[MOD] Linear Research Tree

Big Pharma Pharma Modding
1

This MOD:
Rearranges order of Research items into a Linear Tree - also effects the unlock order of Research Items

Scenarios and Challenges changed to better fit Linear Research tree.
Unlock Basic Research only (and the dissolver or dissolver + pill maker in 2 Challenges)
Only 2 ingredients unlocked at game start

Drop # scientist for ALL non-value Explore to ONE (e.g. Basic Auxilliary, Alternative Delivery)
Drop duration for ALL non-value Explore to 5 days (or 10 days)
This is b/c they are basically just roadblocks in a linear tree
2 AI’s (chan and jenny) modified to better fit the Linear Research Tree.
One Challenge forces the choice of these 2. Other AIs will (probably always) choke on linear tree.

Linear_Hell.zip (5.26 KB)

Why do a “Linear” MOD?
1)Technical Demo of:
Research Tree - graphical placement and reordering of the unlocking Research Items
Changing the whole Scenario/Challenge Map
AI modification

  1. Explore gameplay w/ a linear mindset.
    I like the basic BP game better, but playing this does change your approach. In some
    Scenarios the player is forced into a very narrow set of choices.
    Also, a review/complaint on Steam said they found too much “randomness” - this didn’t
    completely remove that but significantly reduced in-game choices and (in some scenarios)
    the “randomness” that is available. Thought you had too much randomness?

    • try this… still complaining?

  2. Encourage other MODs that play w/ the Research Tree. Maybe someone would take
    the other extreme, a sort of ‘fractal’ tree, that leaves no Research Item more than
    2 from the “Basic” (e.g. 1 to 4 to 5 item tree). Or split the Research Tree lines into
    purely “Machines”, “Exploration”, “Cost-changers”, “opponent” (Patent+Espionage).
    And other ideas people may come up with.

2

Another possible option for the research tree (no idea if there’s modding support) - only allow progression through the tree when a requirement has been upgraded to a certain level. So only open access to researching Global HQ when National HQ is level 3 for instance.

3

Meant to put images of the Linear Research Tree.
This is after playing and unlocking about 10 Research Items, most Challenges start w/ only 1 or 3 items unlocked.
Hopefully visible that the “tree” snakes from bottom left to the top, back down, back up, etc.

image
linearMOD_All.png207×501 61.9 KB

And the Challenges screen:
Note the 2nd Challenge will confuse the AIs (altered versions of “chan” and “jenny”) - think it has to do w/ only Research_Basic being unlocked, but in the 3rd challenge line (which has a few more things unlocked) I’ve had them perform well (maybe TOO well).
image
LinearMOD_Challenges.png851×500 212 KB

4

We can see the “upgrade” on items in the .sav file (for both player and AI) but IDK if there would be a way to modify the “progression through the tree” based off of that. It seems to me the lines in Research.data either unlock something based on a previous item or it doesn’t - rather binary.

For example, I believe this line under Research-Forest “research_unlock_forest” (and its counterpart under research_start, AKA “basic research”) tells the game to unlock Forest if Research_start is unlocked (and how they are connected graphically).
{“id”:“research_start”,“start”:“left”,“end”:“right”,“receive”:true}

I like the idea though.