Matrix Games Forums

[center][font="Arial"]More (& rebalanced) wonders[/font][/center]

---

F.A.Q.

What is this ?
Again, a work in progress modification providing more wonders to build.

Why wonders ?
The way facilities modding work is more or less a joke, I wish it was more simple, a name, and then a list of effects +/- happiness +/- income +/- growth, perfect exemple is GalCiv 2. But it's not possible, the only way to actually mimic that is to add small wonders.

How many ?
Added the max possible, wich is 17 more for the max allowed of 50 facilities (again what a joke !!! WHY a limit ?!)

Rebalanced ?
Yes, giving a +50% Energy/HighTech/Weapons bonus for a wonder is, in my opinion, completely unbalanced. They way I see it, WONDERS ARE SUPPOSED TO GIVE YOU AN EDGE, not victory on a plate ...

---

Again, it is extracted from my personnal mod, I'm very bored by the small number and completely overpowered wonders, so I added new ones and cut the original bonus by half (at least).
A small modification in the tech tree was necessary (again ... WHY ?!, the tech necessary should be in the facilities.txt !) so this is incompatible with mods altering the research.txt file.


Here are the new :

---

[font="Arial"]Economic Direction Unit
The Economic Direction Unit standarization and managment of financials operations greatly enhance the economic output of the planet it is built on. Income is increased for the colony with this wonder.
+5% Development +5% Colony Income
(continental world only)

Merchant Trade Complex
This massive complex allows merchants to coordinate trade across the planet for optimal trade efficiency. Income is increased for the colony with this wonder.
+10% Development +25% Colony Income

Malicious Bazaar
The malicious bazaar sends our most ruthless merchants into action in an effort to win the best deals, increasing its development. Increases the income for every colony in an empire.
+10% Development +5% Empire Income

Molecular Fabricator
Guiding chemical reactions by positioning reactive molecules with atomic precision, it offer unrivalled power of construction. Construction speed is increased for all ships and bases built at the colony with this wonder.
+15% Development +80% Construction Speed

Stellar Forge
The Stellar Forge is an empire's crowning achievement in the domain of spatial construction. Construction speed is increased for all ships and bases built at the colony with this wonder.
+10% Development +200% Construction Speed

Interstellar Refinery
This station based on the last technology available gets its power from a core tap into the planet. Construction speed is increased for all ships and bases built at the colony with this wonder.
+10% Development +50% Construction Speed

Aquatic Transport Stations
Aquatic Transport allow transportation at great speed across the whole planet, significantly increasing its efficiency. Development and construction speed are increased.
+15% Development +75% Construction Speed
(aquatic world only)

Hyperion Matrix
The corporate headquarters of a colossal state company which work on better work condition and ethics. Increases the happiness for the colony.
+5% Development +5% Colony Happiness

Zero-G Amusement
Nothing provides a better reminder of home than our ability to adjust gravity for every condition. Now the population can enjoy the amusement of variable gravity in big themed park. Increases the happiness for the colony.
+10% Development +25% Colony Happiness

Social Matrix
The Social Matrix sets up a system in which the population of a planet can quickly interact with another planet. Increases the happiness for every colony in an empire.
+10% Development +5% Empire Happiness

Temporal Entertainment
For anyone homesick, this construction will remind the feel of home, its history and geography. Increases the happiness for the colony.
+5% Development +10% Colony Happiness

Restaurant of Eternity
This incredible restaurant built on an outstanding scenic location is renowned is the universe. Increases the happiness for the colony.
+10% Development +10% Colony Happiness

Gaia Vortex
The corporate headquarters of a colossal state company which work on enhanced atmospheric conditions on every planets. Increases the population growth rate for every colony in an empire.
+5% Development +5% Empire Pop Growth

Biosphere Modulator
The biosphere modulator modify the climate and biosphere of a planet, increasing its development significantly. The population growth rate is increased for the colony with this wonder.
+10% Development +10% Colony Pop Growth

Precursor Archive
Buried deep in the planet reside a copy of a long extinct civilization copy of their knowledge. Provides a HighTech research bonus for the empire.
+10% Development +5% Empire HighTech Research

Dark Energy Lab
The Dark Energy Lab super project allows us to make use of dark energy as part of our military research. Provides a Weapons research bonus for the empire.
+10% Development +5% Empire Weapons Research

Innovation Complex
The innovation complex is a super project that celebrates the ingenuity of our empire. Provides an Energy research bonus for the empire.
+10% Development +5% Empire Energy Research[/font]

---

And now here are the originals (and nerfed) :

