You wake up to the bothersome feelings of planetary reentry, and are confused. The Prime Crystal...
Crystalline Quest
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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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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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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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Cycle 2 - Security? Whats that?
Cycle 2
[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)
No research started or progressed.
---
As the solar object (you add a note to the list to find out what the xenos archeologists call it here) reaches around the middle of the sky, you've finished your inventory. Of particular interest to this situation is the explosive armaments for the occasional asteroid testing ground clean up, and energy absorption tech (though that was originally for investigating if it had any relation to wireless power potential) And as much as you'd like to start investigating the nearby wreckage field...Competition! You need to know what they are and what they're doing and why they're here and how they got here and...and well, you should probably make a list. That could've been a very long sentence otherwise.
Some time later in the cycle, apparently not yet having attracted their attention, you manage to solve their language puzzle after spending all of your reserves on overclocking the process in favor of less time spent, although you're still rather wary about the whole thing. What sort of fools leave the majority of their communications unencrypted while investigating a world that has pretty clearly reached the point (numerous times) of having spying devices, even if the vast majority of them are probably dead or dysfunctional? You downgrade the unknown xenos in your priorities from Competition to Dubiously threatening as a result before continuing to listen in.
While the last one is the most interesting (Some sort of vehicle that collapses down into its physical components when unpowered, perhaps?), that third one is probably a manager of somekind, you expect. If you want physics-defying explanations you have to do your own science, after all. Trying to listen to others explain things that disagree with the universe tends to make no sense at all. This is why the others tend to just agree with whatever the reactor engineers are saying when they get going on talking about how they're getting more energy out of the same fusion reaction by just adding more weirdly-specific crystal lines...augh.
Having their help would be amazing right now, from an energy viewpoint. Them not being here means you'll have to figure out that arcane technobullshit yourself if you want it instead of just relaxing and doing more Science, doesn't it. At least the reactor itself shouldn't be too difficult to find, considering the general tech level of the ruins...
---
New Coretech research topics: Dampening Fields, Offensive Export, Fusion Amplification.
So, what do we go for next?
[] Outproduce them - Competing (if unknowingly) with a Crystalline in base building? Hehehe... (Focus on digging straight down and converting materials to Base crystals as energy allows to build up our per cycle generation.)
[] Outgun them - its only a few dozen...dozen missiles to the face. You're sure they won't mind if you build them such a generous present, even if it takes a few cycles to do so. (Line the crater with missile-launcher crystals and defensive ones as energy allows. Requires some new crystal types be designed for the purpose)
[] Spy some more - As long as they haven't noticed you yet, you don't really need to do your own investigations, do you? Lets log their comms and compile our own points of interest for later.
[] Write in - Maybe theres an idea you're missing.
Also in case people missed it in the status spoiler last time: We need a research project to focus on, they aren't going to figure out themselves!
Map: Unchanged, no energy leftover for expansion.
[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)
No research started or progressed.
---
As the solar object (you add a note to the list to find out what the xenos archeologists call it here) reaches around the middle of the sky, you've finished your inventory. Of particular interest to this situation is the explosive armaments for the occasional asteroid testing ground clean up, and energy absorption tech (though that was originally for investigating if it had any relation to wireless power potential) And as much as you'd like to start investigating the nearby wreckage field...Competition! You need to know what they are and what they're doing and why they're here and how they got here and...and well, you should probably make a list. That could've been a very long sentence otherwise.
Some time later in the cycle, apparently not yet having attracted their attention, you manage to solve their language puzzle after spending all of your reserves on overclocking the process in favor of less time spent, although you're still rather wary about the whole thing. What sort of fools leave the majority of their communications unencrypted while investigating a world that has pretty clearly reached the point (numerous times) of having spying devices, even if the vast majority of them are probably dead or dysfunctional? You downgrade the unknown xenos in your priorities from Competition to Dubiously threatening as a result before continuing to listen in.
While the last one is the most interesting (Some sort of vehicle that collapses down into its physical components when unpowered, perhaps?), that third one is probably a manager of somekind, you expect. If you want physics-defying explanations you have to do your own science, after all. Trying to listen to others explain things that disagree with the universe tends to make no sense at all. This is why the others tend to just agree with whatever the reactor engineers are saying when they get going on talking about how they're getting more energy out of the same fusion reaction by just adding more weirdly-specific crystal lines...augh.
Having their help would be amazing right now, from an energy viewpoint. Them not being here means you'll have to figure out that arcane technobullshit yourself if you want it instead of just relaxing and doing more Science, doesn't it. At least the reactor itself shouldn't be too difficult to find, considering the general tech level of the ruins...
---
New Coretech research topics: Dampening Fields, Offensive Export, Fusion Amplification.
So, what do we go for next?
[] Outproduce them - Competing (if unknowingly) with a Crystalline in base building? Hehehe... (Focus on digging straight down and converting materials to Base crystals as energy allows to build up our per cycle generation.)
[] Outgun them - its only a few dozen...dozen missiles to the face. You're sure they won't mind if you build them such a generous present, even if it takes a few cycles to do so. (Line the crater with missile-launcher crystals and defensive ones as energy allows. Requires some new crystal types be designed for the purpose)
[] Spy some more - As long as they haven't noticed you yet, you don't really need to do your own investigations, do you? Lets log their comms and compile our own points of interest for later.
[] Write in - Maybe theres an idea you're missing.
Also in case people missed it in the status spoiler last time: We need a research project to focus on, they aren't going to figure out themselves!
