Like I said previously, point costs can be adjusted if something is particularly useful, so I did that with Vision Network. It costs 2 points now.
Also so its not confusing if someone wants to make more outpost crystals later, outpost levels don't work on the general 20ish one scaled off the ability of the focusing crystal, theres only 5: Minor, Major, Greater, Superior, Core Subcommand. (Minor is one point, the rest follow the normal 1+1.5* level point cost except for the subcommanders, which I'll put a cost together for when we get to their point) Access to higher ones than major is similar to core upgrades (gotta find an upgrade, or research enough); to make Core subcommanders, we will need to know how to replicate the core in its entirety first, because they are basically mini-cores. Thinking about changing data storage to a smaller scale as well (up to 10 or so instead of 20, without the outpost limitations) since its not exactly capacity-related like normal storage; it just does more things when you upgrade it. Any thoughts on that?
Cycle 47Back at the reactor shaft...
Amethyst 1: You people. You've done nothing to it yet? At least you weren't completely lazy, you have proper res gear now. Volt, give me your left boot's left transknife.
Volt: When the fuck did you find out where I hide my transknife Kor.
Kor: When I saw you put it away as I walked back over here. Now either hand me it or go check if the crystal's discharged yourself.
*catch*
Gah! [muttering, too quiet to determine] Oi, mechanic. Do you have a spare set of heat gloves here?
Mechanic Amethyst: No.
Kor: Are you wearing yours then?
Mechanic Amethyst: Yes.
Kor: Come try this instead of me then. That burst hurt for such a small cut. it didn't even cut part of the crystal off, just an incision.
Mechanic Amethyst: Fine.
He then activates a helmet-closing function, lets go of the shaft wall and drops onto the crystal, takes the transknife from Kor, and begins to cut into the Arms crystal where Kor left off. As it cuts, the energy being released from the arms crystal arcs into the heat gloves, which heat up. You note the Amethysts seem to have a thing for descriptively named objects. This continues for less than a subcycle before the mechanic stops, the outside of the gloves glowing with heat but still intact. Some sort of system inside the gloves lets out steam for quite some time before you can see again, when you can the gloves are back to normal and the transknife blade is completely melted, the hilt's outer casing has melted onto the arms crystal similar to a plastic of somekind, and the innards, including the laser emitter, look unsalvageable but not melted. The one called Volt punches the one called Kor and mentions Kor owing him two transknives and counting, and expects them as soon as this crystal business is over. He then pulls a second transknife out of his left boot and chucks it at the mechanic, who continues to cut. A few subcycles and several dozen transknives later, the arms crystal looks like a mess with all the melted blade and casing material and discarded broken hilts, but the mechanic has successfully removed a corner of the top of the column of arms crystal with only some heavy scorching on his gear (but no apparent significant damage) and smoke rising from the heat gloves long after the steam dissipates. The mechanic then steps off of the crystal, but doesn't reopen his helmet.
Seeing the success, Kor takes the fragment and turns to leave without a word, only to be bodyslammed by Volt in the direction of the teleporter. Volt then makes his leave as well, muttering too quietly to precisely decode but in the most violence-laden tone you've heard since landing here. The last time you'd heard anything similar to such a tone was long, long ago, when the
Prime Crystal had decided to be sporting and engage in a shoot out with some space pirates instead of ignoring their transmissions until they stopped due to having been rammed by something magnitudes larger than their craft.
As you explore the fortress, you find a couple oddly shaped room before finding out what they are on closer inspection: A rather tall and full of holoprojectors and books room, probably a library of some sort or the strategy room, an enclosed command room with two teleporters above the second level of the medical center, and the giant room furthest right you could not see the roof of through the partially-assimilated forgite is not a room at all, it is a landing pad. Looking a bit further, that seems to be the extent of the fortress, you only see ground ahead. So you put together some more crystal types instead, since it doesn't hurt to have more: An enhanced Farseer and a second-level outpost. You carefully realign Outposts Cavern, Fortress, and Smoothed to the new Overseer type, but still describe them as Outposts for simplicity and leave Outpost Elevatus alone. You then improve the processor crystals above you directly, into Research crystals, and with that branch out the research into more detailed sections, not simply 'General research'. A couple crystals later, you've run out of energy for the cycle.
The left:
The fortress:
Integrity: Intact
Detection: Yes. (not as a sentient crystal though, thus the yellow instead of the red)
Max fabrication cost: 15k
Stored Energy: 4,075
Storage effect: Of course theres no effect, you've past 1 million in maximum safe capacity and then some!
