Technology Cards - GNN Blog #1

Opinions and news:

One of the most captivating aspects of Master of Orion: Ad Astra lies in its technology cards. We've been hard at work conducting approximately 40 extensive playtests over the past month, and the results are nothing short of exciting. Today, we're thrilled to share some of our valuable insights with you.
Through the feedback of our dedicated playtesters, it has become abundantly clear that this mechanic is a true gem. It not only operates seamlessly, eliminating any downtime, but it also introduces an early game dynamic that allows for intriguing player interaction. This was particularly praised by our internal and external playtesters.
Moreover, the technology card system empowers players with a wealth of choices and decisions to make, granting them a substantial degree of agency within the game. Its versatility also holds the key to unlocking the boundless replayability that Master of Orion: Ad Astra has to offer.

Core Mechanics:

Technology Cards in Master of Orion: Ad Astra serve as representations of technologies developed by each empire. At the beginning of each game round, players have the opportunity to draft up to three tech cards. However, these cards remain inactive until the respective empire achieves specific technological breakthroughs.
Throughout the course of the game, each empire accumulates research points, which can be invested into one of the four available tech trees. The allocation of sufficient research points to a tech tree leads to the unlocking of breakthrough nodes.
Each technology card is associated with a particular tech tree category and demands a specific tier of breakthrough nodes to be accessible. For instance, the technology "Gauss Cannons" requires you to reach the first breakthrough node within the Engineering tech tree. Once the empire successfully unlocks this node, it can expend an action to develop the associated tech card and subsequently benefit from its effects.

Future Plans:

Currently, we are in the process of testing various improvements related to card tiers. Our primary focus is on achieving a balanced alignment of these cards while adhering closely to the lore of the PC game. Simultaneously, our art department is diligently crafting designs for these cards, exploring innovative ways to integrate them seamlessly with the player boards for an enhanced gaming experience.
One of our central objectives is to provide you with a game that is not only comfortable to use but also intuitive to navigate—striving to deliver the utmost in user-friendliness. In our upcoming updates, we'll be sharing insights about map tiles and their mechanics. It's important to keep in mind that the game is still actively being developed, and as such, some elements may undergo adjustments in the future.