Map: Unchanged, no energy leftover for expansion.
Integrity: Intact
Core Armor: Unarmored
Mood: Frustrated at engineering crystalline.
Energy Generation:
Core: 1000/cycle
Base Crystal: 16 @ 50/cycle - 800/cycle
Total Energy production: 1,800/cycle
Max single crystal cost: 10K
Current Stored Energy: 1800
Storage Status: Fine.
Research Production: 1/cycle
Current Research Project:
Available Research:
Core:
Arcane: Undiscovered.
High Tech Materials: Undiscovered.
The Xenos Threat:
Location: In a crater. Near some xenos of dubious security proficiency.
Core Armor: Unarmored
Mood: Frustrated at engineering crystalline.
Energy Generation:
Core: 1000/cycle
Base Crystal: 16 @ 50/cycle - 800/cycle
Total Energy production: 1,800/cycle
Max single crystal cost: 10K
Current Stored Energy: 1800
Storage Status: Fine.
Research Production: 1/cycle
Current Research Project:
Available Research:
Core:
Warfare: Repair Protocols, Offensive Export, Dampening Fields
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.
The Xenos Threat:
- They are bad at communication security here.
- They are at least somewhat organized (managers)
- They appear to lack an answer on the more arcane-bullshit sort of thing around here. Though we hardly know much either, how is that island floating...
Location: In a crater. Near some xenos of dubious security proficiency.
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Cycle 3 - Alterin vs Floating Island
Sorry about not having updates the last few days, turns out that even short common surgery can hurt enough to knock any thoughts of getting things done out. It was pretty bleh. Still sorta is.
[X] Research: Research Crystal (0/4)
-[X] When that's done....
[X] Outproduce them
-[X] 5 Base Crystals.
[X] Spy some more
---
Cycle 3
Peace. Quiet. Twin moons. Quite nice in comparison to the daytime loudness of the xenos base. And while their comm sec is lacking, they do post guards...with insecure comms. You hold onto that idea for later as you decide now is a good time as any to investigate yourself for how those networked extensions to your researching ability went. First you'll need a copy of that part in storage...
Sub-cycle 3 - And with a bit more polishing and cleaning up loose ends, done! Its hardly even remotely close to assistants, but at least you can start properly researching things now, after you've covered the basics like extra power generation. You build a single one as a test, and enjoy the extra line of thinking. Some of these scattered crystals are even close enough to be connected already. Those 5 crystals don't take very long however, so instead you start unpacking the pile of scan data you'd gotten on your way down and examining it while you wait for them to wake up.
You stop there and sigh at the lack of detail. Yes is not supposed to be a valid answer there. But it technically is correct, the worst kind of correct for this situation. You go back to spying on the communications instead of reading further, the rest of the scan is probably just as uselessly informative.
Sub-cycle 4 - With some creative application of comms-hopping, you manage to pin down a number of central servers to look into once you have better access than hiding in voice data, and two interesting details:
1. These are Alterin (single Alteri). This base isn't completed yet, it appears to be a bit of a punishment actually. The "proper support crew" is apparently not coming until they can send back proof this planet is worth investigation, and the "worthwhile basekeeper AI" is not until they get the budget for it.
2. They do actually take research data security seriously. Along with a system to keep access logs and hand out requests as needed (a rather ancient one by your old standards, considering it can't even accept general queries, just exact results), there were several requests for password resets, and several rebukes for not doing so through email where the Records unit could respond. As for actual communications, their plan appears to be investigate the floating island.
What next?
[] Energy focus - Build more energy production, ignore the alterin until they come to you.
[] Defense focus - Prepare for them to come to you.
[] Research focus - Build more research crystals. Ponder what to research next.
[] Expansion focus - Bigger is better, and you certainly could be bigger! And relying on others to scout for you when they don't even know you are doing so is only so useful.
[] Write-in - Names, multi-cycle plans, more specific ideas. They fit in here.
Next cycle is noon to midnight, and your 'meteor impact' will soon be at the top of the list of unexpected-but-not-special events to look at.
---
[X] Research: Research Crystal (0/4)
-[X] When that's done....
[X] Outproduce them
-[X] 5 Base Crystals.
[X] Spy some more
---
Cycle 3
Peace. Quiet. Twin moons. Quite nice in comparison to the daytime loudness of the xenos base. And while their comm sec is lacking, they do post guards...with insecure comms. You hold onto that idea for later as you decide now is a good time as any to investigate yourself for how those networked extensions to your researching ability went. First you'll need a copy of that part in storage...
Sub-cycle 3 - And with a bit more polishing and cleaning up loose ends, done! Its hardly even remotely close to assistants, but at least you can start properly researching things now, after you've covered the basics like extra power generation. You build a single one as a test, and enjoy the extra line of thinking. Some of these scattered crystals are even close enough to be connected already. Those 5 crystals don't take very long however, so instead you start unpacking the pile of scan data you'd gotten on your way down and examining it while you wait for them to wake up.
Code:
System: Unknown
Planet: 2 of 4 (Rocky)
Orbital status: Cluttered.
Transmissions: Yes.You stop there and sigh at the lack of detail. Yes is not supposed to be a valid answer there. But it technically is correct, the worst kind of correct for this situation. You go back to spying on the communications instead of reading further, the rest of the scan is probably just as uselessly informative.
