You wake up to the bothersome feelings of planetary reentry, and are confused. The Prime Crystal...
Crystalline Quest
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User Total Aklyon 27 -
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Cycle 0
You wake up to the bothersome feelings of planetary reentry, and are confused. The Prime Crystal shouldn't be anywhere near a planet, last you'd checked in with the navigation sector. There certainly hadn't been any announcements to do so. Theres absolutely no responces to your attempt at contacting the network either.
...The entire network is missing? Partially down for maintenance sure, but missing? The Prime Crystal is big enough to impersonate a small sun and has done so on at least one occasion! And there is light shielding to protect against loose space debris breaking things. How could it all go missing? The pirates can't do anything effective and they were the only aliens within reasonable communications range. Maybe there was an asteroid collision or something that didn't bounce off the shield and hit the surface, that does happen sometimes. Nothing of importance results from those, the repairs last less than a cycle and rarely even hit the same region as you, much less local sector. Although the crystalline nearby do get some free asteroid material to use afterwards.
Time to get back to work then...right. Planet. Gravity. This early-cycle is not off to a good start for you. Do you at least have your scanning array intact?
...Well this place is a mess, even by Crystalline experiment standards. There is the remains of at least a dozen empires down there, not to mention all of the accursed interference and leaking energies from who-knows-where...and your network access is still drawing a blank so you can't even get the name of the damn planet you'll soon lithobrake upon! There's still other crystal around you, so the network should be right..there...
...There's only some basic crystal surrounding your core. Which means something broke you off the Prime Crystal's surface. Which means you are on your own. Alone. Without the centuries of accumulated research data you had access to (not to mention all the data you would've gotten approved in a couple cycles!) only a single sleep session ago. This is going to suuuuuuuuck.
---
Where exactly on this ruined planet do we land, and what is our name?
Crater location:
[] This is fine: Crash in one of the few minimally-ruined areas. Which is not to say things are intact, but at worst it's just old tech that is both old and broken. Easy start, room to grow in peace.
[] A Wizard Did It: Crash near some magitech artifacts, things leaking magic, holes in reality, potential lost logia, the whole nine yards. Early access to Arcane research tree from all the interesting-but-magical surroundings. Non-magical artifacts are either trapped in pocket dimensions or require a lot of travel to find. Good luck.
[] Quantum Fuckups: Crash near some crashed spacecraft, malfunctioning high-tech death turrets, buildings that are larger inside than out, those sorts of things. Most of it is ruined, inoperable, or out of power, but what is still operational hasn't had maintenance since their source civ died and almost certainly considers you Not Friendly. Early access to High-Tech Materials research tree from all the nearby shinies. Magical artifacts are either trapped in alternate realities or require a lot of travel to find. Good luck.
[] Aggressive Negotiations: Crash near a suspiciously-new looking xeno-archaeology base placed midway between an extensive battlefield full of ruined technological terrors and a large floating island. Being a geological entity from space, having to deal with aliens (in both diplomacy or war) early on before you have significant energy reserves is not your forte. You'd rather research things in peace and occasionally ruin asteroids during your experiments. And they'll probably want to mine you and do other offensive things just because you aren't them!. Start with either Trait: Communicative Augmenta, or two of the following Warfare tree traits: Dampening Fields, Absorption Fields, Offensive Export, Explosive Entry. Hard mode start due to the competing nearby sentients.
Name:
[] Write-in.
---
Some background: We're a crystalline being (aka a space rock alien), unintentionally detached from the biggest collection of them in existence: the Prime Crystal. Crystalline generally take up about 10m of space in some form or another, the map is in squares because its easier to make the map using squares, not because we are sqaure. The Prime Crystal is a sphere, for example. Anyway, aside from consuming energy (or generating a small amount in emergencies), most true crystalline aboard are either bored or curious about what they're flying past in space. This has gotten the Prime Crystal as a whole a reputation as a highly-mobile scientific death trap full of crystal aliens to the parts of the galaxy unlucky enough to have been passed by.
Our protagonist however, does not have the amplified fusion reactors, capital ship-grade weaponry, or sheer mass of the Prime Crystal. They have their core, a small, quickly breaking up shell of basic-grade power and storage crystal, and a desire to get the hell off this planet, or at least meet back up with their research companions via hyper-range comms and get some colonial schematics. Preferably both, with some new artifacts to research on their way back. In the meantime, since they did not keep a full database of tech on them locally they need to rebuild their tech from the ground up to get off-planet. Perhaps learn some new stuff on the way there.
Also this is my first time running a quest, but not my first time running something on a forum: I've got an older version of this on the dwarf fortress forums. The two are on completely separate planets and the old mechanics are sorta a mess, so I'm not gonna link it here. Feel free to point out if I've screwed up and made something too cheap or other feedback on stuff, since while I did have help rebuilding the mechanics I wouldn't be surprised if something is a bit off with the numbers.
Most of the time we'll be exploring or tinkering with things as we find them (unless we start near the alien base or discover others), but all of the mechanics relevant to the quest (except the High-Tech Materials and Arcane trees, which I'll add as we discover them) are here, if you want to see what we can make from our own tech instead of stealing from what exists here after we land and explore our surroundings.
...The entire network is missing? Partially down for maintenance sure, but missing? The Prime Crystal is big enough to impersonate a small sun and has done so on at least one occasion! And there is light shielding to protect against loose space debris breaking things. How could it all go missing? The pirates can't do anything effective and they were the only aliens within reasonable communications range. Maybe there was an asteroid collision or something that didn't bounce off the shield and hit the surface, that does happen sometimes. Nothing of importance results from those, the repairs last less than a cycle and rarely even hit the same region as you, much less local sector. Although the crystalline nearby do get some free asteroid material to use afterwards.
Time to get back to work then...right. Planet. Gravity. This early-cycle is not off to a good start for you. Do you at least have your scanning array intact?
...Well this place is a mess, even by Crystalline experiment standards. There is the remains of at least a dozen empires down there, not to mention all of the accursed interference and leaking energies from who-knows-where...and your network access is still drawing a blank so you can't even get the name of the damn planet you'll soon lithobrake upon! There's still other crystal around you, so the network should be right..there...
