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[piemantheman]

Perhaps you could have different groups of research you could choose to actively research,like steam based contraptions or elder witch sciences that could have different risks for each group.

[Darkmere]

Perhaps you could have different groups of research you could choose to actively research,like steam based contraptions or elder witch sciences that could have different risks for each group.

Building on this (and I know this would be a lot of hand-work but I'm throwing it out anyway), what about a series of "colonial foundation" decisions that crop up from time to time due to random events or circumstances that affect all future developments at that colony?

For example: Jonas Cogswaggle is a Filthy Poet who finds an eldritch altar in the woods. The altar is inlaid with arcane designs that bewitch the eye and confound the mind.

Spoiler: Choose your response: (click to show/hide)

Choice 1: Cultural path

-All artists or public statuary becomes hauntingly twisted. General happiness increase, sanity decrease from people who view public works. (all further arts and crafts bear this tag, perhaps future development options to indirectly foster cults that improve citizen loyalty)
-Researchers speaking in tongues boosted our trade value with the natives! Unfortunately, they now semi-regularly kidnap lower-class townspeaople for their own purposes. But hey, more money! (immediate gameplay change to make the choice feel impactful)


Choice 2: Neutral

-Destroy that thing! Rocks without cogs on them are unnatural!
-No change.


Choice 3: Industrial path

-Eldritch stonedust is now mixed into construction mortar, making buildings more sturdy. Unfortunately, workers and soldiers occasionally become demoralized due to hearing the strange voices. (all future buildings have +% hitpoint equivalent)
-Destroying an ancient landmark to further progress has angered the natives! But the Empire lauds your commitment to progress, and you get better trade prices back home.

Eventually every colony would be churning out unique stuff according to the location and overseer's playstyle, without having to make a standard tech-tree. Just pick from the list of random events and let players do as they wish, or not.

[lordcooper]

I'd prefer the character to make that decision for themselves.

[Morrigi]

Perhaps you could have different groups of research you could choose to actively research,like steam based contraptions or elder witch sciences that could have different risks for each group.

Building on this (and I know this would be a lot of hand-work but I'm throwing it out anyway), what about a series of "colonial foundation" decisions that crop up from time to time due to random events or circumstances that affect all future developments at that colony?

For example: Jonas Cogswaggle is a Filthy Poet who finds an eldritch altar in the woods. The altar is inlaid with arcane designs that bewitch the eye and confound the mind.

Spoiler: Choose your response: (click to show/hide)

Choice 1: Cultural path

-All artists or public statuary becomes hauntingly twisted. General happiness increase, sanity decrease from people who view public works. (all further arts and crafts bear this tag, perhaps future development options to indirectly foster cults that improve citizen loyalty)
-Researchers speaking in tongues boosted our trade value with the natives! Unfortunately, they now semi-regularly kidnap lower-class townspeaople for their own purposes. But hey, more money! (immediate gameplay change to make the choice feel impactful)


Choice 2: Neutral

-Destroy that thing! Rocks without cogs on them are unnatural!
-No change.


Choice 3: Industrial path

-Eldritch stonedust is now mixed into construction mortar, making buildings more sturdy. Unfortunately, workers and soldiers occasionally become demoralized due to hearing the strange voices. (all future buildings have +% hitpoint equivalent)
-Destroying an ancient landmark to further progress has angered the natives! But the Empire lauds your commitment to progress, and you get better trade prices back home.

Eventually every colony would be churning out unique stuff according to the location and overseer's playstyle, without having to make a standard tech-tree. Just pick from the list of random events and let players do as they wish, or not.

I like this idea. It could create a much more emergent gameplay style if it was done properly.

[Farmerbob]

Eventually every colony would be churning out unique stuff according to the location and overseer's playstyle, without having to make a standard tech-tree. Just pick from the list of random events and let players do as they wish, or not.

I like this idea. It could create a much more emergent gameplay style if it was done properly.

I like the idea of technology development being based on the stats of the lead scientist.  Choose your lead scientist based on their stats and you will have some control over how your tech tree will advance.  If you don't like what they are doing, fire them and hire a new lead scientist.