Sub-cycle 4 - With some creative application of comms-hopping, you manage to pin down a number of central servers to look into once you have better access than hiding in voice data, and two interesting details:
1. These are Alterin (single Alteri). This base isn't completed yet, it appears to be a bit of a punishment actually. The "proper support crew" is apparently not coming until they can send back proof this planet is worth investigation, and the "worthwhile basekeeper AI" is not until they get the budget for it.
2. They do actually take research data security seriously. Along with a system to keep access logs and hand out requests as needed (a rather ancient one by your old standards, considering it can't even accept general queries, just exact results), there were several requests for password resets, and several rebukes for not doing so through email where the Records unit could respond. As for actual communications, their plan appears to be investigate the floating island.
After that last one, you do see a smoke cloud appear above the floating island. They don't seem to have found the interesting parts of the island yet, just odd things on an odd location. Maybe it'll happen later.
What next?
[] Energy focus - Build more energy production, ignore the alterin until they come to you.
[] Defense focus - Prepare for them to come to you.
[] Research focus - Build more research crystals. Ponder what to research next.
[] Expansion focus - Bigger is better, and you certainly could be bigger! And relying on others to scout for you when they don't even know you are doing so is only so useful.
[] Write-in - Names, multi-cycle plans, more specific ideas. They fit in here.
Next cycle is noon to midnight, and your 'meteor impact' will soon be at the top of the list of unexpected-but-not-special events to look at.
---
Integrity: Intact
Core Armor: Unarmored
Energy Generation:
Core: 1000/cycle
Base Crystal: 25 @ 50/cycle: 1,250/cycle
Research costs: 1 @ 10/cycle: -10/cycle
Total Energy production: 2,240/cycle
Max single crystal cost: 10K
Current Stored Energy: 100
Storage Status: Fine.
Research Production: 2/cycle
Current Research Project:
Available Research:
Core:
Warfare: Repair Protocols, Offensive Export, Dampening Fields
Energy Generation: Alternate Power Sources, Strengthened Conduits (repeatable), Base Crystal Upgrade?
Storage: Energy Condensing, Enhanced Stabilization (repeatable).
Research:
Command Network: Delegation
Sensors & Exploration: Visual Augmentation, Wireless Theory.
Arcane: Undiscovered.
High Tech Materials: Undiscovered.
The Alterin Threat:
Core Armor: Unarmored
Energy Generation:
Core: 1000/cycle
Base Crystal: 25 @ 50/cycle: 1,250/cycle
Research costs: 1 @ 10/cycle: -10/cycle
Total Energy production: 2,240/cycle
Max single crystal cost: 10K
Current Stored Energy: 100
Storage Status: Fine.
Research Production: 2/cycle
Current Research Project:
Available Research:
Core:
Warfare: Repair Protocols, Offensive Export, Dampening Fields
Energy Generation: Alternate Power Sources, Strengthened Conduits (repeatable), Base Crystal Upgrade?
Storage: Energy Condensing, Enhanced Stabilization (repeatable).
Research:
Command Network: Delegation
Sensors & Exploration: Visual Augmentation, Wireless Theory.
Arcane: Undiscovered.
High Tech Materials: Undiscovered.
The Alterin Threat:
They are bad at communication security here.
They are at least somewhat organized (managers)
They appear to lack an answer on the more arcane-bullshit sort of thing around here. Though we hardly know much either, how is that island floating...
They do take research data security seriously, and have a logging system.
Current base is not a full one.
Location: In a crater. Near some alterin of suspiciousness.They are at least somewhat organized (managers)
They appear to lack an answer on the more arcane-bullshit sort of thing around here. Though we hardly know much either, how is that island floating...
They do take research data security seriously, and have a logging system.
Current base is not a full one.
Normal:
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, empty space.
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.
Available traits:
Energy Generator (Basic), Energy Storage (Basic), Data Storage, Absorption Fields, Defensive Offense, Explosive Entry
Check the crystals threadmark for energy costs and details.
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, empty space.
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.
Available traits:
Energy Generator (Basic), Energy Storage (Basic), Data Storage, Absorption Fields, Defensive Offense, Explosive Entry
Check the crystals threadmark for energy costs and details.
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
Last edited:
Cycle 4/5 - Beginning of Minions?
[X] Research focus
Cycle 4
As the astral light source passes the midpoint in the sky, you end up deciding that while they're distracted by the danger involved in investigating unknown magitech, you should get to researching. So you start building up your crystal network to do so, rather than immediately go for more energy generation. 3 more Research crystal nodes link up a couple more base crystals and your first external storage crystal (which need some superficial repairs), and another basic clears out the last of the energy for the cycle. You spend part of the cycle looking at the loose rocks in the crater to see if any of them could possibly be turned intodistractions minions so that you are not immediately mined at offensively. The idea has some potential, you think.
The other half of the cycle is spent researching vital things, like remembering how exactly you repair yourself without other crystalline who do it for the greater good.
New experiment: Minions! [Throw energy at the problem and see how it goes?]
+9 progress - Repair Protocols [9/20]
---
Cycle 5
As the twin moon pair slowly get more visible, you build another set of 3 research crystal nodes and a basic crystal. The remaining energy is spent experimenting with making charged rubble, essentially.
About a fourth of the way into the cycle, you get the feeling one does not simply charge minions, as your first attempts disintegrate the rocks, your second attempts crumble them into rubble, and your third attempts fracture the rocks into slightly smaller rocks. So you attach as small a crystal as you can fit to another set of acceptably solid rocks and try to charge that.
