Please please please PLEASE don't use jpegs for any image containing text. It's a lossy format and does not play well with the high contrast nature of text in images. Export it as a png instead. Thank you and have a nice day.
Thank you for your work, I'll try Long War and like to have access to some tech trees when playing.
I took your chart, reduced it with Photoshop (1446×5109 pix²) to have a width about 51 cm, and cut it in 20 parts to make them fit into pritable A4 sheets in a Word document (overlap 1 cm vertically, 4,39 cm horizontally).
If you want me to send the files to upload them here for the old paper-and-pencil users who need paper sheets to read the informations with their used eyes, just let me know.
Cool I made this to help others (not just myself). You can share your modification if you want, no problem. Its full free, and you can modify what you want, and share to others.
(I thinking about black and white print friendly version, just I need some time and will )
What I propose is that you download the files frome here: Tech_tree, sort them (I included .psd Photoshop files, .jpg pictures and .docx word file) if you wish and then upload them here on the nexus under a "optional files" section. It will be far more easier for the interested people to find them. G stands for Gauche (i.e. Left) and D for Droite (i.e. Right).
As this used a lot of ink (but it was in fact a test to see if this size of file was still readable when printed), I used Photoshop to change the brown background in white. You'll find this one here: White_background.
If I find the time and will too , I 'll try a 39cmx?cm to see if it's still readable with A4 sheets with portrait orientation (to minimize the number of sheets)...
Edit: 1. I tried a 37,01cmx130,63cm (10 A4 sheets in portrait orientation, white background) but the text in the black cells (xenobiology, Xenogenetics, ...) is difficult to read. 2. In the picture with white background, the squaddies look awful... Some work is still to do (perhaps leave the brown background on this part...). Let me know if it's worth taking the time correcting this.
Great Tech Tree, Much more user friendly than the one in the Long War Mod, which was too unwieldy to easily navigate, I assume you made this in photoshop type program.
I would suggest using LibreOffice (OpenOffice Devs made this when OpenOffice was sold. It's the same OpenOffice Source Code from time of sale and advances separately from that point. Uses *.ODT etc as before and is free so users don't need MS Office to edit the Docs.
I'm OK personally having a 3 monitor setup I can play in Windowed Mode and have the JPG on another Window, with LW Perk Tree on 3rd. The only Downside is I'd usually use 7680×1440 eyefinity on all 3 screens but XCOM screen is upside down using Eyefinity, not good but also not Long War, vanilla XCOM does it as well, but makes using the Tree Files easier at least.
Typo's I've spotted
[size=Large]SHIW Suppression[/size] Under Alien Weaponry should be [size=Large]SHIV Suppression[/size].
[size=Large]Analisis[/size] is spanish Análisis Multiple Subtrees of Alien Materials should be [size=Large]Analysis[/size].
[size=Large]Mobil Power Armor[/size] Above EMP Weapons should be [size=Large]Mobile Power Armor[/size].
[size=Large]UFO tracking[/size] Under Alien Computer » Alien Power Systems, is missing a capital first letter, it should be [size=Large]UFO Tracking[/size].
[size=Large]SuperHeavy Plasma[/size] Under Alien Weaponry » Plasma Weapons » Advanced Plasma Weapons » Vehicular Plasma Weapons, is missing a space, it should be [size=Large]Super Heavy Plasma[/size].
Also Armor is American it should be Armour in English (the international Language is not American, but they don't like that so ignore it). Just messing with you about that one, game is made in America so they cheap out and use it for all English languages.
{Edit} Your solution for the Multiple Prerequisites, that caused the LW Research tree to be so unwieldy and Wide, is very good.
Maybe, actually listing them under each Prerequisite, using the same system, would be better. It would lengthen the tree Considerably, of course, but the length isn't even a minor issue, with the width kept under control and under the Full HD (1080p) size of 1920 Pixels. Currently it's 1840 Pixels and this change shouldn't increase the width at all.
Readability is as good as possible, due to the ability to view the full width, without scrolling and as it's the vital improvement, which makes this tree usable and also printable, so that shouldn't be changed whatever else may be.
It recieves my endorsement as it stands now at v1.01, still impovement is rarely immpossible.
You mean the "Long War" mod? IIRC, the EU version is no longer supported by the dev team (but a compatible file --with a reverting XCom patch fix-- is still available in the D/L section)... thus, it's highly recommended that EW be used for the specific LW version.
Alright then. Since you are planning to release another version with some corrections... here's an overview of what i could detect. Mostly typos or mis-spelling issues. It might double-up with whatever has been already posted above, but it's better to give an exhaustive list than nothing.
