[DEVBLOG#326] Vanilla Factions Expanded - Ultratech: Research (Patreon)

Welcome back to another development update for Vanilla Factions Expanded - Ultratech. Today, we are diving deep into the core progression of the mod: the research tree - as that’s what you’ve chosen on the last survey. At the end of this blog post will be another survey so be sure to vote on what you want to read about next.

I know that colony building is the reason we play RimWorld. The drive to expand, optimize, and redesign is what keeps us playing long past the point where survival is guaranteed. With VFE - Ultratech, we want to ensure that even when you think you’ve achieved it all, the game pulls you back to the drawing board and most importantly keeps everything fresh.

Progressing into the Ultratech era will fundamentally change your base. You will unlock an entirely new UltraWatt power grid, forcing you to rethink how you generate and distribute energy. You will unlock massive new workbenches, servers, and furniture that will likely require major room expansions or complete architectural overhauls. Previously unobtainable resources will become standard requirements to progress, and new building materials will have you tearing down old stone walls to replace them with sleek, high-tech alternatives.

We also want to address a pacing issue in the base game. Currently, several structures that are undeniably "ultratech" are unlocked far too early in the vanilla tech tree. We are changing that. High-end technologies like genetic engineering, growth vats, and wastepack atomizers will now be appropriately locked behind Ultratech research projects, ensuring that reaching these milestones feels like a truly earned triumph.

The Ultratech Research Bench

To research any of the technologies listed below, your standard Hi-tech research benches won't cut it. You will need to construct the Ultra-Tech Research Bench.

This 7x2 massive workstation is equipped with holographic displays and precision instruments. It boasts a 125% research efficiency (scalable with netcasting) but requires a heavy investment: 220 metallic stuff, 60 plasteel, 10 advanced components, and 2 of the new ultratech components - which at this point you’re not yet able to craft, so need to obtain them via trading. Crucially, it draws a massive -1000W of power. Later in your progression, this bench will link directly to an Ultracomputer mainframe to unlock the most advanced projects straight from the glitterworlds.

Pre-Ultratech Research

There is a number of research projects that don’t require the ultra-tech research bench, however!

Champagne: Sometimes you just want to celebrate. This unlocks the cultivation of white grapes, blanc fermenting barrels, and the advanced fermentation techniques required to produce fine sparkling champagne for ultimate recreation and luxury.

Nanoelectronics: The gateway to the future. By understanding nanoscale circuits, you unlock the ability to build the Ultratech research bench itself. More importantly, this unlocks the foundation of your new energy infrastructure: the UltraWatt converter, transistor, battery, conduit, and switch.

Early Ultratech Research

With your new bench powered up, you can begin researching the basics of ultratechnology.

Core-World Furniture: Time to redesign the barracks. This unlocks sophisticated holograms (small, large, and grand), the highly comfortable Ultrabed and Double ultrabed, and high-tech dressers and wardrobes. It also brings a suite of new flooring options to match your new aesthetic: carpet tiles, resin floors, laminate flooring, and terazzo.

Ultraconductors: Your new UltraWatt grid needs dedicated power generation. Developing advanced superconducting materials unlocks the Solar collector, Heliostat, Biofuel hyperburner, and Wind ultraturbine, along with hidden and waterproof UltraWatt conduits.

Food Synthesis: Say goodbye to simple meals. Master molecular synthesis to unlock the Synthmeat cultivator and the Meal replicator, allowing your colony to automatically generate replicated vegetarian, carnivore, and standard meals - all of fine quality.

Glitterworld Healthcare: We are overhauling how you access top-tier medicine. Vanilla Growth vats are now locked behind this project. You will also unlock the Ultratech drug lab, the Automedic, and the ability to plant aminograss. Most importantly, you can finally synthesize neutroamine and craft your own glitterworld medicine.

Graser Tech: High-energy defense systems. Unlocks the devastating Beam blaster, Beam lancer, and Beam resonator turrets to protect your newly wealthy colony.

Fashion: Core-world style meets advanced textile synthesis. Unlocks the ability to weave hyperweave and craft luxurious new apparel, including cardigans, chemises, leotards, pantaloons, smoking jackets, smart glasses, and more.