Sub-cycle 4
Damnit, why are these rocks so...fragile? Wrong word. Lacking in changability but also in durability. Try to make them hold the charge itself, falls apart. Try to integrate a storage shard, rock shatters around the meld point when you charge that. Empty out the center and refill it with crystal, too distinctively crystal in its chiming walksteps for the camouflage to be effective. Perhaps you need bigger test subjects? Either way, its slowly becoming non-morning, and the spare energy has been depleted. Time for a short nap.
Where to next?
[] More Energy - You could always do with more.
[] More Research - Less time spent without useful things, but these crystals are not the cheapest things...
[] Defensive Stance - Even more expensive, but you know it'll work, unlike the incomplete minions idea.
[] Experimentals/Write-in - Any particular path we should attempt next? The smaller of the nearby rocks have proven to not be sufficient for the easy solution.
Cycle 4
As the astral light source passes the midpoint in the sky, you end up deciding that while they're distracted by the danger involved in investigating unknown magitech, you should get to researching. So you start building up your crystal network to do so, rather than immediately go for more energy generation. 3 more Research crystal nodes link up a couple more base crystals and your first external storage crystal (which need some superficial repairs), and another basic clears out the last of the energy for the cycle. You spend part of the cycle looking at the loose rocks in the crater to see if any of them could possibly be turned into
The other half of the cycle is spent researching vital things, like remembering how exactly you repair yourself without other crystalline who do it for the greater good.
New experiment: Minions! [Throw energy at the problem and see how it goes?]
+9 progress - Repair Protocols [9/20]
---
Cycle 5
As the twin moon pair slowly get more visible, you build another set of 3 research crystal nodes and a basic crystal. The remaining energy is spent experimenting with making charged rubble, essentially.
About a fourth of the way into the cycle, you get the feeling one does not simply charge minions, as your first attempts disintegrate the rocks, your second attempts crumble them into rubble, and your third attempts fracture the rocks into slightly smaller rocks. So you attach as small a crystal as you can fit to another set of acceptably solid rocks and try to charge that.
Sub-cycle 4
Damnit, why are these rocks so...fragile? Wrong word. Lacking in changability but also in durability. Try to make them hold the charge itself, falls apart. Try to integrate a storage shard, rock shatters around the meld point when you charge that. Empty out the center and refill it with crystal, too distinctively crystal in its chiming walksteps for the camouflage to be effective. Perhaps you need bigger test subjects? Either way, its slowly becoming non-morning, and the spare energy has been depleted. Time for a short nap.
Where to next?
[] More Energy - You could always do with more.
[] More Research - Less time spent without useful things, but these crystals are not the cheapest things...
[] Defensive Stance - Even more expensive, but you know it'll work, unlike the incomplete minions idea.
[] Experimentals/Write-in - Any particular path we should attempt next? The smaller of the nearby rocks have proven to not be sufficient for the easy solution.
Integrity: Intact
Core Armor: Unarmored
Energy Generation:
Core: 1000/cycle
Base Crystal: 30 @ 50/cycle: 1,500/cycle
Research costs: 7 @ 10/cycle: -70/cycle
Total Energy production: 2,430/cycle
Max single crystal cost: 10K
Current Stored Energy: 0
Storage Status: Fine.
Research Production: 8/cycle
Current Research Project: Repair Protocols [16/20]
Current Experimental Project: Minions! [Durability, charging issues]
Available Research:
Core:
Warfare: Repair Protocols, Offensive Export, Dampening Fields
Energy Generation: Alternate Power Sources, Strengthened Conduits (repeatable), Base Crystal Upgrade?
Storage: Energy Condensing, Enhanced Stabilization (repeatable).
Research:
Command Network: Delegation
Sensors & Exploration: Visual Augmentation, Wireless Theory.
Arcane: Undiscovered.
High Tech Materials: Undiscovered.
The Alterin Threat:
They are bad at communication security here.
They are at least somewhat organized (managers)
They appear to lack an answer on the more arcane-bullshit sort of thing around here. Though we hardly know much either, how is that island floating...
They do take research data security seriously, and have a logging system.
Current base is not a full one.
Location: In a crater. Near some alterin of suspiciousness.
Core Armor: Unarmored
Energy Generation:
Core: 1000/cycle
Base Crystal: 30 @ 50/cycle: 1,500/cycle
Research costs: 7 @ 10/cycle: -70/cycle
Total Energy production: 2,430/cycle
Max single crystal cost: 10K
Current Stored Energy: 0
Storage Status: Fine.
Research Production: 8/cycle
Current Research Project: Repair Protocols [16/20]
Current Experimental Project: Minions! [Durability, charging issues]
Available Research:
Core:
Warfare: Repair Protocols, Offensive Export, Dampening Fields
Energy Generation: Alternate Power Sources, Strengthened Conduits (repeatable), Base Crystal Upgrade?
Storage: Energy Condensing, Enhanced Stabilization (repeatable).
Research:
Command Network: Delegation
Sensors & Exploration: Visual Augmentation, Wireless Theory.
Arcane: Undiscovered.
High Tech Materials: Undiscovered.
The Alterin Threat:
They are bad at communication security here.
They are at least somewhat organized (managers)
They appear to lack an answer on the more arcane-bullshit sort of thing around here. Though we hardly know much either, how is that island floating...
They do take research data security seriously, and have a logging system.
Current base is not a full one.
Location: In a crater. Near some alterin of suspiciousness.
Normal:
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, empty space.
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.
Available traits:
Energy Generator (Basic), Energy Storage (Basic), Data Storage, Absorption Fields, Defensive Offense, Explosive Entry
Check the crystals threadmark for energy costs and details.
