Artifacts and SotSS news

So, Sins of a Solar Empire has the whole artifact system, where you may find special items on random planets (or set planets on maps that define it) that can give you a range of benefits from extra damage to better trade and so on.

This system will allow me to do some cool stuff with SotSS since in established lore there was a powerful alien race (The Dom Ka'vosh) who previously occupied the Sirius sector and created the 'Nomads' before disappearing.

In fact, most of Ageria Tech's breakthroughs, like the now defunct tradelanes and jumpgates were based off a Dom Ka'vosh archive (intended for the Nomads) discovered by Liberty.

So the plan is to replace Sins' existing artifacts to more appropriate artifacts.
Here is a rough idea of what Yholl and I discussed and are planning to implement
(note: This is subject to change)

These Artifacts will generally have a lower bonus than default Sins, but they will also open up new experimental techs that can be researched though reverse-engineering when held

Nomad Cloaking Device
The intact remains of this cloaking device cannot be removed from the ruined ship, but can be studied to reverse engineer it's effect.

-Unlocked research allows construction of special ships with cloaking devices for each faction.
-On it's own it does nothing.

Nomad Energy Weapons
The Ruins of a Nomad found here has mostly intact weapons we can study. The technology within is far beyond anything Humans have been able to develop.

-Increases all non-missile weapon damage slightly.
-Unlocked research improves energy weapon damage for your faction.

Proteus Tome
This ancient cache of knowledge will be hard to decipher but who knows what untold discoveries may lie within?

-Decreases research time.
-Unlocked research improves research speed and cost for your faction.

Dom'Kavosh Scriptures
This ancient manifest as far as we can tell has a collection of philosophical, intellectual and scientific theories and discoveries. While there is nothing that would directly improve our society, the knowledge and ideas are compelling to say the least.

-Increases culture/influence power.
-Unlocked research improves resistance to enemy culture/influence for your faction.

Hypergate Artifact
There is enough of this hypergate intact to study and glean some understanding of Dom Ka'vosh propulsion and long distance travel technologies. Further study could help develop a way for detecting cruise signatures at long range.

-Allows travel between different stars at high speed.
-Unlocked research enables detection of all cruise jumping ships.

Nomad Torpedo
A large cache of Nomad Torpedoes was discovered intact on a ruined nomad ship. It turns out they were not pure energy as speculated but in fact have a unique crystalline structure. Further study could help improve our own missile and torpedo technology.

-Increases all missile type weapon damage slightly.
-Unlocked research improves missile weapon damage or range for your faction.

Crystalline Frames
Parts of the this crashed nomad ship are still partially 'active'. It seems that the unique crystalline structure is able to repair itself over time while also incredibly hard and resistant to damage.

-Increases fighter passive hull repair rate substantially.
-Unlocked research improves armour for your faction.

Nomad Power Core
This discovered power core while damaged is still intact enough to gather some idea of the principles used in it's construction and energy production.

-Increases antimatter/Energy regen.
-Unlocked research improves antimatter/energy capacity for your faction.

Dom'Kavosh Stablilizer
This Artifact seems to contain properties that allow unstable jump holes to be stabilized, much like the way Jump Gates used to work. With further study we may even be able to take some of the principles and apply them to the field generated by a cruise drive.

-Allows travel through unstable Jump Holes (Wormholes).
-Unlocked research improves cruise speed for your faction.

Alien Bacteria
A previously undiscovered bacterial life form unique to the Sirius Sector, these micro-organisms are remarkably efficient at metabolizing certain elements into oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide. When seeded in an immature planetary environment they can accelerate the terraforming process tenfold, or provide a rich, abundant source of food for other organisms in more mature planetary ecosystems.

-Reduce the cost of upgrading planetary infrastructure
-Unlocked research increases maximum population and growth rate.

Dom'Kavosh Nano-Assemblers
Far more advanced and complex than the rudimentary repair nanites used in human fighter craft.
These machines are able to construct complex electronics and other vital components in a modular fashion far quicker than conventional methods, allowing more efficient assembly of the end product.

-Decreases cost of construction slightly.
-Unlocked research increases construction speed dramatically

Energy Field Anomaly
a strange anomaly that with further study could allow impressive improvements to shielding technology

- increases shield Regen and max shield points slightly
- Unlocked research provides Shield Penetration Blocking.
(for Nomads it will give an extra energy boost)

The plan is also that several of these artifacts will be required to unlock the ability to develop the Artifact Ships aka Titans.
This plan is still in it's infancy and may change a fair bit, but overall I really like the idea of further limiting use of Titans by making some hard prerequisites.

It may be that only a couple of artifacts that suit the Titan's abilities are required, or I might be mean and make you need them all! >=D