TechLevel = WTF

[DCoder]

So a bug in my Ares coding forced me to take a look at the TechLevels in the original game. They're a bloody mess! Just throwing a quick list out there for reference, this should really get fixed if Tech Level slider is to be reinstated in Ares, but it would be a damn hard task to balance it for the unmodded game...

Code:

TechLevel=01 [CMIN]
TechLevel=01 [E1]
TechLevel=01 [E2]
TechLevel=01 [ENGINEER]
TechLevel=01 [FLAKT]
TechLevel=01 [GAPILL]
TechLevel=01 [GAPOWR]
TechLevel=01 [GAREFN]
TechLevel=01 [GAWALL]
TechLevel=01 [HARV]
TechLevel=01 [INIT]
TechLevel=01 [YAPOWR]
TechLevel=01 [YAREFN]
TechLevel=01 [YENGINEER]
TechLevel=01 [NABNKR]
TechLevel=01 [NALASR]
TechLevel=01 [NAPOWR]
TechLevel=01 [NAREFN]
TechLevel=01 [NAWALL]
TechLevel=01 [SENGINEER]
TechLevel=01 [SMIN]
TechLevel=01 [SNIPE]
TechLevel=01 [UFO]
TechLevel=01 [VIRUS]

TechLevel=02 [ADOG]
TechLevel=02 [BSUB]
TechLevel=02 [DISK]
TechLevel=02 [DOG]
TechLevel=02 [GAFWLL]
TechLevel=02 [GAPILE]
TechLevel=02 [GAWEAP]
TechLevel=02 [GGI]
TechLevel=02 [HTNK]
TechLevel=02 [YABRCK]
TechLevel=02 [YADOG]
TechLevel=02 [YAWEAP]
TechLevel=02 [YDOG]
TechLevel=02 [YHVR]
TechLevel=02 [LTNK]
TechLevel=02 [MIND]
TechLevel=02 [MTNK]
TechLevel=02 [NAHAND]
TechLevel=02 [NAYARD]
TechLevel=02 [NAWEAP]
TechLevel=02 [ROBO]
TechLevel=02 [SAPC]
TechLevel=02 [SUB]
TechLevel=02 [TELE]
TechLevel=02 [TNKD]

TechLevel=03 [AMRADR]
TechLevel=03 [BEAG]
TechLevel=03 [FV]
TechLevel=03 [GAAIRC]
TechLevel=03 [HTK]
TechLevel=03 [JUMPJET]
TechLevel=03 [NAPSIS]
TechLevel=03 [NARADR]
TechLevel=03 [NATBNK]
TechLevel=03 [ORCA]
TechLevel=03 [V3]

TechLevel=04 [CAOS]
TechLevel=04 [DEST]
TechLevel=04 [DRON]
TechLevel=04 [GAYARD]
TechLevel=04 [YAGGUN]
TechLevel=04 [YAYARD]
TechLevel=04 [YTNK]
TechLevel=04 [LCRF]
TechLevel=04 [NAFLAK]
TechLevel=04 [NASAM]

TechLevel=05 [BRUTE]
TechLevel=05 [DLPH]
TechLevel=05 [IVAN]
TechLevel=05 [SHK]
TechLevel=05 [SPY]
TechLevel=05 [TERROR]
TechLevel=05 [TESLA]

TechLevel=06 [ATESLA]
TechLevel=06 [DRED]
TechLevel=06 [GADEPT]
TechLevel=06 [HYD]
TechLevel=06 [NADEPT]

TechLevel=07 [AEGIS]
TechLevel=07 [APOC]
TechLevel=07 [CARRIER]
TechLevel=07 [GAGAP]
TechLevel=07 [GTGCAN]
TechLevel=07 [YAPSYT]
TechLevel=07 [NATECH]
TechLevel=07 [SCHP]
TechLevel=07 [SHAD]

TechLevel=08 [DESO]
TechLevel=08 [GATECH]
TechLevel=08 [YATECH]
TechLevel=08 [SREF]

