Capturable Racial Techs (SEIV)
From SEWiki
Normally, racial technologies can not be owned by a race without the appropriate racial trait. However, we can set up technologies that require a racial trait to research, but not to trade or steal. Normal races can thusly gain access to the racial trait items through an empire with the racial trait (either directly or indirectly), but not otherwise.
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How it works mechanically
The racial area field for a tech area determines whether the technology is a Racial Tech or a Normal Tech. The number placed in this field is what determines what racial trait is required to research the technology. A race can not have a racial technology for which it does not possess the required racial trait. However, you can mod capturable racial technologies. Here is how it works (assume "you" are the empire without the racial trait):
Tech A is a racial tech
Tech B is a normal tech that requires tech A, level 1
Tech C is a normal tech that requires tech B, level 1
Results:
- you CANNOT steal/trade tech A
- you CANNOT research tech A
- you CAN steal/trade tech B
- you CANNOT research tech B
- you CAN steal/trade tech C
- you CAN research tech C, if you have stolen/traded tech B, level 1
Side Effects
All technologies that do not directly require a racial trait (groups B and C above) will be available to all races in a high tech start game.
Implementation
There are several ways to go about setting up capturable technologies. The first is to have the base theoretical technologies require the racial trait and the applied technologies require no racial trait. The applied technologies can thusly be stolen/traded by any race. Normal races can gain access to exactly the same items that the race possessing the original trait does. Let's use Organic Tech as an example.
Note: Facilities can not be analyzed for alien technology. None of the modifications discussed below need to be made to any facilities. Only components and ship/base hulls can be analyzed for technology.
Capturable but not Researchable Applied Racial Techs
First, we create an Organic Engineering tech area that requires possessing the Organic Tech trait. Next, create an Organic Technology tech area and an Organic Weapons tech area that both have Organic Engineering as a prerequisite, but no racial area. The Organic Engineering tech area can only be owned by empires with the Organic Tech racial trait. Once such an empire researches Organic Technology or Organic Weapons, they can trade them to a normal race, or the normal race can steal the techs through ship capture or intelligence. The normal race can not further develop either tech area, however, and is stuck with the levels stolen/traded for.
Capturable and Researchable Applied Racial Techs
If instead you want normal races to be able to research more levels of Organic Weapons technology, you must add another tech area. Lets call it Organic Racial Trait. This trait requires the Organic Race racial trait. It's purpose is to add a new layer in the A/B/C classification above, so it has a max level and start level of 1. Organic Engineering will be modified to require Organic Racial Trait tech area and no racial traits. Organic Technology and Organic Weapons require Organic Engineering and no racial traits. Any components that have Organic Technology or Organic Weapons as a prerequisite must also have Organic Engineering as a prerequisite. Now, when a normal race analyzes an organic ship, they will get a level of Organic Engineering and whatever tech area the items normally required. They will then be able to continue research in the relevant applied Organic tech area. This is the system implemented in this mod.
Downgraded Researchable Variant
The last method of implementation is more complicated. It does not allow non-racial empires to gain the racial tech items, but instead it allows them to get weakened versions of them. Modify the previous capturable/researchable sytem by making the Organic Weapons tech area have a racial requirement, but the Organic Engineering tech area would not. An Organic Based Weapons tech area would be added that requires Organic Engineering and no racial trait. Thus, when an empire analyzes a ship with any organic weapons, they would gain the Organic Engineering tech area and be able to research the newly opened Organic Based Weapons tech area.
Alternatively, you can make all components given by Organic Weapons require the Organic Manipulation Triat tech area. Then, add downgraded copies that do not require this tech area. This way, all races will share the same Organic Weapons tech area, but only races with the Organic Manipulation trait will be able to use the full strength weapons. Non-racial empires will have newly added weakened versions available to use.
