature higher or lower, and overall more survivable. So, maybe that particular room would involve some type of alien crystal, or perhaps an organic material (something from the lava biome, maybe?). Put that material and a knife in the researcher-machine-doohicky and get the workbench plans for a heated knife.