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, empty space.
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.
Available traits:
Energy Generator (Basic), Energy Storage (Basic), Data Storage, Absorption Fields, Defensive Offense, Explosive Entry
Check the crystals threadmark for energy costs and details.
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
Last edited:
Cycle 6 - Reintegration
[X] Re-Integration
Cycle 6
One nice nap later, you take a look at the surrounding remaining crystal. Most of it is not connected with other storage crystal, which makes it not as effective as it could be. You connect to all of it anyway via assimilated matter, and double check it works correctly.
Since it appears to be working right after a few tests, you spend the remaining energy cleaning up the scatteredness by converting up to storage crystal from the matter, or shoving dirt away to make way for storage crystal. It ends up being a rather productive day as well, since you had cleared up the repair problem as well while you had been doing so. You end up listening in on the alterins as you decide what to research next.
Next cycle starts at night, so you've got at least half a cycle before they start up on their...idea. Longer if they get forced into going back there anyway.
[] More Energy - You do need additional pylons.
[] New Research - Pylons to make pylons to require additional pylons...
[] Minions! - Focus on the minion experiment. Write-in determines what way to take the experiment next.
[] Other write-in
---
a/n: I'd actually forgot you can't just build storage in normal squares while connecting more than jsut the as. matter squares, but I didn't want to recount everything to fix it. Instead you get the current picture.
Cycle 6
One nice nap later, you take a look at the surrounding remaining crystal. Most of it is not connected with other storage crystal, which makes it not as effective as it could be. You connect to all of it anyway via assimilated matter, and double check it works correctly.
Since it appears to be working right after a few tests, you spend the remaining energy cleaning up the scatteredness by converting up to storage crystal from the matter, or shoving dirt away to make way for storage crystal. It ends up being a rather productive day as well, since you had cleared up the repair problem as well while you had been doing so. You end up listening in on the alterins as you decide what to research next.
Next cycle starts at night, so you've got at least half a cycle before they start up on their...idea. Longer if they get forced into going back there anyway.
[] More Energy - You do need additional pylons.
[] New Research - Pylons to make pylons to require additional pylons...
[] Minions! - Focus on the minion experiment. Write-in determines what way to take the experiment next.
[] Other write-in
Integrity: Intact
Core Armor: Unarmored
Energy Generation:
Core: 1000/cycle
As. Matter: 8 @ 20/cycle: 160/cycle
Base Crystal: 32 @ 50/cycle: 1,600/cycle
Research costs: 7 @ 10/cycle: -70/cycle
Total Energy production: 2,690/cycle
Max single crystal cost: 10K
Current Stored Energy: 0
Storage Status: Very fine.
Research Production: 8/cycle
Current Research Project: None!
Current Experimental Project: Minions! [Durability, charging issues]
Available Research:
Core:
Warfare: Offensive Export, Dampening Fields
Energy Generation: Alternate Power Sources, Strengthened Conduits (repeatable), Base Crystal Upgrade?
Storage: Energy Condensing, Enhanced Stabilization (repeatable).
Research:
Command Network: Delegation
Sensors & Exploration: Visual Augmentation, Wireless Theory.
Arcane: Undiscovered.
High Tech Materials: Undiscovered.
The Alterin Threat:
They are bad at communication security here.
They are at least somewhat organized (managers)
They appear to lack an answer on the more arcane-bullshit sort of thing around here. Though we hardly know much either, how is that island floating...
They do take research data security seriously, and have a logging system.
Current base is not a full one.
Location: In a crater. Near some alterin of suspiciousness.
Core Armor: Unarmored
Energy Generation:
Core: 1000/cycle
As. Matter: 8 @ 20/cycle: 160/cycle
Base Crystal: 32 @ 50/cycle: 1,600/cycle
Research costs: 7 @ 10/cycle: -70/cycle
Total Energy production: 2,690/cycle
Max single crystal cost: 10K
Current Stored Energy: 0
Storage Status: Very fine.
Research Production: 8/cycle
Current Research Project: None!
Current Experimental Project: Minions! [Durability, charging issues]
Available Research:
Core:
Warfare: Offensive Export, Dampening Fields
Energy Generation: Alternate Power Sources, Strengthened Conduits (repeatable), Base Crystal Upgrade?
Storage: Energy Condensing, Enhanced Stabilization (repeatable).
Research:
Command Network: Delegation
Sensors & Exploration: Visual Augmentation, Wireless Theory.
Arcane: Undiscovered.
High Tech Materials: Undiscovered.
The Alterin Threat:
They are bad at communication security here.
They are at least somewhat organized (managers)
They appear to lack an answer on the more arcane-bullshit sort of thing around here. Though we hardly know much either, how is that island floating...
They do take research data security seriously, and have a logging system.
Current base is not a full one.
Location: In a crater. Near some alterin of suspiciousness.
Normal:
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, empty space.
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
Available traits:
Energy Generator (Basic), Energy Storage (Basic), Data Storage, Absorption Fields, Defensive Offense, Explosive Entry, Repair Protocols.
Check the crystals threadmark for energy costs and details.
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, empty space.
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
Available traits:
Energy Generator (Basic), Energy Storage (Basic), Data Storage, Absorption Fields, Defensive Offense, Explosive Entry, Repair Protocols.
Check the crystals threadmark for energy costs and details.
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
Purpleish - Repair 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
Purpleish - Repair 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
a/n: I'd actually forgot you can't just build storage in normal squares while connecting more than jsut the as. matter squares, but I didn't want to recount everything to fix it. Instead you get the current picture.