Energy Generation:
Core: 100/cycle
Low-Q: 0 @ 20/cycle - 0/cycle
Refined: 3807 @ 50/cycle - 190,350/cycle
Repair Crystal: 151 @ 50/cycle - 7,550/cycle
Med-As. [8]: 459 @ 130/cycle - 59,670/cycle
Med-As. [5]: 906 @ 100/cycle - 90,600/cycle
Med-As. [4]: 344 @ 90/cycle - 30,960/cycle
Med-As. [3]: 1358 @ 80/cycle - 108,640/cycle
Total Energy production: 487,870/cycle
Research Distribution (parenthesis is new unassigned crystal):
Movement - 6
Camouflage - 6
Durability - 6
Weaponry - 6
Energy Efficiency - 6
Storage Efficiency - 6
Non-Typical Crystalline Formations - 6
Containment/Protection(hazardous materials/energy) - 6
Core - 30
Forgite - 10
Amethysts - 6
Amethysts technology - 10
Proxian Glyphs - 6
Proxians - 3
Geology/Environment/Astrology - 3
Location: Subsurface/Amidstfortress of an unknown planet with two races on it.
Navy Blue - Crystal core
Teal - Low-Q crystals
Light Blue - Refined crystals
Orange w/ black S - Storage crystals
Brighter Orange w/ black S - High-Density Storage Crystal
Orangeish Red w/ black S - Energy Vault Crystal
Grey/Black/Navy Striped - Partially Assimilated Forgite
Black/Navy Striped - Attuned Forgite
Dark Cyan - Feeler Crystal
Turquoise with small diamond - Farseer Crystal
Purple/Orchid - Focusing Crystal
Orange /w Light Green outline - Shield Crystal
Purpleish - Repair Crystal
Dark Cyan w/black cross-shaped overlay - Arms Crystal
Gold w/ blue S - Processor Crystal
Blue w/ gold S - Research Crystal
Gold w/ blue infinity - Server Crystal
---
Dark Brown - Empty underground space
Light Brown - Dirt or other non-solid material
Grey - Rock
Sky Blue - Empty inside or aboveground space
Teal w/brown diamond - Low-assimilation matter
Teal w/grey diamond - Medium-assimilation matter
Grey/Black Striped - Forgite
Sky Blue w/small diamond - Mobile thing
Sky Blue w/ rectangle outline - Door
Sky Blue w/ question mark - [Unknown tech]
Sky Blue w/ inverted Amethyst T - Amethyst impact-teleporter tech
Sky Blue w/ Amethyst T - Amethyst normal-teleporter tech
Sky Blue w/ Amethyst O - Amethyst force microshield tech
Black - Unknown
---
Red cross-shaped overlay - Damaged
Red X overlay - Heavily damaged
Core Crystal
Your core. If this can be replicated, you don't remember how.
Energy production: 100/cycle
Low Quality Crystal
Created by converting materials not able to become better tiers, like dirt.
Energy production: 20/cycle.
Fabrication cost: 100 energy, nearby material.
Refined Crystal
Created by converting solid materials, like rock. Also made by refining the structure of Low quality crystals.
Energy production: 50/cycle
Fabrication cost: 200 energy, nearby solid material.
Refinement cost: 400 energy, LQ crystal connected to the core. (300 if adjacent to another refined crystal)
Level reference: Lv.1 energy production (Refined-level)
Storage Crystal
A hunk of additional crystal, giving you more room to store energy without side effects.
No energy production
Fabrication cost: 200 energy and 1 empty space per section. Connected storage sections give greater results than scattered ones. In emergencies, the empty space can be replaced with 100 energy and a low quality crystal.
Level reference: Lv.0 Storage bonus (for storage calculation, for point fabrication treat this as part of No energy production)
---
Feeler Crystal
Little more than a hunk of crystal, but a sturdy scout nonetheless.
No energy production
Fabrication cost: 1,250 energy (2.5 points).
Refined Conversion cost: 625 energy
Level reference: Freebuild, Removed energy production
Farseer Crystal
An excellent companion to the feeler. Energy production alignments have been realigned for exceptional sensory range instead.
No energy production
Fabrication cost: 3,000 energy (6 points)
Level reference: Extended Vision 6 (9 total vision), Removed energy production
Palantir Crystal
I see you.
No energy production
Fabrication cost: 12,250 energy (24.5 points), 6,125 energy to upgrade from Farseer.
Level reference: Vision Network (+1 sight range for every 4 crystals of this type connected), Extended Vision 17 (20 total), Base: Farseer (Refined)
High-Density Storage Crystal
Store more, hold more, contain more, add more synonyms here.
No energy production
Fabrication cost: 750 energy (1.5 points) or 375 energy (if converting from base storage), 1 empty space per section or 1 storage crystal each.
Level reference: Storage bonus 3, Base: Storage
Energy Vault Crystal
[additional synonyms for 'More space!' continued from the High-density description]
No energy production
Fabrication cost: 3,000 energy (6 points) or 1,500 energy (if converting from lower storage), 1 empty space per section or 1 storage crystal each.
Level reference: Storage bonus 6, Base: Storage
Focusing Crystal
Half conduit, half relay point, all-around pretty useful crystal.
