hey, since the forums at impulse gone dead for the timebeing, i will be showing you the tech tree suggestion here.
a proper progress bar, not the most important, but it adds another little nice graphic appeal.
what i did was remaking the research bar into generals sections, ie - powerplant, mining and def drone are all on the same icon.
notice that i scaled down the resources icons, i think they are tad big and we could use that space if we go along the suggested tech tree.
i gave the player the option to aquire all the tech needed without finding or awarding it. i think it could be better if the player could still get all the tech, even at much larger cost than usual, than having to never get them.
i havent decided yet if it will be better to make it a linear progression, ie - you have to research the first missile to get the homing one, make it that the player can only research one weapon from each category or let the player simple choose what ever he wants.
the pros in this last option - more options, the player can get all the tech he needs, therefore making it a richer game in content for him.
the cons - no thinking involved. the player can just sit back home and turtle all the tech he needs to sweep through the galaxy. hardly any replayability since the player see all the tech in one game.
i am leaning toward a one choice from each weapon/upgrade category, excluding the essential stuff like buildings, and letting the player get the extra technology from looting it from the sectors - with this option the tech in each sector will have to be randomized in order to avoid the fact that the player will know what he will get in loot and therefor not research it. this option makes the game much more replayable.
if you approve of this tech tree suggestion, i will start making all of the icons needed for it, along with a better sub-research interface.
if not - throw in a direction you have in mind and i will try and visualise it.
and last, a quick progress on the victory screen. escort model - 50% done. alien model - about 70%
dread - 0%.