Tech Editor/Maker

To ease the way we make a tech tree, i made a small program with Game Maker. With it, you can make a tech tree very easily, you can save it and edit/add more to it at any time. You can also save an image file of the tech tree and post it here.
Here are some screens:
The interface: https://2img.net/r/ihimizer/img69/3576/scrrenm.jpg
And an example pic of the tech tree: https://2img.net/r/ihimizer/img62/9365/exampleiamge.png
The UPLOAD LINK:
http://web.hit.bg/thrivedown/Tech%20Editor.exe
If you want to use levels, just name the Tech "Tech Name 1-10", or if you want do not use levels.
Controls:
You click on a tool from the tool box, there are 3 tools, one for placing tech boxes, one for placing connection boxes and one for deleting.
If you want to change the properties of a tech box/connection box, like the text or the connection, right click.
If you want to move the tech box/connection box right click, hold and move.

NOTE: There is a problem with gm, i do not know why its there, but it there. When you save an image of the tech tree, it will be saved on your main C:// hard drive. You can move it after that. Sorry for the inconvenience.

I hope it gets used.

Gamemaker I remember using it for a quiz in school long ago.


You should draw those buttons after drawing those lines, so they wont overlap them. Also those black stripes leave the text unreadable.

How does it work? What are those levels, 2 tech req and all? Are vertical tech trees possible?

Commander Keen wrote:

Gamemaker I remember using it for a quiz in school long ago.


You should draw those buttons after drawing those lines, so they wont overlap them. Also those black stripes leave the text unreadable.

How does it work? What are those levels, 2 tech req and all? Are vertical tech trees possible?

Ok i will change that. And i will make the colour of the letters white.

The levels are for "Firemaking level 1", "Firemaking level 2" and so on, if we are gonna use levels at all.
You can place the tech boxes everywhere. The tech requarments mean this:
If 2 or more tech boxes connect to one little box which says "AND" and that little box connects to another tech box(lets call this tech box "A"), the "A" needs all the teches that are connected to "AND" to be researched in order "A" be researched.

Wouldn't it get a bit confusing when there are loads of different things sending lines backwards and forwards across the screen? Or is there an uber awesome way of making it tidy? Just a thought.
-Waap.

Darkov wrote:

The levels are for "Firemaking level 1", "Firemaking level 2" and so on, if we are gonna use levels at all.

We will certainly have levels for researches, but I haven't thought of including it into the tree. Nice. (Just make sure it supports level 1-99. Maybe as a small number somewhere in the box?).

What are levels for techs?

Commander Keen wrote:

Darkov wrote:

The levels are for "Firemaking level 1", "Firemaking level 2" and so on, if we are gonna use levels at all.

We will certainly have levels for researches, but I haven't thought of including it into the tree. Nice. (Just make sure it supports level 1-99. Maybe as a small number somewhere in the box?).

Well i will make it for 99 levels somehow, right not it supports 5 levels, my thoughts were like this:
The levelled tech boxes are divided by strokes into smaller boxes, each smaller box represents a level. So a box with no strokes is not divided and will have one level. But if its divided by one stroke it will have 2 levels, if it is divided by 2 strokes it will have 3 levels and so on.

Waap wrote:

Wouldn't it get a bit confusing when there are loads of different things sending lines backwards and forwards across the screen? Or is there an uber awesome way of making it tidy? Just a thought.
-Waap.

It depends on the designer.

Well, every research topic can have levels 1-99 (maybe even more), and dividing a button it into 99 little squares will look crap. Besides that, what is even slicing the button into two good for? When you will need that leveled tech later in the tree, you could just use the button again, with blue background and a little number in top right showing the level number.

i think it will be best like this:
No sliced tech boxes and no numbers in the corner. instead you can name a tech like this: "Laser 1-10" then that tech can lead to two other teches:
"Laser 10-20" and "Plasma 1-5". That way you can make a tech require a specific level of another tech.

What does a tech level represent relating to real life tech?

The Uteen wrote:

What does a tech level represent relating to real life tech?

For example a laser level 1 works, but a laser level 2 is a better laser, as scientist understand more about, umm lasers. I dunno, i just made a tool to represent the tech tree idea, i didn't thought of the idea my self.

Darkov wrote:

The Uteen wrote:

What does a tech level represent relating to real life tech?

For example a laser level 1 works, but a laser level 2 is a better laser, as scientist understand more about, umm lasers. I dunno, i just made a tool to represent the tech tree idea, i didn't thought of the idea my self.