...There's only some basic crystal surrounding your core. Which means something broke you off the Prime Crystal's surface. Which means you are on your own. Alone. Without the centuries of accumulated research data you had access to (not to mention all the data you would've gotten approved in a couple cycles!) only a single sleep session ago. This is going to suuuuuuuuck.
---
Where exactly on this ruined planet do we land, and what is our name?
Crater location:
[] This is fine: Crash in one of the few minimally-ruined areas. Which is not to say things are intact, but at worst it's just old tech that is both old and broken. Easy start, room to grow in peace.
[] A Wizard Did It: Crash near some magitech artifacts, things leaking magic, holes in reality, potential lost logia, the whole nine yards. Early access to Arcane research tree from all the interesting-but-magical surroundings. Non-magical artifacts are either trapped in pocket dimensions or require a lot of travel to find. Good luck.
[] Quantum Fuckups: Crash near some crashed spacecraft, malfunctioning high-tech death turrets, buildings that are larger inside than out, those sorts of things. Most of it is ruined, inoperable, or out of power, but what is still operational hasn't had maintenance since their source civ died and almost certainly considers you Not Friendly. Early access to High-Tech Materials research tree from all the nearby shinies. Magical artifacts are either trapped in alternate realities or require a lot of travel to find. Good luck.
[] Aggressive Negotiations: Crash near a suspiciously-new looking xeno-archaeology base placed midway between an extensive battlefield full of ruined technological terrors and a large floating island. Being a geological entity from space, having to deal with aliens (in both diplomacy or war) early on before you have significant energy reserves is not your forte. You'd rather research things in peace and occasionally ruin asteroids during your experiments. And they'll probably want to mine you and do other offensive things just because you aren't them!. Start with either Trait: Communicative Augmenta, or two of the following Warfare tree traits: Dampening Fields, Absorption Fields, Offensive Export, Explosive Entry. Hard mode start due to the competing nearby sentients.
Name:
[] Write-in.
---
Some background: We're a crystalline being (aka a space rock alien), unintentionally detached from the biggest collection of them in existence: the Prime Crystal. Crystalline generally take up about 10m of space in some form or another, the map is in squares because its easier to make the map using squares, not because we are sqaure. The Prime Crystal is a sphere, for example. Anyway, aside from consuming energy (or generating a small amount in emergencies), most true crystalline aboard are either bored or curious about what they're flying past in space. This has gotten the Prime Crystal as a whole a reputation as a highly-mobile scientific death trap full of crystal aliens to the parts of the galaxy unlucky enough to have been passed by.
Our protagonist however, does not have the amplified fusion reactors, capital ship-grade weaponry, or sheer mass of the Prime Crystal. They have their core, a small, quickly breaking up shell of basic-grade power and storage crystal, and a desire to get the hell off this planet, or at least meet back up with their research companions via hyper-range comms and get some colonial schematics. Preferably both, with some new artifacts to research on their way back. In the meantime, since they did not keep a full database of tech on them locally they need to rebuild their tech from the ground up to get off-planet. Perhaps learn some new stuff on the way there.
Also this is my first time running a quest, but not my first time running something on a forum: I've got an older version of this on the dwarf fortress forums. The two are on completely separate planets and the old mechanics are sorta a mess, so I'm not gonna link it here. Feel free to point out if I've screwed up and made something too cheap or other feedback on stuff, since while I did have help rebuilding the mechanics I wouldn't be surprised if something is a bit off with the numbers.
Most of the time we'll be exploring or tinkering with things as we find them (unless we start near the alien base or discover others), but all of the mechanics relevant to the quest (except the High-Tech Materials and Arcane trees, which I'll add as we discover them) are here, if you want to see what we can make from our own tech instead of stealing from what exists here after we land and explore our surroundings.
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Dromeosaur
Feathery Raptor of snowy planes and frozen sea
- Location
- The land of Trees and Squirrels
[X] This is fine
[X] Shining-in-the-Space
[X] Shining-in-the-Space
- Location
- The Beach
Hmm... kinda leaning to This is fine, as trying to clodge together stuff from relative trash sounds interesting. Actually, all of them sound interesting.
Based on that (huge!) document, This is fine seems like a place for more General Research (probably leading more towards Civ building), with A Wizard Did It for more Reverse Engineering (and wacky magic adventures), Quantum Fuckups for !!FUN!! Reverse Engineering (with wacky dangerous adventures), and Aggressive Negotiations sounds like an all around nightmare with dealing with a dangerous environment and possibly dangerous aliens. Can we be a mad scientist Crystal creature? Kidnapping aliens for our own nebulous goals?
Fuck it, let's break reality.
[X] A Wizard Did It
[X] Agate
Based on that (huge!) document, This is fine seems like a place for more General Research (probably leading more towards Civ building), with A Wizard Did It for more Reverse Engineering (and wacky magic adventures), Quantum Fuckups for !!FUN!! Reverse Engineering (with wacky dangerous adventures), and Aggressive Negotiations sounds like an all around nightmare with dealing with a dangerous environment and possibly dangerous aliens. Can we be a mad scientist Crystal creature? Kidnapping aliens for our own nebulous goals?
Fuck it, let's break reality.
[X] A Wizard Did It
[X] Agate
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Mad science is most of the reason why smart creatures avoid our former home if at all possible: the Prime Crystal is made up of a very large support network for a very large number of bored space traveling scientist-crystals. They've learned about the universe, and decided it can be improved. And for dubious definitions of 'improved', have done so.
This is fine is basically like the start of the old version: You're probably in the middle of nowhere, so theres no immediate hurry, lets citybuild.
A Wizard Did It and Quantum Fuckups are for more dangerous starts (you're landing near as much potentially dangeous devices as possible without hitting right next to the actual aliens), but with an early chance to steal some new technologies or arcane...things without having to go out too far.
Aggressive Negotiations gives you an immediate target/potential ally: A space-capable rival sentience, but otherwise is the most balanced for what you'll find if you manage to stake a claim for yourself in that mess. You get early tech, but the problem is you aren't alone and you need time to build up.
Also, sorry about the size of that googledoc, it'd probably be shorter if I split up the actual crystals from the mechanics?
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- Location
- The Beach
An 8-page googledoc surprised me is all
You could make posts here in-thread for the different mechanics and Threadmark them for easy reference if that's easier? What many QMs do.I am really feeling the urge to citybuild. It's certainly a more standard start and gives us time to get rolling while crystallizing the planet (I imagine the xenos won't be too happy once they find us out).