Last edited:
Cycle 7 - Additional Pylons
Decided i was doing the minions too obtusely so yes, its voting for 'what type of minions are we going for here'.
----
[x] More Energy
-[x] 48 As. matter
[x] Research goal: Visual Augmentation
Cycle 7
As it gets darker, you finally get a working prototype minion. Its quite a bit larger than you'd first thought you'd need, but its also stable when charged. You let it stay put while debating how to program it and move on to more important things. First, energy. Most of the surrounding area is flooded with energy, along with a single basic crystal afterwards to use up the majority of the remainder.
Secondly, vision. You've spent 7 cycles worth of your (admittedly minimal) energy stores and have barely expanded your visual range at all. This will not do. This will not do at all! Most of the cycle is spent on tinkering with the refined template's optics and precision, until you hear a suspicious chuk above and to the left of you.
Around the middle of Subcycle 4
"Crystal?"
"No, metal. We can't make a meteorite sword out of crystals."
"I'm...not seeing much metal here, Ro. Lots of crystal."
"Then we'll come back tomorrow with an ore scanner. In the meantime, lets take a look around, see if the metal bits got knocked off by the impact and landed nearby. Damneded planet can't even meteorite correctly..." you hear Ro the Alteri say.
What do we do before they get back from their fruitless ore search?
[] More Energy! - You still require additional pylons. (Will default to base crystal unless specified)
[] Arm up - Armed crystals time! (requires a new crystal design with at least Trait: Explosive Entry, or something like the exploding crystals)
[] Emergency Guns - Slap Defensive offense on something and stick it on top of you before they get back. It might be cheap crap, but it'll be usable crap. Maybe.
[] Project Minions: (vote for simple type to start with)
[] Write-in - While you can't actually talk intelligibly (in their opinion) yet without giving away your hacking knowledge, it wouldn't hurt to have a name prepared.
Integrity: Intact
Core Armor: Unarmored
Energy Generation:
Core: 1000/cycle
As. Matter: 56 @ 20/cycle: 1,120/cycle
Base Crystal: 33 @ 50/cycle: 1,650/cycle
Research costs: 7 @ 10/cycle: -70/cycle
Total Energy production: 3,700/cycle
Max single crystal cost: 10K
Current Stored Energy: 90
Storage Status: Very fine.
Research Production: 8/cycle
Current Research Project: Visual Augmentation [15/120]
Current Experimental Project: Minions!
Available Research:
Core:
Warfare: Offensive Export (1000), Dampening Fields (1000)
Energy Generation: Alternate Power Sources (Experiment), Strengthened Conduits (250,repeatable), Base Crystal Upgrade? (1000), Fusion Amplification (??)
Storage: Energy Condensing (250), Enhanced Stabilization (250,repeatable).
Research: None, see tech tree
Command Network: Delegation (500)
Sensors & Exploration: Visual Augmentation (120), Wireless Theory (2000).
Arcane: Undiscovered.
High Tech Materials: Undiscovered.
The Alterin Threat:
They are bad at communication security here.
They are at least somewhat organized (managers)
They appear to lack an answer on the more arcane-bullshit sort of thing around here. Though we hardly know much either, how is that island floating...
They do take research data security seriously, and have a logging system.
Current base is not a full one.
Location: In a crater. Near some alterin of suspiciousness.
Core Armor: Unarmored
Energy Generation:
Core: 1000/cycle
As. Matter: 56 @ 20/cycle: 1,120/cycle
Base Crystal: 33 @ 50/cycle: 1,650/cycle
Research costs: 7 @ 10/cycle: -70/cycle
Total Energy production: 3,700/cycle
Max single crystal cost: 10K
Current Stored Energy: 90
Storage Status: Very fine.
Research Production: 8/cycle
Current Research Project: Visual Augmentation [15/120]
Current Experimental Project: Minions!
Available Research:
Core:
Warfare: Offensive Export (1000), Dampening Fields (1000)
Energy Generation: Alternate Power Sources (Experiment), Strengthened Conduits (250,repeatable), Base Crystal Upgrade? (1000), Fusion Amplification (??)
Storage: Energy Condensing (250), Enhanced Stabilization (250,repeatable).
Research: None, see tech tree
Command Network: Delegation (500)
Sensors & Exploration: Visual Augmentation (120), Wireless Theory (2000).
Arcane: Undiscovered.
High Tech Materials: Undiscovered.
The Alterin Threat:
They are bad at communication security here.
They are at least somewhat organized (managers)
They appear to lack an answer on the more arcane-bullshit sort of thing around here. Though we hardly know much either, how is that island floating...
They do take research data security seriously, and have a logging system.
Current base is not a full one.
Location: In a crater. Near some alterin of suspiciousness.
Normal:
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, empty space.
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
Available traits:
Energy Generator (Basic), Energy Storage (Basic), Data Storage, Absorption Fields, Defensive Offense, Explosive Entry, Repair Protocols.
Check the crystals threadmark for energy costs and details.
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, empty space.
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
Available traits:
Energy Generator (Basic), Energy Storage (Basic), Data Storage, Absorption Fields, Defensive Offense, Explosive Entry, Repair Protocols.
Check the crystals threadmark for energy costs and details.
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
Purpleish - Repair 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
Purpleish - Repair 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
Last edited:
Cycle 8 - Remote ear, sword-style.
Except for how I'm feeling physically, things aren't getting any better. They may get worse. Lets mess with aliens instead.
