(09-25-2018, 08:29 AM)nightslaysanta Wrote: i thought a tech tree was what you people wanted to stay away from.....
Patents aren't really a "tech tree" in that sense.
A tech tree in most other games are made so that you don't have time to research all branches of the tech tree. This often works in session-based games, where you play until someone wins and then start over from zero again.
Since Hazeron is a MMO with a persistent universe, you have all the time in the universe to research, so it doesn't make sense to design a tech tree where players/empires can't research all branches.
The patents are mostly just fluff, they hide some advanced stuff that a new player don't need to worry about, and give a sense of technological discovery. They are in no means a progression limiting system.