Science Master Plan (Patreon)

It’s time for more details about science in SE 0.7.

One of the challenges of making Space Exploration is that there’s a lot of stuff in the final ‘vision’ but in the current version a lot of that is missing. There are supposed to be distinctive planets, each with their own special terrain, challenges, buildings, industry, and science. The game needs to be playable even though these things don’t exist yet, so how does that work? Well it’s a combination filling the gaps, or skipping the gaps.

In SE0.6 almost all of the planet-specific terrain, challenges, buildings, and industry are missing. In their place are planets that are all essentially the same type, with the biggest difference just being the resource balance and whether or not they have water and/or enemies. In 0.6 the intended planet-specific science is moved to space instead. Many of the special resources and some of the processing does exist in 0.6, but there are still some resources that are missing completely which leaves Tiers 2-4 of the space sciences in a weird place.

SE0.7 will be a huge step closer to the final vision by finally implementing the special planet types. There are 14 planet types each with their own terrain systems, sub-biomes, resource distributions, challenges, etc. Some of them will have resources that aren’t found elsewhere so you will need to have a base on those and make use of their unique industry. You won’t need a base on all 14 planet types, for example, Iron and Stone planets are completely optional because almost everywhere has iron and stone and even if one is lacking them there are many options other than importing from a dedicated iron or stone planet.

I’ll cover more of the planet specifics in other devlog posts. For now I want to focus on the high-level science plan.

The first thing to notice is that the space science pack tiers have been broken apart. It’s not just Tier 1-4 anymore. The general disciplines are still there, and that is loosely represented by the science pack shape, such as the material science packs being based on cubes. Every science pack now has a unique name, shape, and colour (graphics are WIP). The manufacturing of each science pack is also more heavily themed with a tailored set of activities. I’ll give a little bit of information about each one but I won’t go into a lot of detail or list all the unlocks.

Let’s start from where things start to diverge from the early game.

Straight out of chemical science you’ll get things like personal logistic bots, electric furnaces, a ground-based telescope, and the ability to make a rocket silo. You won’t get things like processing units yet.

Satellite Science: You’ll need the telescope to make observations that let you build satellites. You launch the satellites to get satellite science, which can be used to start unlocking processing units and a few upgrades but most importantly to start unlocking space structures, delivery cannons, and the cargo rocket.

The cargo rockets will probably be cheaper and smaller capacity so that partially filled rockets or passenger transport rockets are not a big deal. Waiting around for personal rockets to fill in the early game is not fun so this should help make it more casual. Your inventory weight will be counted in the rocket weight too, so there’s no incentive to junk up your inventory just to min-max the rocket capacity. If your inventory makes the rocket overweight then some of the rocket’s normal inventory will be left in the rocket silo instead.

Space Science: Next you build a small science space platform somewhere in space to make space science. This is just the basics of inter-surface delivery, decontamination, and space assembly. This science pack will be the first one to be made in a supercomputer and used in a space lab. Space science will unlock the special machines that are needed for the next science packs.

The goal is to get to this point as quickly and easily as possible so you can start on the interplanetary gameplay. A lot of the things that you’d usually use to scale up on Nauvis are moved to the next planets, like nuclear.

From here you have 6 options for where to go next.

Astronomic science: You can stay in space and make some space telescopes for the Astronomic science pack. This will unlock things like better solar, laser systems, the ability to mine beryllium (only asteroid belts), and make pylons (with beryllium). This may also unlock small spaceships but not booster tanks but that is not decided yet. Anyway, this science pack will usually be a good 1st option unless you urgently need a backup planet because your main planet is at risk (due to a planned mod setting).

Nuclear science: Go to a cratered uranium planet with acid lakes and fissures with green molten rock. Process uranium to make the uranium science pack using the plant-specific building. This unlocks things like the reactor, a-bomb, and RTG.

Geologic science: Go to a waterless lava-rich volcanic planet, mine vulcanite, use metallurgy, and make the Geologic science pack on the planet. This gets you things like artillery range, the WDC, and better smelting.

Cryogenic science: Go to a freezing ice planet, mine cryonite, practice cryogenics, and make the Cryogenic science pack. This unlocks things like better cooling systems, the condenser turbine, freezing water ice, and the cryo gun.

Electromagnetic science: Go to a lightning planet, mine Holmium, and make the Electromagnetic science pack. This unlocks things like beacons, better circuit recipes, space trains, and tesla weapons.

Vitalic science: Go to a lush jungle planet with periodic flooding and harvest vitamelange. Build Arboretums to make the Vitalic science pack. This unlocks things like bio upgrades, better productivity modules, and a construction walker (non-combat spidertron).