TechLevel=09 [BORIS]
TechLevel=09 [CCOMAND]
TechLevel=09 [CIVAN]
TechLevel=09 [GASPYSAT]
TechLevel=09 [GHOST]
TechLevel=09 [YAGRND]
TechLevel=09 [MGTK]
TechLevel=09 [NACLON]
TechLevel=09 [NANRCT]
TechLevel=09 [PTROOP]
TechLevel=09 [SQD]
TechLevel=09 [TANY]

TechLevel=10 [AMCV]
TechLevel=10 [BFRT]
TechLevel=10 [CLEG]
TechLevel=10 [DTRUCK]
TechLevel=10 [GACSPH]
TechLevel=10 [GAOREP]
TechLevel=10 [GAROBO]
TechLevel=10 [GAWEAT]
TechLevel=10 [YAGNTC]
TechLevel=10 [YAPPET]
TechLevel=10 [YURI]
TechLevel=10 [YURIPR]
TechLevel=10 [NAINDP]
TechLevel=10 [NAIRON]
TechLevel=10 [NAMISL]
TechLevel=10 [PCV]
TechLevel=10 [SMCV]
TechLevel=10 [TTNK]
TechLevel=10 [ZEP]

TechLevel=11 [LUNR]

TechLevel=15 [YADEPT]

[Bobingabout]

Yeah, this is an issue i came accross when i was working with my mod, when i enabled tech level slider. I also posted an issue of AI base trailing using base defences when in the more difficult modes, like Brutal, where it only has like, 5 buildings, yet tries to build 50 base defences, aka, 50 pillboxes.

the best way to balance things IMO, is to go through the missions, and look at the order in which all the units apear, making a large list, this includes in RA2 and YR.

its is something that should be imo, included in the UMP, but not after a debate, and fine tuning done on the forums.

for sides such as yuri, where there are no missions, you'd want to compair all units on his side, with units on the other sides, to balance, and also, something i did in my mod was like, no flying units before tech level 4, no stealth units before tech level 6. this also means that, by tech level 4, every side should have access to an AA unit, and by tech level 6, access to a unit with sensors.

Think about RA2 mission 1, you have access to units like, GI, Engineer, Dog, Barracks, Power plant, Refinery, Pillbox, and wall.
for Soviets, this is pretty easy to translate, since its just Conscript, and Sentry gun, instead of GI and Pillbox, and, I'd leave the bunker for level 2, or higher. but for yuri, it gets a little more complicated, since he'd have to have the gattling turret.
For tech level 2, introduce the war factory, with Grizzly/Rhyno/Lasher, and miners, plus units like the Flak troop, and GGI, and so on, I'd personally leave the Tank bunker for a higher level too, but, this is something that we'd have to debate.



Something R:ROTC did for the tech level slider, was actually introduce some new units to fill the gaps, for example the Yuri psi-blast turret is basicly like a pillbox that shoots an initiate weapon on par with the pillbox. but that doesn't really work for a "bugfix" patch like the UMP.


Another thing to consider is to allow the modder to set the maximum tech level, rather than assume its 10, i think there's already a tag somewhere that defines what the default tech level is, but it might not read from it. for example, in my mod i add units that are beyond the level of a normal game, so i might want to add a tech level 11, and 12. but, i don't, since i've already compressed and lowered the tech levels of some of the original units.

[DCoder]

There is a flag to control the maximum TechLevel achievable, but raising it will screw up all the mapmods like shipyards using TL=11 on land maps.

[Bobingabout]

There is a flag to control the maximum TechLevel achievable, but raising it will screw up all the mapmods like shipyards using TL=11 on land maps.

i still don't get why they can't just use TechLevel=-1...


what you think to all the other stuff i typed?

[Blade]

AI ignores TechLevel=-1 and builds anyway from what I remember.

[Bobingabout]

Because of the AIBuildThis=true tag, i see... Stupid AI.

[Nighthawk]

Personally, I looked to TS's INIs for guidance on balancing out TechLevels, since TS has this system already working. From there, it was just a matter of comparing units and structures, and adjusting values accordingly.