Arcane stuff sounds like it'll be fun though. Given the wording, alternate dimensions sounds like they are a thing here.
The planet is, quite frankly, a fucking mess.
In some areas, theres clear signs that something existed there, but is now a giant wasteland with the occasional half-functional deathbot trudging around.
Some areas are hard to even look at due to the holes into other dimensions scattered liberally around the place like confetti. Probably the result of some argument between mages.
Even when they didn't manage to screw things up (the This is fine-type areas), they still failed to stay alive long enough to leave the planet, probably due to the remains of the previous civs catching up to them. The answer is yep, alternate dimensions are a thing.
Also I might split it up into posts later, once we've sorted out our crashlanding. Sounds like a decent idea.
In some areas, theres clear signs that something existed there, but is now a giant wasteland with the occasional half-functional deathbot trudging around.
Some areas are hard to even look at due to the holes into other dimensions scattered liberally around the place like confetti. Probably the result of some argument between mages.
Even when they didn't manage to screw things up (the This is fine-type areas), they still failed to stay alive long enough to leave the planet, probably due to the remains of the previous civs catching up to them. The answer is yep, alternate dimensions are a thing.
Also I might split it up into posts later, once we've sorted out our crashlanding. Sounds like a decent idea.
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- Location
- St. Petersburg
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- Location
- Brazil
[X] This is fine
[X] Topaz
[X] Topaz
Cycle 1 - Neighbors. Unfortunate.
[X] Aggressive Negotiations
Cycle 1
OW.
Damn planet and its solid ground. Solid ground hurts. At least its not a liquid, liquids would be a rather difficult start indeed. Now where exactly are we...
Oh. Of-prime-damned-course you land near possibly the only intentionally-active structure on the entire planet. Its not like you didn't already have enough trouble with the scattered-from-impact crystals and the not being in space and the losing your research! You also have to deal with things! That are not dead! Competition!
After a fair bit of depressed mental sighing at your unluck today, you get to work organizing what you have left. You can't hide the crater, but you can ignore the surface if you feel like it. Hopefully they've got better things to examine than meteorites.
Trait choice (Communicative Augmenta, or a max of two others.):
[] Communicative Augmenta - Their language can't be that hard to decode. Its worth at least attempting to communicate with them, you suppose.
[] Offensive Export - Fuck this, lasers! All you need is some extra power to boost it.
[] Explosive Entry - No, wait. They probably have laser defense. They look high tech enough for it. And explosions are fun.
[] Absorption Fields - They look pretty high tech from what you can tell. Lets make sure we can at least try to protect against energy weaponry.
[] Dampening Fields - Anti-mining defenses are just as important. You use energy far more than they do, you can shrug it off you think.
What do we do first, after we calm down and have finished checking what we've got?:
[] Expand - You require more energy! Time to make this dirt relevant to the cause. (And by how much? You've got a decent chunk of energy for such a crap day, at least)
[] Explore - if you use directional scanning, you could see further. But which way to look? (This will produce a text description of the chosen area, but use up the entire cycle)
[] Ex-communications - Start on capturing and decoding the competition's communication signals instead. (Spending energy on this will speed things up, but give you less to expand with)
[] Write-in - We could do with a name still, too.
Current map:
Cycle 1
OW.
Damn planet and its solid ground. Solid ground hurts. At least its not a liquid, liquids would be a rather difficult start indeed. Now where exactly are we...
Oh. Of-prime-damned-course you land near possibly the only intentionally-active structure on the entire planet. Its not like you didn't already have enough trouble with the scattered-from-impact crystals and the not being in space and the losing your research! You also have to deal with things! That are not dead! Competition!
After a fair bit of depressed mental sighing at your unluck today, you get to work organizing what you have left. You can't hide the crater, but you can ignore the surface if you feel like it. Hopefully they've got better things to examine than meteorites.
Trait choice (Communicative Augmenta, or a max of two others.):
[] Communicative Augmenta - Their language can't be that hard to decode. Its worth at least attempting to communicate with them, you suppose.
[] Offensive Export - Fuck this, lasers! All you need is some extra power to boost it.
[] Explosive Entry - No, wait. They probably have laser defense. They look high tech enough for it. And explosions are fun.
[] Absorption Fields - They look pretty high tech from what you can tell. Lets make sure we can at least try to protect against energy weaponry.
[] Dampening Fields - Anti-mining defenses are just as important. You use energy far more than they do, you can shrug it off you think.
What do we do first, after we calm down and have finished checking what we've got?:
[] Expand - You require more energy! Time to make this dirt relevant to the cause. (And by how much? You've got a decent chunk of energy for such a crap day, at least)
[] Explore - if you use directional scanning, you could see further. But which way to look? (This will produce a text description of the chosen area, but use up the entire cycle)
[] Ex-communications - Start on capturing and decoding the competition's communication signals instead. (Spending energy on this will speed things up, but give you less to expand with)
[] Write-in - We could do with a name still, too.
Current map:
Integrity: Intact
Core Armor: Unarmored
Max single crystal cost: 10K
Current Stored Energy: 1000
Storage Status: Fine.
Energy Generation:
Core: 1000/cycle
Base Crystal: 16 @ 50/cycle - 800/cycle
Total Energy production: 1,800/cycle
Research Production: 1/cycle
Current Research Project:
Available Research:
Core:
Arcane: Undiscovered.
High Tech Materials: Undiscovered.
Location: In a crater. Near some xenos.
Core Armor: Unarmored
Max single crystal cost: 10K
Current Stored Energy: 1000
Storage Status: Fine.
Energy Generation:
Core: 1000/cycle
Base Crystal: 16 @ 50/cycle - 800/cycle
Total Energy production: 1,800/cycle
Research Production: 1/cycle
Current Research Project:
Available Research:
Core:
Warfare: Repair Protocols, Offense category, Defense category.
Energy Generation: Alternate Power Sources, Strengthened Conduits (repeatable), Base Crystal Upgrade?
Storage: Energy Condensing, Enhanced Stabilization (repeatable).
Research: Research Crystal, Processor Crystal
Command Network: Delegation
Sensors & Exploration: Visual Augmentation, Wireless Theory.