Hi-Tech Entertainment: Keep your transhumanists happy with next-gen recreation, including the Hyperscreen TV, ultraloungers, and holo-chess.

Replication: The crucial stepping stone to the mid-game. You will learn to construct the Ultrareplicator and finally craft your own Ultratech components. This project also unlocks the Ultracomputer mainframe, a massive structure that will drive your colony's research into the late game.

Ultracomputer is something I will cover in a special post because there is quite a lot going into it.

Mid Ultratech Research

To progress into Mid Ultratech, your research bench must be linked to a functioning Ultracomputer mainframe.

Smart Weaponry: Firepower that thinks for itself. Unlocks the Smart pistol, Smart rifle, Smart lance, and the Target painter to drastically improve your offensive and defensive capabilities.

Netcasting: Access the psychic veil. This unlocks the Netcast harmonizer, tuner, and transmitter. Structures connected to the netcast system will gain entirely new functionalities and efficiency boosts.

Applied Ultratechnology: High-efficiency upgrades for everyday processes. The vanilla Wastepack atomizer has been moved here, ensuring it feels like a true late-game reward. You will also unlock the Ultratech cremator, smelter, and biofuel refinery. This research project will also unlock any ultratech solutions to other mods. I can see stuff like Vanilla Temperature Expanded support, and more!

Bio-Gestation: Play god by delving into bioengineering. Unlocks the Bio-gestator and the Zoogerm ark, allowing you to gestate entire creatures from special zoogerms.

Ultratech Bionics: The next evolution of the human form. Unlocks cutting-edge Ultratech variants of bionic eyes, arms, legs, spines, and hearts.

Netlink: Bring your colonists onto the network. Replicating a netlink allows a colonist to interface directly with the netcasting system, unlocking a new tier of implants that rely on network connectivity. Just be careful not to lose netcasting frequencies - last thing you want is to see your brand new heart give up because you’re out of frequencies.

Human Gestation: The ultimate mastery over life. Unlocks the Subpersona analyzer and Subpersona bank. You can now create digital backups of individuals through a lengthy scanning process, and eventually gestate their clones if they perish… or not.

Artificial Intelligence: Turn your Ultracomputer mainframe into a sprawling data center. This unlocks new linkables like the Ultraprocessor, Data nexus, Liquid cooler, Memory bank, and Debloater, massively boosting its processing power.

Infinite Late-Game Research

It is important to note that the projects listed above only cover the early and mid Ultratech tiers. Late Ultratech projects are still being conceptualized and will be detailed in a future devblog.

However, we can reveal the final stage of your colony's technological journey: Infinite Research Projects.

These late-stage projects cannot be researched by a colonist sitting at a bench. They only progress passively if you have an active Ultracomputer generating research points. These projects can be completed infinitely, providing a permanent, stacking bonus each time they finish.

To balance this, the cost increases geometrically. If a project has a base cost of 5,000 points, level 2 will cost 10,000, level 3 will cost 20,000, and level 4 will cost 40,000.

Infinite Processing: Boosts the amount of research points generated daily by your Ultracomputer mainframes by a multiplicative 5%.

Infinite Netcasting: Refines resonance parameters, increasing the base netcast frequency yield of your tuners and transmitters by +1 per completion.

Infinite Genetics: Improves genetic sequencing protocols. Each completion grants your Gene Processors an additional +1 complexity capacity when creating xenotypes.

Infinite Power: Optimizes charge retention, allowing your UltraWatt batteries to store an additional 5 UW/d of energy per completion.

The Ultratech era is designed to be a the moment where you overcome all the difficulties you have faced before. Between overhauling your grid, expanding your server rooms, and chasing infinite progression, your work on the colony is far from over, but when it inevitably ends, you will feel more satisfied than ever!

Last week you have chosen for me to focus on Research, and I think we have covered it quite in-depth. I'm tempted to hear your thoughts about it, but I would also like for you to vote again on what to focus on in the next few days.

Since UltraWatt power grid wasn't chosen, it remains on the list for you to vote on, but I will also add a few other options!