No energy production
Fabrication cost: 3,250 energy (6.5 points), not adjacent to other outposts or core.
Level reference: Outpost minor, Energy transformation 5 (-25% to energy costs within 3 tiles), Removed energy production.
Overseer Crystal
Can do things, unlike the Focusing crystal. (Not greatly, but progress is progress)
No energy production
Fabrication cost: 11,750 energy (23.5 points), not adjacent to other outposts or core. 5,875 energy to upgrade from Focusing crystal, empty space and full cost required to upgrade from base storage crystal.
Level reference: Outpost major, Energy transformation 5 (-25% to energy costs within 3 tiles), Durability 3, Data Storage 3 (basically dumb AI, more general-purpose than the version in the Server crystals), General Oversight 6 (basic independent capabilities if cutoff from core (from lv.5), emergency energy generation of 1/subcycle when cutoff (from lv.6), Base: Focusing/Storage (data variant).
Attuned Forgite
Created by looping energy into the forgite until the vibration aligns itself with the crystals.
No energy production, but would be an excellent conduit if fully integrated.
Reflects energy pulse (cannot accumulate power from area blocked off with this)
Fabrication cost: 6,000+ energy (more will take less time to align, but over 8k will destroy nearby Low-Q), nearby Forgite or partially-assimilated forgite.
Special: Tech-echo (reveals empty space or technological parts in nearby material if pulsed, normal sight radius)
Shield Crystal
Not particularly great cover. But it should work.
No energy production, storage converted to camouflage.
Fabrication cost: 2,500 energy (5 points)
Level reference: Extended Vision (4 total), Durability 4, Base: Storage
Repair Crystal
A good helper.
Energy production: 50/cycle
Fabrication cost: 4,750 energy (9.5 points)
Level reference: Repair 5 (-25% to cost of non-severe repairs, autostabilizes ruined Low-Q within 3 tiles at minimal survival amount.)
Processor Crystal
Because doing everything yourself is slow and complicated.
No energy production, stores data instead of energy.
Fabrication cost: 5,000 energy (10 points)
Level reference: Research 8 (tier 1 speed, almost 2), Base: Storage (Data variant)
Arms Crystal
Avast! Yar've been boarded! *pew*
No (internal) energy production
Fabrication cost: 5,250 energy (10.5 points)
Level reference: Base: Feeler (Refined), Durability 3, Energy Blast 4 (untested weapon: aimed shot, usable for AI in theory, rather unlikely for AV at this level)
Research Crystal
*ominous hummm*
No energy production, stores data instead of energy.
Fabrication cost: 13,500 energy (27 points), 6,750 energy to converting up from processor crystal.
Level reference: Research 20 (T4), Base: Storage (Data variant)
Server Crystal
Its more of a Data Overseer, but you thought of this name first.
No energy production, stores data instead of energy.
Fabrication cost: 4,250 energy (8.5 points), 2,125 energy to convert up from processor crystal.
Level reference: Research Oversight 5 (somewhat better chance for early happenings), Data Storage 3 (Can support research in general ways as well as store data effectively), Base: Storage (Data variant)
---
Assimilated matter conversion cost: Remainder of the cost to crystal form +50 per cycle its been there.
Low-assimilation matter
Created by not fully converting low-tier matter.
Will crumble into dust in 5 cycles, leaving an empty space.
Energy production: 50/40/30/20/10 per cycle. Crumbles on the next energy pulse once it hits 10/cycle.
Fabrication cost: 50 energy, nearby material.
Medium-assimilation matter
Created by not fully converting matter eligible to become Refined Crystal.
Will degenerate into low-assimilated matter in 10 cycles.
Energy production: 150/140/130/120/110/100/90/80/70/60 per cycle. Degenerates on next pulse after reaching 60/cycle.
Fabrication cost: 100 energy, nearby solid material.
Partially Assimilated Forgite
Created by dumping energy into forgite until it weakens enough for you to get in.
Does not degrade from energy pulse
Does not produce energy
Vibrates if overloaded with energy, very heavily resistant to energy otherwise.
Fabrication cost: 1,500+ energy (extra will produce vibrations, too much vibration will shatter nearby Low-Q), nearby Forgite.
For ebbor's post, perhaps ironically, if you don't add anything else both the improved energy crystals we can make are identical except for freebuild with our current limit. the biggest energy production crystal we could currently make would cost 20 points (10k energy), require a refined crystal, and make 400/cycle. Trying to step up one more level would be 40 points (20k energy) and make 800/cycle. The biggest
freebuild energy producer we could currently make would be also 20 points [5 for energy level 2, 5 for freebuild, then freebuild triples the energy cost to 15] (10k energy) and make 100/cycle. Stepping up one more freebuild energy level would be 35 points (17,500 energy) and only make 100 more energy per cycle. Hi-Q crystal would make 1k/cycle if we found good enough material for it.