This follow-up update adds Technology Tiers to the game, requiring Tier-specific research point production. This is a smaller update content-wise, but it does drastically change the mid- to late-game gameplay by requiring all later technologies to produce second and later third tier research items, which have their extended production lines.

[h2]Technology Tiers[/h2]

So some mid-game techs are now tier 2 and require T1 and T2 points:



And late-game techs are now tier 3 and need T1, T2 and T3 points:



The three separate knowledge items (from the Leather update) now produce their respective tier knowledge points -- notes - 1, scrolls - 2, codices - 3:



The top overview HUD now shows the knowledge amount broken into tiers:



I briefly considered making 4 technology tiers, the last being "inspiration" for the monument construction. And I still want to implement this in some form. But the game currently just doesn't have enough techs or more content to support such granularity and late-game. So for now it's 3 tiers.

I also wanted to balance the Observer (former Scholar) and reduce the "free" point gathering, but besides just making it slower, I would have to change some core mechanics for it and somehow separate buildings by industry or at least type. This all ends up being far beyond the scope of the update.

[h2]Future plans[/h2]

I keep promising smaller and more frequent updates, so finally I have a smaller update. *ahem*

My immediate goal is to integrate the new level generator system into the main game. I've been working on it as a separate project for multiple reasons. Integration is one of the most difficult parts, but it's the only remaining large task to get it into the main game. I am tempted to work more on it and add all sorts of new features, but I really do need to just get it into the game first and worry about additional content later. So that's my primary goal right now - switching to the new terrain generator.

[h2]Full changelog[/h2]

Changes

Technologies now come in three Knowledge Tiers: Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 - each is gathered as points independently
Research Scroll now produces 1 point of Tier 2 Knowledge
Research Codex now produces 1 point of Tier 3 Knowledge
Tier 1 techs require only Tier 1 points
Tier 2 techs require Tier 1 and Tier 2 points
Tier 3 techs require Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 points
Technology point cost increases in each tier individually
Goals now also provide Tier 2 and Tier 3 points according to the tech they are based on
Update various tooltips, descriptions and Micropedia entries for the tiered Knowledge points
Add Leatherworking goal
HUD top overview Knowledge amount now shows points for all Tiers
Technology panel UI tech buttons now show the tiered costs for techs
Micropedia now lists when a building can be observed
Butcher can now toggle Meat and Hide production
Butcher's Table's steps can now be discarded (like some other buildings with toggled production)
Auxiliary step discarding can now also be triggered if there's no more space for the item (that is, full inventory will no longer stop items from producing, i.e. full Hide inventory won't prevent more Meat production)
Discarding will no longer trigger if all item outputs are full (no point discarding when nothing can be filled)
Discarding will no longer trigger if it's the only item the building is producing (everything else would be discarded too)
Discarding as a task priority is now the same as the step it's discarding (so buildings where discarding is an expected operation don't leave them until last)
Buildings with produced item/unit toggles will not show them if there is only one option
Building produced item/unit toggle button tooltips will mention which item or unit they don't need

Fixes

Fix inconsistencies in observable building list
Micropedia will again list Butcher's inputs, but as animals now
Papermaking goal using wrong base tech/award
Fix incorrect tech unlock costs for later techs
Fix Research Scrolls and Research Codices not increasing the correct (internal) Knowledge value
Fix Research Notes providing wrong Knowledge point amount
Library now showing operation progress bar for Research Notes use
Fix Research Scrolls not being delivered
Fix saves failing to load due to previous patch
Fix discarding tasks taking almost no time instead of the expected short duration
Workers working with several auxiliaries will now pick the auxiliary that is closest to finishing the product instead of (usually) picking an auxiliary with the most progress
Building with togglable production will not continue working if production toggles are disabled
Some tiles would convert to Sand after removing a building from them

Balancing

Technology tier introduction drastically changes mid-game and later tech progression requirements

Rudy
Snowy Ash Games