Left to right and slowly making my way down into the whole structure... the flaws are in (_parenthesis_);
Might have skipped a few here & there, but in general terms your "boxing" framework seems to enforce you into shortening some descriptions (example; Adv. Aerospace Concepts). Although, it makes better sense to reproduce the **EXACT** text from Long-War files.
# 2) Some of your added symbols overlap the text in certain places... either they should be reduced in size or the guilty boxes should be widened to insert such graphics more clearly.
#3) I understand that you may prefer your coloring schema choices. And, it is (somehow) fairly well balanced visually. Although, for me - Science or Research elements should be in a shade of the Firaxis Beaker "Medium-Blue". I'd also recommend giving Autopsy & Interrogation two specific colors - possibly, Light and Dark Greens for contrast.
#4) Ideally, it would be nice to insert authentic Gene-Mods perk symbols instead of the generic triangular shape that you used. For similar reasons, the Lavender-PSI perk(s) could also be inserted.
#5) Research Boost boxes could be darker Red while adding some Up-Arrow symbol to the right such as what you did with other key items (Alien images, etc).
Finally... dunno if you're familiar with any "SpreadSheeting Programs" but these things have hugely efficient features that can help with designing, editing, correcting your tech-tree template(s) over time and for many subsequent versions. These can also automatically re-color anything at will. Backdrop & connecting lines included. I personnally use Oracle's Open-Office. It works great and it's absolutely free. Thus, if you want to simplify your task - you should consider allocating "custom" options via a true Spreadsheet framework.
Thanks for that stuff, anyway. Good luck with your upcoming edits.
I will wait 2 week for the next fix (please be patient). Print friendly version come with that. I collect your notice. I don't want to you to download lot of versions (confuse the community).
Armor is Armor, because this is what is in the game (US version of original British English Armour). I think not a big deal
Hey, this tech tree is a great work, but I spottet a mistake: When you reaserch Alien Materials, you get acces to the foundry project Aircraft Boosters, which is the prequesition for UFO Tracking Modul (it has nothing to do with Drone Autopsy) and also for Defense Matrix and Uplink Targeting (which is actually Uplink Targeting Modul), alongside their respective autopsys.
12 comments
Please please please PLEASE don't use jpegs for any image containing text. It's a lossy format and does not play well with the high contrast nature of text in images. Export it as a png instead. Thank you and have a nice day.
Thank you for your work, I'll try Long War and like to have access to some tech trees when playing.
I took your chart, reduced it with Photoshop (1446×5109 pix²) to have a width about 51 cm, and cut it in 20 parts to make them fit into pritable A4 sheets in a Word document (overlap 1 cm vertically, 4,39 cm horizontally).
If you want me to send the files to upload them here for the old paper-and-pencil users who need paper sheets to read the informations with their used eyes, just let me know.
Sorry my late answer!
Cool
I made this to help others (not just myself).
You can share your modification if you want, no problem. Its full free, and you can modify what you want, and share to others.
(I thinking about black and white print friendly version, just I need some time and will
What I propose is that you download the files frome here: Tech_tree, sort them (I included .psd Photoshop files, .jpg pictures and .docx word file) if you wish and then upload them here on the nexus under a "optional files" section. It will be far more easier for the interested people to find them.
G stands for Gauche (i.e. Left) and D for Droite (i.e. Right).
As this used a lot of ink (but it was in fact a test to see if this size of file was still readable when printed), I used Photoshop to change the brown background in white. You'll find this one here: White_background.
If I find the time and will too
Edit:
1. I tried a 37,01cmx130,63cm (10 A4 sheets in portrait orientation, white background) but the text in the black cells (xenobiology, Xenogenetics, ...) is difficult to read.
2. In the picture with white background, the squaddies look awful... Some work is still to do (perhaps leave the brown background on this part...). Let me know if it's worth taking the time correcting this.
When I finish I will share here too.
(I don't think it's take too much time. Hopefully.)
I would suggest using LibreOffice (OpenOffice Devs made this when OpenOffice was sold. It's the same OpenOffice Source Code from time of sale and advances separately from that point. Uses *.ODT etc as before and is free so users don't need MS Office to edit the Docs.
I'm OK personally having a 3 monitor setup I can play in Windowed Mode and have the JPG on another Window, with LW Perk Tree on 3rd.
The only Downside is I'd usually use 7680×1440 eyefinity on all 3 screens but XCOM screen is upside down using Eyefinity, not good but also not Long War, vanilla XCOM does it as well, but makes using the Tree Files easier at least.
