Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
FIGURe 6.51
Offensive and defen-
sive modes
Technology Trees
Real-time strategy games, but also simulation games like
Civilization
, often allow the
player to spend resources to research technological advances that will give him an
extra edge in the game. These constructions are usually referred to as
technology trees
and often add interesting long-term investments to a game's economy. More often
than not, the technology tree involves multiple steps and many possible routes to
various advancements; these technology trees constitute interesting internal econo-
mies in their own right.
To model technology trees, you should use resources to represent technological
advances and have these resources unlock new game options or improve old ones.
Figure 6.52
illustrates how a technology tree can be used to unlock and improve the
abilities of a new unit type in a strategy game. The player can start building knights
only after he researches one level of knight lore. Every level of knight lore also
increases the effectiveness of the knights, although the research gets more and more
expensive for every level. In this example, researching knight lore requires a consider-
able investment but rewards the player with stronger units.
FIGURe 6.52
adding research to a
strategy game
