Memory Based Research

[CrunchyDuck]

I've disliked the research systems in games such an Kenshi and RimWorld for a long time. Such systems work independently of the world they take place in. Nigh everything else it is possible to lose or gain very quickly, giving them the potential to be an exciting asset throughout one's gameplay.
I propose a system of research for Kenshi 2 that would rectify this by turning research into a character-centric system.


How does this system work?
When a character finishes researching something, that specific character has learned the researched thing. So long as that character remains on one's side, it would be functionally identical to the current research system. However, if this character were to die or otherwise leave the support of the player, they would lose access to this technology.
The inverse of this would be true too, however - If someone joins and knows research that the player otherwise doesn't have, they would gain access to this technology. This could allow for unique or rare technologies, impossible to invent alone, but known by a few special characters.
Characters should also be able to teach their knowledge in one of many possible ways:

• Writing books
A way to store research long-term. Faster and cheaper than rediscovering a technology for the ground up, and is still an asset that can be lost, gained or traded.

• Teaching individuals
A job in which someone attempts to pass on their knowledge to an individual, much faster than writing books, but still comes with the risk mortals inherently have.

• Teaching groups
Perhaps slower than reading a book directly, but capable of teaching multiple people at once, ensuring the survival of a certain form of technology.


Why would we use this system?
I believe this system makes research far more exciting and involved - What is normally just ticking up numbers now becomes a deeper feature that can be manipulated, both for and against the player.
If but one person survives a massacre, with current popular systems, the player does not lose any research, which essentially turns this post-massacre existence into a New Game+.
Expanding on research in this way opens up a lot of potential for modding while providing many unique possibilities. The idea of losing a basic or vital technology because the last person who knew it died has the potential for a lot of emergent gameplay - A highly fortified group won't be looking so hot when their prized engineer falls, and they can no longer repair their walls after each repelled attack.
It encourages players to attach personalities to their characters, allowing even the most crippled, old and worthless creature to be more valuable than a thousand warriors.


Things I couldn't fit in elsewhere
I believe it would be a good idea have teaching be separated into two levels - Application, and understanding. The former is required to use any skills or knowledge from that research, such as crafting special armour. The latter covers the former, and also allows teaching to others. This would add another layer to characters. However, I omitted this in the first writeup as this might put far too much of a focus on the teaching aspect of this, which isn't directly in line with Kenshi's style.

Originally I intended to keep the idea for this system to myself, however I would be far happier to see it used or even simply discussed than to stick with me till someone else thinks of it.
Even if it isn't used in Kenshi, I would love to see this idea developed further.

[swillo]

I agree this is an interesting idea.
It might be easier to give all research a score. And to learn it or use it you have to have someone with that skill level or greater available. That way you don't lose the research but you might lose the ability to use it. Or you learn it but don't have the engineering skill to make it.
It would be easy to make furniture like desks to increase research skill and engineering skill. But would require you to devote people to learning those things.
It would also open up the option of raids by other factions to kill or capture the one who has the knowledge.

Yup interesting idea, thanks for sharing it.

[Sukotto82]

an interesting concept. I like it for the most part. I don't agree with the whole score thing that you can have someone know tech without actually being able to use it that just sounds worthless but to have the concept that instead of the faction learning the research in whole like the current system it's tied to the individuals who researched it so if you have 1 person research everything you better not lose that one person and you will want to protect them with everything you have especially if they are physically handicap like lost a leg or arm or two when this happens to me I just let them die and cut my losses and train up a knew person but if this same individual had all my tech I would not want to let them die and I love the idea of writing it down in a book so someone else can learn it a bit faster than starting from the ground up as well as the slower method but being able to teach a group kind of like having a classroom where you have a teacher teaching a group of others what they know.

having this combination is a great Idea and allows you to save your tech in books for each research so if your researcher dies someone else and re learn that tech from a book faster than starting from scratch but also gives you something you really want to protect.