There are also a few technologies that require 2 or 3 of the above 6:

• Space elevators only require Astronomic and Electromagnetic.
• Compact beacons require Electromagnetic and Cryogenic.
• Wide area beacons require Electromagnetic and Astronomic.
• Improved uranium processing requires Nuclear and Geologic.
• Vitalic, Astronomic, and Nuclear lets you grow things in space.

The later science packs have prerequisites that follow less of a formal structure. In general I’ve tried to make science packs not have an earlier prerequisite unless that thing is needed for some key component or intermediate. This means that you can progress quite far on one side of the tree if there’s something you want there. For example, you can get all the way to the Gravimetric science pack without having done the Vitalic science pack.

Genetic science: Testing specimens in space. It unlocks better life support systems, biter capsules, the spidertron, a better plastic recipe, and better productivity modules.

Asteroid science: Can only be made in an asteroid belt, and requires Beryllium which can also only be found in asteroid belts. Unlocks the spaceship and interstellar travel. This lets you mine Xenon from deep space asteroid fields which can be used to make ion thrusters.

All of the following science packs require some interstellar travel, such as deep space or a planet type that is not in the starting system.

Particle science: Requires going to a Lithium planet. The science pack is made in space, but some intermediate and one of the data cards must be made on the lithium planet itself. Unlocks better solar, construction pylons, supercomputer 2, better personal shields, better energy storage, and a particle cannon.

Structural science: Requires going to an Iridium planet. Unlocks larger spaceships, Railgun, space elevator efficiency, better speed modules, better RTGs.

Xeno science: Requires going to a Xenorkyd planet, fighting the natives, and collecting sap. Unlocks more bio upgrades, better productivity, a better thruster suit, better oil recipes, and basic Jump Clones (consciousness teleporting).

Gravimetric science: Requires Xenon, and must be made in deep space with various experiments in the gravimetric facility. Unlocks bigger spaceship, better personal roboport, asteroid mining drones (infinite space mining), and interstellar rocketry (maybe).

Fusion science: Requires going to a Deuterium ocean planet, building floating platforms, and harvesting Deuterium. The science pack is made in space using more particle collider experiments, but one of the data cards must be made on the planet. It unlocks fusion energy, the high temperature turbine, personal fusion reactor, supercharger, and fusion bots.

Stellar science: Requires you to go to close solar orbit and start a solar collection platform. Send out stellar probes and start starlifitng to make the science pack, which unlocks the shield projector, energy beaming, and energybeam powered furnace.

Nanomaterial science: Can be made anywhere in space. Use the material fabricator to make nanomaterial and run experiments on it. Unlocks better space elevator efficiency, power armour, jetpack, speed modules, destroyer drones. Combined with Stellar science, it also unlock Transmutation, so you can convert basic resources like iron and copper from one to another.

Neural science: Can be made anywhere in space. Run experiments on natural gel combined with electronics. Unlocks the Neural supercomputer, better productivity, and Jump Clones that are as good as your default character.

Naquium science: Mine Naquium from deep space and smelt it using the energybeam powered furnace. The science pack can be made anywhere in space, but requires products from multiple places. Unlocks deep space belts, and upgrades for spaceship size, speed modules, flat solar.

Biosynthetic science: Can be made anywhere in space. Run experiments on synthetic biology. Unlocks a legless space spidertron, superior jump clones, more bio upgrades, productivity, and the highest tier of compact beacon.

Dimensional science: Can only be made in deep space. Collect and cycle arcospheres to test the fabric of the universe. Unlocks The highest tier of wide area beacons, larger spaceships, and better energy storage.

Antimatter science: Can be made anywhere in space. Make and test antimatter with material fabricators and particle colliders. Unlocks the antimatter reactor, antimatter engines, a spaceshuttle (cross between an aircraft and space capsule).

Warp science: Can only be made in deep space. Test practical applications of space warping. Unlocks larger spaceships, tier 9 modules, teleportation, and arcolink chests, and the spaceship victory option.

Conclusion:

You may also be able to see that a lot of the scaffolding for the SE0.7 science structure was put into SE0.6. The total number of science packs is similar, a lot of the activities are similar, but in general things in 0.6 are grouped into tiers instead of being in their own location. For 0.7 it is intended that each planet will have very specific gameplay and alternate ways of getting basic resources, but it doesn’t end there. The space science packs are also intended to be heavily themed, and sometimes location restricted too. For example, the Stellar science pack and Asteroid science pack require specific locations.