Typo's I've spotted
[size=Large]SHIW Suppression[/size]
Under Alien Weaponry should be
[size=Large]SHIV Suppression[/size].
[size=Large]Analisis[/size] is spanish Análisis
Multiple Subtrees of Alien Materials should be
[size=Large]Analysis[/size].
[size=Large]Mobil Power Armor[/size]
Above EMP Weapons should be
[size=Large]Mobile Power Armor[/size].
[size=Large]UFO tracking[/size]
Under Alien Computer » Alien Power Systems, is missing a capital first letter, it should be
[size=Large]UFO Tracking[/size].
[size=Large]SuperHeavy Plasma[/size]
Under Alien Weaponry » Plasma Weapons » Advanced Plasma Weapons » Vehicular Plasma Weapons, is missing a space, it should be
[size=Large]Super Heavy Plasma[/size].
Also
Armor is American it should be Armour in English (the international Language is not American, but they don't like that so ignore it).
Just messing with you about that one, game is made in America so they cheap out and use it for all English languages.
{Edit}
Your solution for the Multiple Prerequisites, that caused the LW Research tree to be so unwieldy and Wide, is very good.
Maybe, actually listing them under each Prerequisite, using the same system, would be better.
It would lengthen the tree Considerably, of course, but the length isn't even a minor issue, with the width kept under control and under the Full HD (1080p) size of 1920 Pixels. Currently it's 1840 Pixels and this change shouldn't increase the width at all.
Readability is as good as possible, due to the ability to view the full width, without scrolling and as it's the vital improvement, which makes this tree usable and also printable, so that shouldn't be changed whatever else may be.
It recieves my endorsement as it stands now at v1.01, still impovement is rarely immpossible.
Will you be updating this for the new patch 3.0b14b?
IIRC, the EU version is no longer supported by the dev team (but a compatible file --with a reverting XCom patch fix-- is still available in the D/L section)... thus, it's highly recommended that EW be used for the specific LW version.
Left to right and slowly making my way down into the whole structure... the flaws are in (_parenthesis_);
-- Depth Perception (*reception)
-- Uplink Targeting (*targreting)
-- Kinetic Strike Module (*modul_)
-- PsychoKinetic Strike (*psychokinnetic)
-- Arc Thrower (*Ark)
-- Hyperwave Relay (*Rilay)
-- Neural Damping (*Danping)
-- Analysis (already mentioned by someone else!)
-- Alien Power Source (*System)
-- Arc (again)
-- Reflex Cannon (*Can_on)
-- Respirator Implant (*Imp_ant)
-- UFO Counter Measures (Counter_measure_)
-- Electropulse (*El_ctropulse)
-- Penetrator Weapons (*We_pons)
Might have skipped a few here & there, but in general terms your "boxing" framework seems to enforce you into shortening some descriptions (example; Adv. Aerospace Concepts). Although, it makes better sense to reproduce the **EXACT** text from Long-War files.
# 2) Some of your added symbols overlap the text in certain places... either they should be reduced in size or the guilty boxes should be widened to insert such graphics more clearly.
#3) I understand that you may prefer your coloring schema choices. And, it is (somehow) fairly well balanced visually. Although, for me - Science or Research elements should be in a shade of the Firaxis Beaker "Medium-Blue". I'd also recommend giving Autopsy & Interrogation two specific colors - possibly, Light and Dark Greens for contrast.
#4) Ideally, it would be nice to insert authentic Gene-Mods perk symbols instead of the generic triangular shape that you used. For similar reasons, the Lavender-PSI perk(s) could also be inserted.
#5) Research Boost boxes could be darker Red while adding some Up-Arrow symbol to the right such as what you did with other key items (Alien images, etc).
Finally... dunno if you're familiar with any "SpreadSheeting Programs" but these things have hugely efficient features that can help with designing, editing, correcting your tech-tree template(s) over time and for many subsequent versions. These can also automatically re-color anything at will. Backdrop & connecting lines included. I personnally use Oracle's Open-Office. It works great and it's absolutely free.
Thus, if you want to simplify your task - you should consider allocating "custom" options via a true Spreadsheet framework.
Thanks for that stuff, anyway. Good luck with your upcoming edits.
I will wait 2 week for the next fix (please be patient).
Print friendly version come with that.
I collect your notice. I don't want to you to download lot of versions (confuse the community).
Armor is Armor, because this is what is in the game (US version of original British English Armour). I think not a big deal
I will advance some info with a simple way