Creating Tech Trees

Outpost 2 Tech Trees can be highly customized for individual scenarios. Each tech tree is a a .txt file that is parsed by Outpost 2 and may be used by multiple scenarios.

Outpost 2 shipped with several different tech trees that can be used on a new scenario instead of designing a new tech tree. Tech trees pre-included with Outpost 2 game distributions are often stored in .vol files. The Mapmaker can be used to extract the tech trees from the vol files. The following tech trees are widely used in Outpost 2 scenarios:

• MULTITEK - Standard tech tree for colony and multiplayer scenarios.
• MULTITEK2 - Outpost Universe modified tech tree for colony and multiplayer scenarios.
• edentek - Eden campaign tech tree.
• plytek - Plymouth campaign tech tree.
• dteke - Pre-release Eden scenario tech tree. * dtekp - Pre-release Plymouth scenario tech tree. * dtek_m - Pre-release multiplayer scenario tech tree. ===== Tech Tree Sample Entry ===== <code> BEGINTECH “Advanced Vehicle Power Plant” 03901 CATEGORY 4 DESCRIPTION “Cargo Truck, Robo-Dozer, and Earthworker speeds improved. The new R-3000 series cool-fusion plant has been installed in all Cargo Trucks, Robo-Dozers, Earthworkers, replacing the earlier R-2000 model. This application of the High-Temperature Superconductivity technology has increased the speed of these vehicles.” TEASER “Improves Cargo Truck, Robo-Dozer, and Earthworker speeds. _ Several of the vehicle models we use are powered by the R-2000 cool-fusion plant. Our work in High-Temperature Superconductivity may be applicable to an improvement of this power plant.” IMPROVEDESC “Increased speed” REQUIRES 03402 EDENCOST 1400 PLYMOUTHCOST 1600 MAXSCIENTISTS 11 LAB 2 UNITPROP BIGTRUCK MoveSpeed 3 UNITPROP WALLTRUCK MoveSpeed 4 UNITPROP BULLDOZER MoveSpeed 4 ENDTECH </code> ===== Tech Tree Syntax ===== ==== Comments (;) ==== Semicolons (;) are used to designate comments. Place a semicolon at the beginning of a line to designate the entire line a comment. Example: <code> ; Outpost 2: Divided Destiny ; Research : Multiplayer Game </code> ==== Max Scientists ==== Use the MAX_SCIENTISTS keyword to set the maximum number of scientists that can concurrently research the technology. ==== Prerequisites ==== Use the keyword REQUIRES and then follow with the ID of the technology required as a prerequisite. Example: <code> REQUIRES 03402 </code> ===== Tech Tree Best Practices ===== Keep a changelog at the top of the tech tree so other developers can see what you have changed. For example: <code> ; Technology tree for Multiplayer mission for Outpost 2 pre-release demo. ; ; NOTE: IMPORTANT!!! PLEASE NOTIFY ALLEN MCPHEETERS OF ANY CHANGES ; TO THIS FILE. ; ; Change history ; 16 Mar 97: Created this file by modifying existing Plymouth single- ; player tech tree from demo. ; 08 Feb 06: OPU modified this techtree so most unit properties in the spreadsheets ; will behave how they were in the demo. </code> —- - Go Back to Software Development Kit
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