Energy Generation: Alternate Power Sources, Strengthened Conduits (repeatable), Base Crystal Upgrade?
Storage: Energy Condensing, Enhanced Stabilization (repeatable).
Research: Research Crystal, Processor Crystal
Command Network: Delegation
Sensors & Exploration: Visual Augmentation, Wireless Theory.
Arcane: Undiscovered.
High Tech Materials: Undiscovered.
Location: In a crater. Near some xenos.
Navy Blue - Crystal core
Light Blue - Base crystals
Orange w/ black S - Storage Crystal
Turquoise with small diamond - Farseer Crystal
Black with Turquoise diamond - Scrying Crystal
Purple/Orchid - Focusing Crystal
Darker Purple - Overseer Crystal
Blue w/ gold R - Research Crystal
Red - Diplomatic Crystalline
---
Dark Brown - Empty underground space
Light Brown - Dirt or other non-solid material
Grey - Rock
Sky Blue - Empty aboveground space
Teal w/brown diamond - Assimilated matter
(Background) w/ question mark[/color] - [Unknown tech]
Black - Unknown
---
Red cross-shaped overlay - Damaged
Red X overlay - Heavily damaged
Light Blue - Base crystals
Orange w/ black S - Storage Crystal
Turquoise with small diamond - Farseer Crystal
Black with Turquoise diamond - Scrying Crystal
Purple/Orchid - Focusing Crystal
Darker Purple - Overseer Crystal
Blue w/ gold R - Research Crystal
Red - Diplomatic Crystalline
---
Dark Brown - Empty underground space
Light Brown - Dirt or other non-solid material
Grey - Rock
Sky Blue - Empty aboveground space
Teal w/brown diamond - Assimilated matter
(Background) w/ question mark[/color] - [Unknown tech]
Black - Unknown
---
Red cross-shaped overlay - Damaged
Red X overlay - Heavily damaged
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chocolote12
A Penguin Flailing Against The Keyboard Of Life.
[X] Communicative Augmenta - Their language can't be that hard to decode. Its worth at least attempting to communicate with them, you suppose.
- Location
- Vicksburg, MS
[X] Absorption Fields - They look pretty high tech from what you can tell. Lets make sure we can at least try to protect against energy weaponry.
[X] Dampening Fields - Anti-mining defenses are just as important. You use energy far more than they do, you can shrug it off you think.
[X] Dampening Fields - Anti-mining defenses are just as important. You use energy far more than they do, you can shrug it off you think.
- Location
- sweden
[X] Explosive Entry - No, wait. They probably have laser defense. They look high tech enough for it. And explosions are fun.
[X] Absorption Fields - They look pretty high tech from what you can tell. Lets make sure we can at least try to protect against energy weaponry.
[X] Ex-communications - Start on capturing and decoding the competition's communication signals instead. (Spending energy on this will speed things up, but give you less to expand with)
[X] Absorption Fields - They look pretty high tech from what you can tell. Lets make sure we can at least try to protect against energy weaponry.
[X] Ex-communications - Start on capturing and decoding the competition's communication signals instead. (Spending energy on this will speed things up, but give you less to expand with)
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Mechanics & Research
Copying stuff out into the thread to make it easier to find. This post has Mechanics & Research:
Mechanics
Cycles: A cycle is half a day, unless the day is exceptionally short; then a cycle is a whole day. Cycles on this planet are the normal half-day kind.
Energy: Energy is very important to Crystalline. So much so that there is no hard cap on what you can store, although exceeding the capacity of storage crystals can lead to anything between slight glow and ruinous detonations depending on how far over you are.
Excess energy can either be used up quickly, vented safely(though this will eat an entire sub-cycle to do so properly, and is not safe to surrounding non-geological life), or vented aggressively into things like superheated surroundings or laser blasts.
Venting too much energy aggressively through too-weak of crystal may backfire into explosions. Storage crystals penetrated during combat can and likely will also explode violently, since they hold far more than flows through most of the rest.
Conversion: For materials, you must be adjacent to it in someway. Then you simply need enough energy to change it to crystal of the type you want. For converting crystal types, the energy cost is half of the more expensive crystal between the two.
Repairs: You cannot upgrade crystals that are damaged until they're repaired. Repair however, is simple. Crystals are either 'damaged' or 'heavily damaged'. Damaged costs the crystal's fab cost, Heavily Damaged requires twice that. The two have different overlay symbols in the map legend to tell them apart.
Research
There is two type of research available: Experimentals & Reverse engineering, which is tearing specific things apart and/or throwing energy at them and seeing what happens. Less predictable results but less time and energy required usually. Actions outside of the lab may also produce useful insights, so feel free to conduct some large scale experiments!
Second is General research: This is for pointing in a direction and seeing what is there, research-wise. Lab work and theories. Takes longer and more energy but usually leads to more obvious results, like improved techs or new lines of research to examine. This way can also be used to try and add things onto the tech tree that weren't there previously by throwing things at the wall and see if they stick, if you have an idea of where you want to go.
The Core crystal produces a research point per cycle, it and points accumulated by researcher crystals may be spent on either group each cycle, but may not be banked. Research progress is kept, though. Tech tree lines that point towards nothing have known further sections but are missing prerequisites.
Tech tree
Starting tech: Base Crystal, Storage Crystal, Template: Refined, Template:Space-filling, Template: Intrusive, Template: Matter, Trait: Defensive Offense, Trait: Data Storage, Trait: Reinforcement.
Tree Link!
Techs:
Warfare:
Energy Generation:
Storage:
Energy Condensing (0/250): There must be a way to fit more into the same space, otherwise it'd make no sense for how compact the Prime's storage was…
Enhanced Stabilization (0/250): With enough adjustments and optimizations to the structure and containment systems, you should be able to construct larger single-storages with less risk of fracturing during fabrication. Repeatable.
Research:
Research Crystal (4/4): If you're stuck here for now, you shouldn't be down to only one thought process. You need more of them, or assistants.
Command Network:
Delegation (0/500): Not counting lucky sudden appearances of the Prime Crystal, you're going to be here awhile. Might as well get started on the long, difficult road towards having assistants. Maybe even companions!
Sensors & Expansion:
Trait: Visual Augmentation (126/120): There we go. Now you can properly see things if the crystal is adjusted properly, or with some extensive fine-tuning, double the range! Unlocks a Trait.
