There are a number of issues with the existing science ship survey mechanics. 1) Survey time is meaningless 2) Rare exploration techs are useless 3) There is no late game exploration game. 4) Players are frustrated through not being able to find anomalies, and it not being clear why this is the case.
So I'd like to see a thorough revamp that will address, perhaps indirectly, concerns people have, remain generally balanced, and greatly enhance the exploration side of the game greatly especially in the mid-late stages.
Some players have suggested allowing re-surveying of planets already surveyed to discover new anomalies. I'm going to come straight out and say I think this is a bad idea, because it is effectively a buff for empires that open their borders to lots of AIs, since anomalies add resources to planets.
Instead I recommend a system like this.
Surveys occur at multiple levels (new concept)
The base survey is a star chart. This is base map level, nothing more, it's what you get from curators and when you are sharing maps with your federation, when you trade star charts, etc.
It tells you what resources the planet has, and when you have a star chart, you also know at what 'survey depth' the planet has been analysed. You do not and can not discover anomalies from charts. It is instantaneous upon your science ship arriving at each planetary body (i.e. time 1 day).
The first 'deep survey' is an atmosphere to base surface analysis. This is available from start, or from a very early tech. It would take a substantial amount of time - a base time of 100 days, meaning survey time reductions will become a measurable benefit. It will discover some anomalies, but not all. It could reasonably be required before colonising planets (so teaching AI would be important).
The second 'deep survey' is a surface to core analysis. This is a mid-game tech. The base time will be 200 days. Same concept.
The third 'deep survey' is a geological and archaelogical history analysis. This would be a late-game tech. Base time is 400 days. It represents a precise and accurate 3D map of the planet's interior and a complex analysis of all life and geology.
Interface wise, you would choose, with each science ship, whether you are charting, or deep surveying at some level. Survey system or automatic exploration will proceed through each level that has not yet been done on every planetary body, up to the level you have selected - explore or survey, your choice! I would imagine the AI will function best if it just has the maximum depth available from tech selected at all times (an AI cheat to survey a colony it wants might be justified, but maybe not necesssary).
Most existing anomalies could be discovered at the first or second levels, the final stage allows some late-game complications. You could even move precursor anomalies to the final level (noting that precursor chains might yet be best handled outside, or primarily outside, the anomaly system)
Note that the times are deliberately high. Your rare exploration techs will be meaningful at all stages of the game.
So I'd like to see a thorough revamp that will address, perhaps indirectly, concerns people have, remain generally balanced, and greatly enhance the exploration side of the game greatly especially in the mid-late stages.
Some players have suggested allowing re-surveying of planets already surveyed to discover new anomalies. I'm going to come straight out and say I think this is a bad idea, because it is effectively a buff for empires that open their borders to lots of AIs, since anomalies add resources to planets.
Instead I recommend a system like this.
Surveys occur at multiple levels (new concept)
The base survey is a star chart. This is base map level, nothing more, it's what you get from curators and when you are sharing maps with your federation, when you trade star charts, etc.
It tells you what resources the planet has, and when you have a star chart, you also know at what 'survey depth' the planet has been analysed. You do not and can not discover anomalies from charts. It is instantaneous upon your science ship arriving at each planetary body (i.e. time 1 day).
The first 'deep survey' is an atmosphere to base surface analysis. This is available from start, or from a very early tech. It would take a substantial amount of time - a base time of 100 days, meaning survey time reductions will become a measurable benefit. It will discover some anomalies, but not all. It could reasonably be required before colonising planets (so teaching AI would be important).
The second 'deep survey' is a surface to core analysis. This is a mid-game tech. The base time will be 200 days. Same concept.
The third 'deep survey' is a geological and archaelogical history analysis. This would be a late-game tech. Base time is 400 days. It represents a precise and accurate 3D map of the planet's interior and a complex analysis of all life and geology.
Interface wise, you would choose, with each science ship, whether you are charting, or deep surveying at some level. Survey system or automatic exploration will proceed through each level that has not yet been done on every planetary body, up to the level you have selected - explore or survey, your choice! I would imagine the AI will function best if it just has the maximum depth available from tech selected at all times (an AI cheat to survey a colony it wants might be justified, but maybe not necesssary).
Most existing anomalies could be discovered at the first or second levels, the final stage allows some late-game complications. You could even move precursor anomalies to the final level (noting that precursor chains might yet be best handled outside, or primarily outside, the anomaly system)
Note that the times are deliberately high. Your rare exploration techs will be meaningful at all stages of the game.
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