---
Cycle 8
More out of amusement than anything, you shape one of the nearby rocks into a large sword shape (with an assimilated inner core, for slightly higher durability) and turn it into a minion. Built into the hilt as decoration is a data storage component (tuned to the alterin comm frequency, so you can read it later) to listen to what they're doing, and an old solar panel idea that you turn into a working part, combined with a thermal absorption field for night time. It doesn't scale up well enough to be a decent alternate power source yet, but perhaps later.
Some reduced-capacity storage crystals are also designed and marked for explosives use.
For the rest of the cycle you simply relax and store the energy from this cycle in case you need it next cycle for some emergency explosives, since you know they're coming anyway and want to see their reactions.
Subcycle 2
"Ro. Hey, Ro. Come look at this." You turn on the data storage's recorder.
"What? Didn't you say theres just crystal over there, Das?" says Alteri Ro, as they appear to have returned from their ore trip.
"Well, there was. And now theres a sword here. Stone sword, with a shiny crystal in the hilt. About the size of a greatsword." replies Alteri Das. Theres a pretty lengthy pause.
"Well, can you lift it? With the way this planet is maybe this crystal is laying on top of a literal wishing well. Though I'm certainly not going to try swinging a stone sword at that forcefield. Wouldn't it just break?" says Ro.
"Uh...good question. Last I'd heard it did appear to let air and gently-rolled rocks through to bump on the door behind it. As for the sword, yep. Its heavy, though. Like you'd expect a stone greatsword to be. I'm not sure if i could actually use this for anything besides being a cool artifact without some serious training."
You note that function of the floating island's particular door-forcefield. It sounds like if you went in under it you'd not even have trouble getting through. Though it doesn't answer how you're getting up there to begin with! The two xenos walk off afterwards, but not before wishing for a second stone greatsword with a fancier hilt.
Subcycle 3.5
"Where have you two been all day? You said you were going to find meteor iron, not acquire a stone greatsword."
"We did say that. Turns out, there an actual chance that meteor landed on top of a legit wishing well. We went there, grumbled about the excess of crystal and lack of ore to make a sword with, and went looking for meteor fragments. When we came back to the impact crater there was this stone-with-crystal-in-hilt greatsword lying on the ground like it had always been there before." replies Das.
"Interesting, we'll add that to the list of investigation targets. Go check back on it tomorrow. Did you say anything before you left?"
"Ro had said it'd be pretty nice if there was more than one of these to examine, especially the crystal. If you look closely it shines as if it has a sun inside it, its pretty damn nice." answered Das.
So we've managed to deflect the first look at us. What next?
[] More Energy - Two cycle of energy will be a very nice chunk of additional generation to have.
[] More Research - Amp up the humming glow effect of the actively researching crystals. Maybe they'll think its part of the wishing well's functionality.
[] Write-in
Do we stay put and expand, or do we nope out of this region of the surface?
[] Move! - You've got a cycle's worth of energy and they know where you are. Time to nope out of this surface business posthaste. The rest of the energy can be spent later.
[] Expand! - Gotta build up. You need more, now. Our disguise won't hold up if they actually dig into the crater and see there is just more crystal underneath, not a well. And moving would be a waste of 3,700 energy.
Lastly, do we actually make a second Infiltrator Greatsword minion, and does it have any extra features this time? (Good enough suggestions will give a research point bonus towards Wireless Theory)
[] Minion! - Lets lead them along this wishing well deception. Maybe we won't need the explosives yet.
[] No minion! - We're pushing it as is by even letting them have that much crystal in the middle of a research base. Create something else instead and confuse them. Something that won't lead back to you.
---
Cycle 8
More out of amusement than anything, you shape one of the nearby rocks into a large sword shape (with an assimilated inner core, for slightly higher durability) and turn it into a minion. Built into the hilt as decoration is a data storage component (tuned to the alterin comm frequency, so you can read it later) to listen to what they're doing, and an old solar panel idea that you turn into a working part, combined with a thermal absorption field for night time. It doesn't scale up well enough to be a decent alternate power source yet, but perhaps later.
Some reduced-capacity storage crystals are also designed and marked for explosives use.
For the rest of the cycle you simply relax and store the energy from this cycle in case you need it next cycle for some emergency explosives, since you know they're coming anyway and want to see their reactions.
Subcycle 2
"Ro. Hey, Ro. Come look at this." You turn on the data storage's recorder.
"What? Didn't you say theres just crystal over there, Das?" says Alteri Ro, as they appear to have returned from their ore trip.
"Well, there was. And now theres a sword here. Stone sword, with a shiny crystal in the hilt. About the size of a greatsword." replies Alteri Das. Theres a pretty lengthy pause.
"Well, can you lift it? With the way this planet is maybe this crystal is laying on top of a literal wishing well. Though I'm certainly not going to try swinging a stone sword at that forcefield. Wouldn't it just break?" says Ro.
"Uh...good question. Last I'd heard it did appear to let air and gently-rolled rocks through to bump on the door behind it. As for the sword, yep. Its heavy, though. Like you'd expect a stone greatsword to be. I'm not sure if i could actually use this for anything besides being a cool artifact without some serious training."
You note that function of the floating island's particular door-forcefield. It sounds like if you went in under it you'd not even have trouble getting through. Though it doesn't answer how you're getting up there to begin with! The two xenos walk off afterwards, but not before wishing for a second stone greatsword with a fancier hilt.
Subcycle 3.5
"Where have you two been all day? You said you were going to find meteor iron, not acquire a stone greatsword."