Trait: Vis-Link (0/500): Perhaps you can mesh together crystal sights for enhanced effective range now? Its worth investigation. Unlocks a trait.
Improved (matter) Output (0/750): You can probably get mroe out of this stuff if you try, but is it worth it over just getting better crystal instead?
Wireless Theory (0/1900): Well, you didn't get to finish working on it back home. But now you have to start from scratch, which might...take awhile. A long while. And remember to locally back things up this time!
Mechanics
Cycles: A cycle is half a day, unless the day is exceptionally short; then a cycle is a whole day. Cycles on this planet are the normal half-day kind.
- Sub-cycles (if needed) are 3 hours each, for 4 per cycle. These are mostly for talking to beings who are not rocks, for precision work, or for anything else you can fit into the timeframe.
- If we are out of energy, time skips to the next cycle unless we are doing stuff that doesn't require it, like communications.
Energy: Energy is very important to Crystalline. So much so that there is no hard cap on what you can store, although exceeding the capacity of storage crystals can lead to anything between slight glow and ruinous detonations depending on how far over you are.
Excess energy can either be used up quickly, vented safely(though this will eat an entire sub-cycle to do so properly, and is not safe to surrounding non-geological life), or vented aggressively into things like superheated surroundings or laser blasts.
Venting too much energy aggressively through too-weak of crystal may backfire into explosions. Storage crystals penetrated during combat can and likely will also explode violently, since they hold far more than flows through most of the rest.
- Generation: Each cycle, a pulse radiates from the core crystal into all connected crystal, leading to that cycle's round of energy gen from crystals that can do so. Any disconnected power-generating crystals will not output into the main pool and will remain inactive, and other power sources will react in different ways. Any energy leftover from previous cycles is kept and can be used. Energy can also be reserved for special projects. You can't reserve more than a cycle of energy at once.
Conversion: For materials, you must be adjacent to it in someway. Then you simply need enough energy to change it to crystal of the type you want. For converting crystal types, the energy cost is half of the more expensive crystal between the two.
Repairs: You cannot upgrade crystals that are damaged until they're repaired. Repair however, is simple. Crystals are either 'damaged' or 'heavily damaged'. Damaged costs the crystal's fab cost, Heavily Damaged requires twice that. The two have different overlay symbols in the map legend to tell them apart.
Research
There is two type of research available: Experimentals & Reverse engineering, which is tearing specific things apart and/or throwing energy at them and seeing what happens. Less predictable results but less time and energy required usually. Actions outside of the lab may also produce useful insights, so feel free to conduct some large scale experiments!
Second is General research: This is for pointing in a direction and seeing what is there, research-wise. Lab work and theories. Takes longer and more energy but usually leads to more obvious results, like improved techs or new lines of research to examine. This way can also be used to try and add things onto the tech tree that weren't there previously by throwing things at the wall and see if they stick, if you have an idea of where you want to go.
The Core crystal produces a research point per cycle, it and points accumulated by researcher crystals may be spent on either group each cycle, but may not be banked. Research progress is kept, though. Tech tree lines that point towards nothing have known further sections but are missing prerequisites.
Tech tree
Starting tech: Base Crystal, Storage Crystal, Template: Refined, Template:Space-filling, Template: Intrusive, Template: Matter, Trait: Defensive Offense, Trait: Data Storage, Trait: Reinforcement.
Tree Link!
Techs:
Warfare:
Offense (100/100): Your weaponry is not artillery...yet. But its a good start.
Offensive Export (0/1000): Technically, you can already do this. But being able to do it without being perilously overcharged is a plus for sure. That way you can be more particular about the output.
Defense (100/100): This was kinda obvious in retrospect. Of course you wanted to protect against energy surges first!
Absorption Fields (1000/1000) - Hah, like you'd let something else beat you at energy! Go ahead and power your foe with your attacks! (unless they are particularly high-powered)
Dampening Fields (1000/1000): Anti-mining and general impact resistance are both good. Thunks will remain thunks now.
Trait: Repair Protocols (24/20): Maintenance is important and you now have to do your own. Unlocks a Trait.
Improved Self-Repair Systems (0/250): Surely you can do this better? Might take awhile to refine.
Damage Reduction Fields (0/1000): The two defense fields are not exactly...compatible, but with some tinkering and a lot of iteration, perhaps you can use both at once?
Shielding Theory (0/800): Getting hit directly? Terrible idea if you can project enough energy to deflect any attacks. The question is how do you do that without you having to focus on the projection field not exploding all the time?
Offensive Export (0/1000): Technically, you can already do this. But being able to do it without being perilously overcharged is a plus for sure. That way you can be more particular about the output.
Defense (100/100): This was kinda obvious in retrospect. Of course you wanted to protect against energy surges first!
Absorption Fields (1000/1000) - Hah, like you'd let something else beat you at energy! Go ahead and power your foe with your attacks! (unless they are particularly high-powered)
Dampening Fields (1000/1000): Anti-mining and general impact resistance are both good. Thunks will remain thunks now.
Trait: Repair Protocols (24/20): Maintenance is important and you now have to do your own. Unlocks a Trait.
Improved Self-Repair Systems (0/250): Surely you can do this better? Might take awhile to refine.
Damage Reduction Fields (0/1000): The two defense fields are not exactly...compatible, but with some tinkering and a lot of iteration, perhaps you can use both at once?
Shielding Theory (0/800): Getting hit directly? Terrible idea if you can project enough energy to deflect any attacks. The question is how do you do that without you having to focus on the projection field not exploding all the time?
Energy Generation:
Base Crystal Upgrade (0/1000): You really need to improve these things now that they aren't just a means to connect to the actual power generation. They work...but thats it. Not good enough. Worth investigation at the least.
Strengthened Conduits (0/250): Just upscaling your base crystals goes poorly when simulated. You need some time to analyze where things are blowing up in your design and make it better. On the plus side, this means you can probably upgrade the power output as well… Repeatable.
Fusion Amplification (0/???): Engineering is not your specialty, and Engineering Crystalline are bullshit for even coming up with this without it blowing up the entire damn place. Where do you even start?
Strengthened Conduits (0/250): Just upscaling your base crystals goes poorly when simulated. You need some time to analyze where things are blowing up in your design and make it better. On the plus side, this means you can probably upgrade the power output as well… Repeatable.