---

[font="Arial"]Bakuras Highspeed Shipyards
+10% Development +100% Construction Speed

Merkidor Planetary Fortress
+10% Development +50% Bonus Defense

Holographic Network
+10% Development +20% Colony Happiness

Traders Bazaar
+10% Development +15% Colony Income

Advanced Medicomplex
+10% Development +15% Colony Pop Growth

Holographic Universe
+15% Development +10% Empire Happiness

Koloros Medical Academy
+15% Development +10% Empire Pop Growth

Danuta Engineering Center
+15% Development +10% Empire Energy Research

Rusan Technology Installation
+15% Development +10% Empire HighTech Research

Casidor Weapons Facility
+15% Development +10% Empire Weapons Research

Trade Guild
+15% Development +10% Empire Income

Universal Hive
+35% Development

Galactic Archives
+35% Development

Lava Palace Resort
+35% Development

Underwater Palace
+35% Development[/font]

---

Download :
V 0.4


Files modified :
research.txt
facilities.txt
Files added :
images\environment\planetaryFacilities\facility_33.png
TO
images\environment\planetaryFacilities\facility_49.png


Note :
- This is a WIP, it needs testing and balance, which I'm doing right now. I'm also thinking about making some wonders race specific (by including in race specific tech), growth rate wonder for low growth rate races, etc ...
- Wonders names and most description are from GalCiv 2.
- Images used are from deviantart.
- Ideas are welcome.
- Permission is granted to use this for whatever you want, a post here to keep me informed would be welcome.

This is a great idea! The new wonders are very creative, can't wait to try this out. Thank you.

This looks excellent. I'm very excited this & the governments mods. Thanks dwaine.

Thank you for this the original wonders were way too powerful!

Big fan of this!

ORIGINAL: dwain
A small modification in the tech tree was necessary (again ... WHY ?!, the tech necessary should be in the facilities.txt !) so this is incompatible with mods altering the research.txt file.

Well darn it now I see that I cannot use this mod as I am using a tech mod. I really hope they fix this! [:(]

Great work! Fan of GalCiv too [:)] I'll put my 2c:

The Economic Direction Unit can replicate a wide variety of precious items

IMO not fitting into the common DW tech level. Maybe "can mass-produce"? Big automated factory sounds better than replicator.

Is it intended for Aquatic transport to be in Ice colonizing tech? And I suggest this as image for it.

Gaia and Hyperion are too early, IMO.

And I don't rememeber correctly - do that bonuses stack? If not, then there's empire-wide effect wonders have a lesser sense.

New version available, V 0.4, this is much easier and faster to balance hence the 0.4.

Something is strange about the economic bonus, it's like it is not correponding to anything ...
At 50% tax, 105% dvpnt & 3'000 M people. 5% bonus in income is
-> without : 23 k
-> with : 25 k
+ 2 K which is a +10% ... WTF

At 15% tax, 105% dvpnt & 10'000 M people. 5% bonus in income is
-> without : 30 k
-> with : 33 k
+ 3 K which is again +10%

(Did both with a "normal" income gov)
I don't get it, I really don't ...
And I can't move the hyperion matrix right now, I should add new tech, I don't want to do that, it's ice where it is. For the moment.

Changelog :
- Aquatic transport station now available for ocean colo as it shoul be, instead of ice colo.
- Changed aquatic transport station pic, thanks Dd_01.
- Terraforming facility moved to ice & volcanic reasearch.
- Casidor technology no longer available for both armaments research AND advanced weapons research.
- Economic direction unit now built only on continental. Goal is that every race starting with a continental homeworld will start it at the start of the game, and the other races will focus on hyperion matrix.
- Economic direction unit now cost 3k maintenance, profitable when 5 billions and + pop on the planet it's built on.
- Economic direction unit now have a new desc, thanks Dd_01 for pointing the nonsense.
- Slightly rebalanced economic wonders.
- Overall, reduced the dvpnt bonus.
- Made gaia vortex ice planet only and available at the very beginning, this should hopefully boost (a little) ugnari growth rate !
- Overall : 2 types of wonders ; "small" 50k cost + 10k maintenance ; "big" 100k cost + 20k maintenance, with 2 to 2.5 more effect than the small.
- Tweaked various costs.

Thanks for the update [:)] Great mod, really like it.

Something is strange about the economic bonus, it's like it is not correponding to anything ...

Hmmm, checked this out. That's strange, as a many things related to numbers in this game.

Thanks dwaine [:)]

Does the AI "know" how to use the new wonders?

I had played not much for now, but the AI definitely built some.

There's empty tech "Armaments research" between science wonder techs.

