Update 0.4

This mod is intended to make Alien Research viable and worthwhile in survival, but also contains changes to Research Stations and Cultivators which may be desirable in the campaign. The mod consists of three parts:

• Actual Research Stations
• Familiarity Cultivation / Efficient Harvesters
• Cultivators in Survival
  

Actual Research Stations

Laboratories are too heavy of an investment to justify such a late switch into a separate research tree starting at tier 1. A more ideal flow would enter the alien research tree slightly after the other two trees with research speed comparable to or beyond your download. Toward this end, I have redesigned Research Stations.

• Research Stations are now available from the start of survival games.
• Research Stations now contain a 90m radar (same as HQ) that requires 10 power to operate.
• Research Stations yield Alien Research based on the amount of objects of interest within their radar.
• Active Alien Research requires an additional 100 power.
• Research Stations automatically scan nearby plants, crystals, and wildlife.
  

100% Efficiency = 1 unit of Research. This means a Research Station operating at the maximum 200% efficiency will give the same research as a level 2 Laboratory. Each Research Station will contribute 1 unit of research to the maximum research shown on the research menu, so if you have stations operating over 100%, your current research will go beyond the displayed maximum.



Familiarity Cultivation / Efficient Harvesters

In addition to the ability to scan many objects at once out in the wild using Research Stations, I have also made a number of changes to cultivators and harvesters to assist in gaining and benefitting from familiarity, even over the course of a short survival game!

• Any plants or crystals grown by cultivators that can be scannable, will be scannable.
• Harvester drones will scan scannable plants or crystals that they harvest.
• Harvester drones extract 5% additional resources from plants and crystals for every level of familiarity.
  

Since these changes greatly increased the number of collected specimens, I have muted the sound effect for specimen collection.



Cultivators in Survival

The above changes have caused the mod to conflict with Cultivators in Survival. Therefore, I have integrated the ability to make use of cultivators in survival into this mod. This mod is now incompatible with any mod that touches the default survival logic. Once you unlock the cultivator technology, you will be able to cultivate plants that you have come across in your game, either on foot or by aid of your Research Stations.


Edited Files:
entities\buildings\main\research_station.ent
logic\missions\survival\default.logic
lua\units\air\resource_harvester_drone.lua
lua\units\air\planter_drone.lua
scripts\units\discoverable_group.dat
sound\scripts\items_loot.ess