Fusion Amplification (0/???): Engineering is not your specialty, and Engineering Crystalline are bullshit for even coming up with this without it blowing up the entire damn place. Where do you even start?
Storage:
Energy Condensing (0/250): There must be a way to fit more into the same space, otherwise it'd make no sense for how compact the Prime's storage was…
Enhanced Stabilization (0/250): With enough adjustments and optimizations to the structure and containment systems, you should be able to construct larger single-storages with less risk of fracturing during fabrication. Repeatable.
Research:
Research Crystal (4/4): If you're stuck here for now, you shouldn't be down to only one thought process. You need more of them, or assistants.
Command Network:
Delegation (0/500): Not counting lucky sudden appearances of the Prime Crystal, you're going to be here awhile. Might as well get started on the long, difficult road towards having assistants. Maybe even companions!
Sensors & Expansion:
Trait: Visual Augmentation (126/120): There we go. Now you can properly see things if the crystal is adjusted properly, or with some extensive fine-tuning, double the range! Unlocks a Trait.
Trait: Vis-Link (0/500): Perhaps you can mesh together crystal sights for enhanced effective range now? Its worth investigation. Unlocks a trait.
Improved (matter) Output (0/750): You can probably get mroe out of this stuff if you try, but is it worth it over just getting better crystal instead?
Wireless Theory (0/1900): Well, you didn't get to finish working on it back home. But now you have to start from scratch, which might...take awhile. A long while. And remember to locally back things up this time!
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All things Crystal
And this post has our current crystal types and traits!
Crystal creation
First pick a name for the crystal type, a color (hex color preferred, so I can just stick it directly into paint.net), and a template. If you want, also add a design if it fits within 10px by 10px (basic storage crystals have an S on them, for example). If the design is for a Big Crystal, you've got a 20x20 sized space for designs, or bigger if upgraded sizes have been researched.
Next, there is a list of traits below, some of which can be stacked. Pick the ones you want within the current max cap. New traits can be found via research, whether thats tech tree research, reverse engineering, or just interesting-enough suggestions from posters.
Templates
Templates are for brand-new crystal types, ones that aren't upgrades or variants of others. They determine the build category and any default traits, and if theres no additional traits, they also determine the energy cost.
Matter: Various kinds of assimilated matter. You can't customize this, but you might be able to improve it a little.
Refined Crystal: Refined crystal built from material or other crystal. Used for energy generation and normal functions. Base properties: 50 energy production, 200 energy cost. Build from matter or other crystal.
Space-Filling Crystal: Crystal grown to fill a void. Used for scaling energy storage, test chambers, and other space-intensive interesting things. Base properties: Energy storage, 200 energy cost. Build in empty space.
Intrusive Crystal: Crystal that can go anywhere, either veins moving through space or growing through terrain. Used for cheap growth and scouting. Base properties: 250 Energy cost, +1 vision, build anywhere.
Lesser Crystalline: Basically proto-Crystalline. Base properties: 2000 energy cost, build anywhere that is not adjacent to other Lesser Crystalline or the Core.
Big Crystal: A crystal that naturally takes up more than one map square at once. Generally does more but less efficiently for the build cost required, but can also be specialty crystals that simply require more space. Starts at 2x2 and scales up to 3x3,4x4, etc.
Half-crystal: Base material is interwoven instead of fully converted into crystalline stock, granting additional benefits specific to the material used. Half-crystals are unable to be duplicated until the base material is researched, and cannot convert into other types of crystal without an extra energy cost to dismantle and rebuild. Variable cost.
-Armite Half-Crystal: Heavy energy-resistant armor meshed together with reinforced crystal. Base properties: 750 energy cost, Heavily Armored (Energy, Ablative) builtin, Reinforcement 1 builtin, build from matter or other crystal.
Crystal Traits
Energy Generator (Basic): Builtin trait for Template: Refined, can be replaced (no energy cost refunded). 50/cycle energy generation. Unlikely to explode when damaged, as it is the simplest type of crystalline powergen.
Energy Storage (Basic): Builtin trait for Template: Space-filling, can be replaced (no energy cost refunded). Scales up when part of a connected region of energy storage. No bonus.
Energy Storage (Advanced): 500 energy base, 10.5k total at rank 10. Scales up when part of a connected region of energy storage. Can be stacked for additional storage bonuses up to 10 times, each additional stack costs 1000 total.
Storage maths: 2000 energy each, plus (500 * connected sections) to describe them scaling up when in bulk. Add an additional (250 * storage bonus stacks) for adv crystals to add in the extra storage bonus.
Data Storage: 500 energy. Energy storage reassembled into mass data storage instead, for research purposes. Non-research data storage is in the Core, and is unlikely to run out anytime soon.
Visual Augmentation: Longer vision range than normal crystal. First level is Core level (10) and costs 500 energy, Second level is 20 squares and costs 2000 energy. They do not stack.
Reinforcement: 300 energy at 1st rank, 3300 total at rank 5. Structural optimizations and refinements add armoring to this crystal. Can be stacked up to five times, each additional stack costs 600 total.
Dampening Fields: 2000 energy. Crystal is infused with dampening fields that inefficiently dump physical impact energies into flow connection, diluting damage through the network but causing worse injuries if overburdened. Conflicts with Absorption Fields.
Absorption Fields: 2000 energy. Crystal is infused with fields that vent as much attack energy into the network as possible to dissipate the attack, but potentially shattering its flow connection if overwhelmed. Conflicts with Dampening Fields.
Damage Reduction Field: 2500 energy. Crystal contains both Dampening and Absorption fields, reduced to half-strength for compatibility.
Integrity Protection Matrix: 3000 energy. Crystal contains reinforced compartmentalization and multiple DR Fields, being able to remain operational for much longer than average but lacking effective self-repair systems due to internal interference.
Repair Protocols: 1000 energy. Crystal is optimized for repair work, speeding up nearby repairs and able to continue being effective while Damaged, but not Heavily Damaged.
Unbreakable Force: 3000 energy. The majority of this crystal is redundant highly-optimized self-repair systems, making it capable of rebooting out of any damage short of total destruction quickly, but unable to support general repair work or use other functions until fully repaired.