In essence, I like the idea of something like DF's "artifact" generation system ported to steampunk technology improvement.  You never know exactly what you are going to get, but with some care, you can guide development in a desired direction.  Yes, you can control some aspects of artifact generation as an overseer in DF fortress mode, though most folks don't.

[Citizen Daniel]

We might try testing the concept of the characters choosing the techs, it's a neat opportunity to, again, tie the game's momentum to managing which people you put in charge is interesting, but we might end up not doing it if we can't clearly associate the choice of putting a specific person in charge to the sorts of research you get.

New blog post up, we either had too much coffee or not enough: [edit: this is not a new problem]

http://www.gaslampgames.com/2014/01/22/what-we-learned-at-steam-dev-days/

[EagleV]

This is looking great so far... No idea why I only just realised there was a CE thread in here.

I think the lead scientist idea is good, but I'd change it to the possibility of having multiple lead scientists, each with their own workforce and lab space. They could be subdivided in, for instance, biologists, engineers, and arcanist, and researchers (both lead and assistant) would work faster in their preferred fields. More funding / smarter assistants / better lab gear would result in a higher chance of (random) breaktroughs in that field. Of course, granting researchers access to extremely powerful machinery could have some undesirable side effects, especially if the scientist in question feels underappreciated. The discovery of Eldritch artifacts could also need a project leader, and depending on, for instance, the patience of that leader, the results could range from 'accidental activation of otherworld portal' to 'after years of research, we conclude that the object appears to be round in shape.'

I'm sorry if this has been said already - I only had time to read the first ten and last two pages. Anyway, I'll be watching this with interest.

[Puzzlemaker]

We might try testing the concept of the characters choosing the techs, it's a neat opportunity to, again, tie the game's momentum to managing which people you put in charge is interesting, but we might end up not doing it if we can't clearly associate the choice of putting a specific person in charge to the sorts of research you get.

New blog post up, we either had too much coffee or not enough: [edit: this is not a new problem]

http://www.gaslampgames.com/2014/01/22/what-we-learned-at-steam-dev-days/

Oh thank god, I was worried that feature wouldn't be included.  That's a load off my chest.  *Dons hat*

[Steelmagic]

We might try testing the concept of the characters choosing the techs, it's a neat opportunity to, again, tie the game's momentum to managing which people you put in charge is interesting, but we might end up not doing it if we can't clearly associate the choice of putting a specific person in charge to the sorts of research you get.

New blog post up, we either had too much coffee or not enough: [edit: this is not a new problem]

http://www.gaslampgames.com/2014/01/22/what-we-learned-at-steam-dev-days/

You had enough coffee, however you needed more hats.

[Farmerbob]

We might try testing the concept of the characters choosing the techs, it's a neat opportunity to, again, tie the game's momentum to managing which people you put in charge is interesting, but we might end up not doing it if we can't clearly associate the choice of putting a specific person in charge to the sorts of research you get.

New blog post up, we either had too much coffee or not enough: [edit: this is not a new problem]

http://www.gaslampgames.com/2014/01/22/what-we-learned-at-steam-dev-days/

You had enough coffee, however you needed more hats.

Agreed.  Why not make drink koozies that look like hats, then you can have hats and coffee at the same time?

[mendonca]

Who needs hats and coffee when you have mummery and frippery?

[Graknorke]

I see you've finally got your priorities sorted out. Hats are a core component of any successful game.

[Citizen Daniel]

I'm knee deep in small business accounting this week, so David wrote a post talking about the naming system he and I have been warring over / iterating on:

http://www.gaslampgames.com/2014/01/29/the-power-of-names/

[forsaken1111]

I'm knee deep in small business accounting this week, so David wrote a post talking about the naming system he and I have been warring over / iterating on:

http://www.gaslampgames.com/2014/01/29/the-power-of-names/

Will we have procedurally named horrors from beyond?

-goes to read-

[Farmerbob]

I'm knee deep in small business accounting this week, so David wrote a post talking about the naming system he and I have been warring over / iterating on:

http://www.gaslampgames.com/2014/01/29/the-power-of-names/

Will names be passed from generation to generation?  In my direct line there are six generations of men in a row with the exact same name, which could lead to some interesting confusion in the game.