This mod really changes the game, as I always build all wonders by myself. Now it'll be different [:)]

Yes, they definitely do !
If you play on "suggest facilities", everytime you have a popup asking you to build wonder X on Y colony, the AI will receive the same thing and will always agree to build it. This way you can see if wonders are working. And they do, I just need to find a way to "guide" the AI to build them faster than the player.

Armaments research is indeed empty, it was were casidor weapons wonder was, but moved it a tech level ahead.
I'm trying to avoid the civilization syndrom (every wonders in the player's capital) by putting some early wonders with planet restrictions. Early empire pop growth wonder (Gaia Vortex) for exemple is only for ice planets, wich means only naxilians & ugnaris can build it in their capital, hopefully the ugnaris to boost their low growth rate.
I continue balancing that and once done I will release it and check for easy mod integration. After that I will go back to balance my government mod, which is extremely painful to do . . .

And devs, if you read this PLEASE up the limit to something like 500 instead of 50, this IS ridiculous !

Really good.

Only suggestion is that if you add more wonders, make sure the development bonuses taper off as you go up the tech tree since money's plentiful enough at that point anyways.

Using Galactic Civilizations 2 buildings eh?

Can't say I'm not happy with that.

Thank you dwaine.

About money, my only real concern is about maintenance, i'm thinking about double or triple the initial cost. For exemple, the income wonders which work only for the planet, i made them so they are only profitable on a colony with a sizeable population, they must be useful on sprcific occasions, not the overpowered vanilla ones. It still need balancing, but for now i'm pretty happy with this. I already reached the max capacity of facilities (50) and would love to add more, i asked two times for increased limits, but i have been completely ignored.

Yes, giving a +50% Energy/HighTech/Weapons bonus for a wonder is, in my opinion, completely unbalanced. They way I see it, WONDERS ARE SUPPOSED TO GIVE YOU AN EDGE, not victory on a plate ...

Note that those wonders do not actually give an empire-wide bonus, but rather a locational bonus similar to that given by Supernovae, Gas Giants, and Neutron stars... Which means it does not stack with those bonuses. Ironically, it also makes it so that the first empire who gets those research bonuses no longer benefit from any research locations whatsoever, since none of them come close to matching the +50% bonus that vanilla ones give.

However, 5% bonus also means that if you have any research locations with bonuses higher than 5%, then the associated wonders are completely useless and a waste of maintenace...

Note that those wonders do not actually give an empire-wide bonus, but rather a locational bonus similar to that given by Supernovae, Gas Giants, and Neutron stars... Which means it does not stack with those bonuses. Ironically, it also makes it so that the first empire who gets those research bonuses no longer benefit from any research locations whatsoever, since none of them come close to matching the +50% bonus that vanilla ones give.

However, 5% bonus also means that if you have any research locations with bonuses higher than 5%, then the associated wonders are completely useless and a waste of maintenace...

Absolutly NOT !
First, read the article in the galactopedia, it is written, for the Casidor Weapons Facility :

"Casidor Weapons Facility
Center for development and testing of radical new weaponry. Provides a +100% Weapons research bonus for the empire. It also provides a +30% development bonus to the colony.

To build the Casidor Weapons Facility you must first research the project Armaments Research in the Research Laboratories section of the HighTech tech tree."


Second, in the game text, it says :

' 3=EmpireResearchWeapons: boost weapons research for empire
' 4=EmpireResearchEnergy: boost energy research for empire
' 5=EmpireResearchHighTech: boost hightech research for empire

Just to be sure, I also did a test within the game, and the +50% is indeed for the total output of reasearch in the whole empire as said above and not the planet it's on.

So I stick with my actual bonuses.

Let me try to explain how location-based benefits work.

Basically, Your research labs have locations. If you put a scientist with +25% High Tech at that location, then your location bonus is +25%, this bonus is empire wide. Note that multiple locations will compete eachother with bonuses, as only one bonus can be applied at a time. So that location with +25% High Tech automatically ignores all those other locations that have less than 25% high tech. So that 17% High Tech Gas giant? Worthless. Note that you can stack scientist skills with innate location bonus, so you can assign that +25% High Tech scientist to that location with +17% High Tech and get a total +42% High Tech bonus, which, again, means that any bonus below 42% is ignored.

What wonders do is provide a +50% Research bonus to that particular field. So assigning a +25% Scientist to a planet with +50% gives you +75%, which will apply to your whole empire. As I said previously, it also makes any location with below +75% research bonus completely worthless.

The end result is that, due to nerfing it to 5%, if you have a research 'location' that has 5% or above bonus, then it makes the wonder completely useless.