Invulnerable Fortress: 7500 energy. Crystal can now share the effects of Unbreakable Force to directly adjacent crystals while active; if that crystal also has this ability it may chain adjacencies until a non-IF crystal is found. Crystal also is able to drain network energy for enhanced repair bursts. Incompatible with all other traits except for Reinforcement.
Vis-Link: 1000 energy. Crystal can connect with adjacent non vis-link ones to boost their sight range by 2.
Command Crystal: Lesser - 400 energy. Stupid but commandable is still a step up from having to do everything yourself. Although it is not a very big step. Adds a build req. (Not adjacent to other command-types or core).
Command Crystal: Greater - 800 energy. While this level is actually somewhat competent, don't expect it to think outside of the box. Or around the box. Adds a build req. (Not adjacent to other command-types or core).
Communicative Augmenta: 700 energy. This crystal can communicate with other beings within audible range, either by itself (if a lesser crystalline type) or as a mouthpiece for you.
Defensive Offense: 500 energy. Low powered defensive array. Can also be used as point blank offensive weaponry.
Offensive Export: 1000 energy, Energy beam-type armaments. Can be supported with energy venting for additional firepower.
Explosive Entry: 1200 energy, Launched explosive-type armaments. Can be charged before firing for extra boom.
Crystals
Normal Crystals
Assimilated matter
The quick, dirty solution to your lack of range.
Template: Matter
Energy production: 20 per cycle
Fabrication cost: 50 energy, nearby material.
Basic Crystal
Created by converting solid materials, like rock or assimilated matter.
Energy production: 50/cycle
Template: Refined
Fabrication cost: 200 energy, nearby solid material or crystal.
Storage Crystal
A stabilized hunk of additional crystal, giving you more room to store energy without side effects.
Template: Space-filling
Fabrication cost: 200 energy.
Farseer Crystal
An excellent companion to scouting crystal. Energy production alignments have been realigned for exceptional sensory range instead.
Template: Intrusive
Traits: 1st Vision Augmentation (500)
Fabrication Cost: 750 energy
Scrying Crystal
I see you.
Template: Intrusive
Traits: 2nd Visual Augmentation
Fabrication cost: 2250 energy
Research Crystal
Because doing everything yourself is slow and complicated.
Template: Space-filling
Traits: Data Storage (replaces Energy Storage: Basic)
Fabrication cost: 700 energy
Research Output: 1/cycle, Research cost 10 energy/cycle.
Repair Crystal
A good helper.
Energy production: 50/cycle
Template: Refined
Traits: Repair Protocols
Fabrication cost: 1,200 energy
Command Crystals
[Locked: Requires Research]
Focusing Crystal
Half conduit, half relay point, all-around pretty useful crystal. Technically can take commands.
Template: Intrusive
Traits: Command Crystal: Lesser
Fabrication cost: 600 energy, not adjacent to other outposts or core
[Locked: Requires Research]
Overseer Crystal
Better than focusing crystals at commanding. Not so much at focusing.
Base: Focusing Crystal (Intrusive)
Traits: Command Crystal: Greater, Reinforcement 2
Fabrication cost: 1,900 energy, not adjacent to other outposts or core.
Lesser Crystalline
[Locked: Requires Research]
Diplomatic Crystalline
It's a diplomat. Occasionally aggressive in its negotiations.
Template: Lesser Crystalline
Traits: Communicative Augmenta, Reinforcement 2
Fabrication cost: 3,600 energy, not adjacent to other outposts or core.
True Crystalline
Core Crystal
Your core. If this can be replicated, you don't remember how. Don't let it get blown up.
Energy production: 1000/cycle (in a 3x3)
Research output: 1/cycle (when not focusing on research)
Abilities: Command & Energy Control. Researcher.
Big Crystals
To be reworked.
There are currently no big crystal types created. But have an example:
Refined Crystal Cluster
Created by converting a large swath of solid materials simultaneously into a single crystal.
Energy production: 300/cycle
Template: Big Crystal (Refined)
Size: 2x2
Fabrication cost:1,000 energy
Crystal creation
First pick a name for the crystal type, a color (hex color preferred, so I can just stick it directly into paint.net), and a template. If you want, also add a design if it fits within 10px by 10px (basic storage crystals have an S on them, for example). If the design is for a Big Crystal, you've got a 20x20 sized space for designs, or bigger if upgraded sizes have been researched.
Next, there is a list of traits below, some of which can be stacked. Pick the ones you want within the current max cap. New traits can be found via research, whether thats tech tree research, reverse engineering, or just interesting-enough suggestions from posters.
Templates
Templates are for brand-new crystal types, ones that aren't upgrades or variants of others. They determine the build category and any default traits, and if theres no additional traits, they also determine the energy cost.
Matter: Various kinds of assimilated matter. You can't customize this, but you might be able to improve it a little.
Refined Crystal: Refined crystal built from material or other crystal. Used for energy generation and normal functions. Base properties: 50 energy production, 200 energy cost. Build from matter or other crystal.
Space-Filling Crystal: Crystal grown to fill a void. Used for scaling energy storage, test chambers, and other space-intensive interesting things. Base properties: Energy storage, 200 energy cost. Build in empty space.
Intrusive Crystal: Crystal that can go anywhere, either veins moving through space or growing through terrain. Used for cheap growth and scouting. Base properties: 250 Energy cost, +1 vision, build anywhere.
Lesser Crystalline: Basically proto-Crystalline. Base properties: 2000 energy cost, build anywhere that is not adjacent to other Lesser Crystalline or the Core.
Big Crystal: A crystal that naturally takes up more than one map square at once. Generally does more but less efficiently for the build cost required, but can also be specialty crystals that simply require more space. Starts at 2x2 and scales up to 3x3,4x4, etc.
Half-crystal: Base material is interwoven instead of fully converted into crystalline stock, granting additional benefits specific to the material used. Half-crystals are unable to be duplicated until the base material is researched, and cannot convert into other types of crystal without an extra energy cost to dismantle and rebuild. Variable cost.
-Armite Half-Crystal: Heavy energy-resistant armor meshed together with reinforced crystal. Base properties: 750 energy cost, Heavily Armored (Energy, Ablative) builtin, Reinforcement 1 builtin, build from matter or other crystal.