I think we can simplify levels to what is absolutely necessary. you wouldn't need 99 levels of something, you'd only need enough to show its basic stages of development until it becomes optimized. Basically, each level should lead to either a better version of the technology or the ability to research another one.

~sciocont wrote:

Darkov wrote:

The Uteen wrote:

What does a tech level represent relating to real life tech?

For example a laser level 1 works, but a laser level 2 is a better laser, as scientist understand more about, umm lasers. I dunno, i just made a tool to represent the tech tree idea, i didn't thought of the idea my self.

I think we can simplify levels to what is absolutely necessary. you wouldn't need 99 levels of something, you'd only need enough to show its basic stages of development until it becomes optimized. Basically, each level should lead to either a better version of the technology or the ability to research another one.

I was thinking of five levels:

1. Weak laser that cant be used for fighting: accelerates production times.
2. Better laser that can be used for fighting,but is very weak.
3. Good laser that can slice infantery apart
4. Anti Tank laser that can destroy vehicles
5. Superweapon laser. For very high costs you can launch a laser platform into space that can shoot a giant laser at the enemy.

zotobom wrote:

I was thinking of five levels:

1. Weak laser that cant be used for fighting: accelerates production times.
2. Better laser that can be used for fighting,but is very weak.
3. Good laser that can slice infantery apart
4. Anti Tank laser that can destroy vehicles
5. Superweapon laser. For very high costs you can launch a laser platform into space that can shoot a giant laser at the enemy.

No, that's just blatantly copying Spore. Have you even played it?

In creature stage there are 5 levels of parts save for limbs and details.

I think including many levels is the way. Instead of just having a few levels and huge skips between them, levels should be like upgrades to the technology boosting it's efficiency, allowing the user either to have smaller or more efficient techs.

Take computers as an example. There weren't just computers big as a room and then suddenly microprocessors. They were gradually shrinking and gaining effectivity, until they were like we have them now.

Commander Keen wrote:

I think including many levels is the way. Instead of just having a few levels and huge skips between them, levels should be like upgrades to the technology boosting it's efficiency, allowing the user either to have smaller or more efficient techs.

Take computers as an example. There weren't just computers big as a room and then suddenly microprocessors. They were gradually shrinking and gaining effectivity, until they were like we have them now.

But not all techs should have many levels. How much improvement can you give to... Sports? Some, but not much can be done to make it better.

team sports, PE classes, leagues, fair playing, rule uniformization, profissionalization....

i dont quite like sports, but this were just some ideas i got in like 10 secs, uteen

The Uteen wrote:

But not all techs should have many levels. How much improvement can you give to... Sports? Some, but not much can be done to make it better.

Everything can be improved. With sports, these could be new sport events and such, "Extreme" variations, ...

eumesmo wrote:

team sports, PE classes, leagues, fair playing, rule uniformization, profissionalization....

I'd say that's around... 0.9c. Why so detailed? I would just rather have sports and international sports.

Commander Keen wrote:

I think including many levels is the way. Instead of just having a few levels and huge skips between them, levels should be like upgrades to the technology boosting it's efficiency, allowing the user either to have smaller or more efficient techs.

Take computers as an example. There weren't just computers big as a room and then suddenly microprocessors. They were gradually shrinking and gaining effectivity, until they were like we have them now.

QFT

~sciocont wrote:

Commander Keen wrote:

I think including many levels is the way. Instead of just having a few levels and huge skips between them, levels should be like upgrades to the technology boosting it's efficiency, allowing the user either to have smaller or more efficient techs.

Take computers as an example. There weren't just computers big as a room and then suddenly microprocessors. They were gradually shrinking and gaining effectivity, until they were like we have them now.

QFT

QFT, but these levels will be preset, right? I think we'll need to go into detail with this.

yes, the tech tree will be defined ( with changes for land and water creatures)

I can guarantee they will NOT be procedural.

But wouldnt it be hard to code that sea creatures cant research fire and wheels etc?

eumesmo wrote:

team sports, PE classes, leagues, fair playing, rule uniformization, profissionalization....

i dont quite like sports, but this were just some ideas i got in like 10 secs, uteen

... Bad example.
But my point is making 99 different improvements to everything is just pointless. You did come up with improvements to sports, but I didn't see 99. Want to be stuck doing that? And the same for every other advancement made by mankind?