"We did say that. Turns out, there an actual chance that meteor landed on top of a legit wishing well. We went there, grumbled about the excess of crystal and lack of ore to make a sword with, and went looking for meteor fragments. When we came back to the impact crater there was this stone-with-crystal-in-hilt greatsword lying on the ground like it had always been there before." replies Das.
"Interesting, we'll add that to the list of investigation targets. Go check back on it tomorrow. Did you say anything before you left?"
"Ro had said it'd be pretty nice if there was more than one of these to examine, especially the crystal. If you look closely it shines as if it has a sun inside it, its pretty damn nice." answered Das.
So we've managed to deflect the first look at us. What next?
[] More Energy - Two cycle of energy will be a very nice chunk of additional generation to have.
[] More Research - Amp up the humming glow effect of the actively researching crystals. Maybe they'll think its part of the wishing well's functionality.
[] Write-in
Do we stay put and expand, or do we nope out of this region of the surface?
[] Move! - You've got a cycle's worth of energy and they know where you are. Time to nope out of this surface business posthaste. The rest of the energy can be spent later.
[] Expand! - Gotta build up. You need more, now. Our disguise won't hold up if they actually dig into the crater and see there is just more crystal underneath, not a well. And moving would be a waste of 3,700 energy.
Lastly, do we actually make a second Infiltrator Greatsword minion, and does it have any extra features this time? (Good enough suggestions will give a research point bonus towards Wireless Theory)
[] Minion! - Lets lead them along this wishing well deception. Maybe we won't need the explosives yet.
[] No minion! - We're pushing it as is by even letting them have that much crystal in the middle of a research base. Create something else instead and confuse them. Something that won't lead back to you.
Integrity: Intact
Core Armor: Unarmored
Energy Generation:
Core: 1000/cycle
As. Matter: 56 @ 20/cycle: 1,120/cycle
Base Crystal: 33 @ 50/cycle: 1,650/cycle
Research costs: 7 @ 10/cycle: -70/cycle
Total Energy production: 3,700/cycle
Max single crystal cost: 10K
Current Stored Energy: 3,790
Storage Status: Fine.
Research Production: 8/cycle
Current Research Project: Visual Augmentation [23/120]
Current Experimental Project: Minions! [Infiltrator Greatsword type]
Available Research:
Core:
Warfare: Offensive Export (1000), Dampening Fields (1000)
Energy Generation: Alternate Power Sources (Experiment), Strengthened Conduits (250,repeatable), Base Crystal Upgrade? (1000), Fusion Amplification (??)
Storage: Energy Condensing (250), Enhanced Stabilization (250,repeatable).
Research: None, see tech tree
Command Network: Delegation (500)
Sensors & Exploration: Visual Augmentation (120), Wireless Theory (2000).
Arcane: Undiscovered.
High Tech Materials: Undiscovered.
The Alterin Threat:
They are bad at communication security here.
They are at least somewhat organized (managers)
They appear to lack an answer on the more arcane-bullshit sort of thing around here. Though we hardly know much either, how is that island floating...
They do take research data security seriously, and have a logging system.
Current base is not a full one.
Location: In a crater. Near some alterin of suspiciousness.
Core Armor: Unarmored
Energy Generation:
Core: 1000/cycle
As. Matter: 56 @ 20/cycle: 1,120/cycle
Base Crystal: 33 @ 50/cycle: 1,650/cycle
Research costs: 7 @ 10/cycle: -70/cycle
Total Energy production: 3,700/cycle
Max single crystal cost: 10K
Current Stored Energy: 3,790
Storage Status: Fine.
Research Production: 8/cycle
Current Research Project: Visual Augmentation [23/120]
Current Experimental Project: Minions! [Infiltrator Greatsword type]
Available Research:
Core:
Warfare: Offensive Export (1000), Dampening Fields (1000)
Energy Generation: Alternate Power Sources (Experiment), Strengthened Conduits (250,repeatable), Base Crystal Upgrade? (1000), Fusion Amplification (??)
Storage: Energy Condensing (250), Enhanced Stabilization (250,repeatable).
Research: None, see tech tree
Command Network: Delegation (500)
Sensors & Exploration: Visual Augmentation (120), Wireless Theory (2000).
Arcane: Undiscovered.
High Tech Materials: Undiscovered.
The Alterin Threat:
They are bad at communication security here.
They are at least somewhat organized (managers)
They appear to lack an answer on the more arcane-bullshit sort of thing around here. Though we hardly know much either, how is that island floating...
They do take research data security seriously, and have a logging system.
Current base is not a full one.
Location: In a crater. Near some alterin of suspiciousness.
Normal:
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, empty space.
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
Mine Crystal
Storage crystal stripped down and prepared to explode via overcharge.
Template: Space-filling (minimal energy storage)
Fabrication cost: 200 energy, empty space.
Available traits:
Energy Generator (Basic), Energy Storage (Basic), Data Storage, Absorption Fields, Defensive Offense, Explosive Entry, Repair Protocols.
Check the crystals threadmark for energy costs and details.
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, empty space.
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
Mine Crystal
Storage crystal stripped down and prepared to explode via overcharge.
Template: Space-filling (minimal energy storage)
Fabrication cost: 200 energy, empty space.
Available traits:
Energy Generator (Basic), Energy Storage (Basic), Data Storage, Absorption Fields, Defensive Offense, Explosive Entry, Repair Protocols.
Check the crystals threadmark for energy costs and details.