Crystal Traits
Energy Generator (Basic): Builtin trait for Template: Refined, can be replaced (no energy cost refunded). 50/cycle energy generation. Unlikely to explode when damaged, as it is the simplest type of crystalline powergen.
Energy Storage (Basic): Builtin trait for Template: Space-filling, can be replaced (no energy cost refunded). Scales up when part of a connected region of energy storage. No bonus.
Energy Storage (Advanced): 500 energy base, 10.5k total at rank 10. Scales up when part of a connected region of energy storage. Can be stacked for additional storage bonuses up to 10 times, each additional stack costs 1000 total.
Storage maths: 2000 energy each, plus (500 * connected sections) to describe them scaling up when in bulk. Add an additional (250 * storage bonus stacks) for adv crystals to add in the extra storage bonus.
Data Storage: 500 energy. Energy storage reassembled into mass data storage instead, for research purposes. Non-research data storage is in the Core, and is unlikely to run out anytime soon.
Visual Augmentation: Longer vision range than normal crystal. First level is Core level (10) and costs 500 energy, Second level is 20 squares and costs 2000 energy. They do not stack.
Reinforcement: 300 energy at 1st rank, 3300 total at rank 5. Structural optimizations and refinements add armoring to this crystal. Can be stacked up to five times, each additional stack costs 600 total.
Dampening Fields: 2000 energy. Crystal is infused with dampening fields that inefficiently dump physical impact energies into flow connection, diluting damage through the network but causing worse injuries if overburdened. Conflicts with Absorption Fields.
Absorption Fields: 2000 energy. Crystal is infused with fields that vent as much attack energy into the network as possible to dissipate the attack, but potentially shattering its flow connection if overwhelmed. Conflicts with Dampening Fields.
Damage Reduction Field: 2500 energy. Crystal contains both Dampening and Absorption fields, reduced to half-strength for compatibility.
Integrity Protection Matrix: 3000 energy. Crystal contains reinforced compartmentalization and multiple DR Fields, being able to remain operational for much longer than average but lacking effective self-repair systems due to internal interference.
Repair Protocols: 1000 energy. Crystal is optimized for repair work, speeding up nearby repairs and able to continue being effective while Damaged, but not Heavily Damaged.
Unbreakable Force: 3000 energy. The majority of this crystal is redundant highly-optimized self-repair systems, making it capable of rebooting out of any damage short of total destruction quickly, but unable to support general repair work or use other functions until fully repaired.
Invulnerable Fortress: 7500 energy. Crystal can now share the effects of Unbreakable Force to directly adjacent crystals while active; if that crystal also has this ability it may chain adjacencies until a non-IF crystal is found. Crystal also is able to drain network energy for enhanced repair bursts. Incompatible with all other traits except for Reinforcement.
Vis-Link: 1000 energy. Crystal can connect with adjacent non vis-link ones to boost their sight range by 2.
Command Crystal: Lesser - 400 energy. Stupid but commandable is still a step up from having to do everything yourself. Although it is not a very big step. Adds a build req. (Not adjacent to other command-types or core).
Command Crystal: Greater - 800 energy. While this level is actually somewhat competent, don't expect it to think outside of the box. Or around the box. Adds a build req. (Not adjacent to other command-types or core).
Communicative Augmenta: 700 energy. This crystal can communicate with other beings within audible range, either by itself (if a lesser crystalline type) or as a mouthpiece for you.
Defensive Offense: 500 energy. Low powered defensive array. Can also be used as point blank offensive weaponry.
Offensive Export: 1000 energy, Energy beam-type armaments. Can be supported with energy venting for additional firepower.
Explosive Entry: 1200 energy, Launched explosive-type armaments. Can be charged before firing for extra boom.
Crystals
Normal Crystals
Assimilated matter
The quick, dirty solution to your lack of range.
Template: Matter
Energy production: 20 per cycle
Fabrication cost: 50 energy, nearby material.
Basic Crystal
Created by converting solid materials, like rock or assimilated matter.
Energy production: 50/cycle
Template: Refined
Fabrication cost: 200 energy, nearby solid material or crystal.
Storage Crystal
A stabilized hunk of additional crystal, giving you more room to store energy without side effects.
Template: Space-filling
Fabrication cost: 200 energy.
Farseer Crystal
An excellent companion to scouting crystal. Energy production alignments have been realigned for exceptional sensory range instead.
Template: Intrusive
Traits: 1st Vision Augmentation (500)
Fabrication Cost: 750 energy
Scrying Crystal
I see you.
Template: Intrusive
Traits: 2nd Visual Augmentation
Fabrication cost: 2250 energy
Research Crystal
Because doing everything yourself is slow and complicated.
Template: Space-filling
Traits: Data Storage (replaces Energy Storage: Basic)
Fabrication cost: 700 energy
Research Output: 1/cycle, Research cost 10 energy/cycle.
Repair Crystal
A good helper.
Energy production: 50/cycle
Template: Refined
Traits: Repair Protocols
Fabrication cost: 1,200 energy
Command Crystals
[Locked: Requires Research]
Focusing Crystal
Half conduit, half relay point, all-around pretty useful crystal. Technically can take commands.
Template: Intrusive
Traits: Command Crystal: Lesser
Fabrication cost: 600 energy, not adjacent to other outposts or core
[Locked: Requires Research]
Overseer Crystal
Better than focusing crystals at commanding. Not so much at focusing.
Base: Focusing Crystal (Intrusive)
Traits: Command Crystal: Greater, Reinforcement 2
Fabrication cost: 1,900 energy, not adjacent to other outposts or core.
Lesser Crystalline
[Locked: Requires Research]
Diplomatic Crystalline
It's a diplomat. Occasionally aggressive in its negotiations.
Template: Lesser Crystalline
Traits: Communicative Augmenta, Reinforcement 2
Fabrication cost: 3,600 energy, not adjacent to other outposts or core.
True Crystalline
Core Crystal
Your core. If this can be replicated, you don't remember how. Don't let it get blown up.
Energy production: 1000/cycle (in a 3x3)
Research output: 1/cycle (when not focusing on research)
Abilities: Command & Energy Control. Researcher.
Big Crystals
To be reworked.
Created by converting a large swath of solid materials simultaneously into a single crystal.
Energy production: 300/cycle
Template: Big Crystal (Refined)
Size: 2x2
Fabrication cost:1,000 energy
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