Alien Box Event question (2024)

I got the Alien Box event, and while it was obvious what to pick (red, since I already had the green trait and the blue trait would do nothing for my species), I began to wonder: what would happen if I picked the green option when my species already had the trait? Would I just get a notification "The serum, unfortunately, did nothing"?

I would want to test it myself, but since I was in an ironman game... eh

I tested it now, it does nothing. It describes how the serum worked but there's no change in traits. I guess it makes sense from a story perspective, nobody knows know what each solution does so it's entirely possible for the leadership to pick something they already have. That doesn't mean it's not annoying for a player who gets it the first time and picks something wrong.

On an unrelated note, I wish using the solution didn't reduce your trait points. Guess they considered it unbalanced otherwise.

Kami-sama said:

I tested it now, it does nothing. It describes how the serum worked but there's no change in traits. I guess it makes sense from a story perspective, nobody knows know what each solution does so it's entirely possible for the leadership to pick something they already have. That doesn't mean it's not annoying for a player who gets it the first time and picks something wrong.

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It states it worked but there's no change? Then how do they know it worked? It would make more sense if it said "it seems the serum did nothing"

Kami-sama said:

On an unrelated note, I wish using the solution didn't reduce your trait points. Guess they considered it unbalanced otherwise.

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Most likely

Kami-sama said:

On an unrelated note, I wish using the solution didn't reduce your trait points. Guess they considered it unbalanced otherwise.

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Avalible Trait Points = Empire Unlocked Points - Points used in traits
The simple way to do this.

This is the current Event code, 2.1.3:

country_event = { # Alien Box opened id = distar.3055 title = "distar.3055.name" desc = { trigger = { hidden:owner = { switch = { trigger = has_country_flag alien_box_researched = { text = distar.3055.desc.1 } default = { text = distar.3055.desc } } } } } picture = GFX_evt_genetic_modification show_sound = event_scanner location = from is_triggered_only = yes option = { # Use the red solution name = distar.3055.a custom_tooltip = distar.3055.a.tooltip hidden_effect = { if = { limit = { has_trait = trait_strong } modify_species = { species = this remove_trait = trait_strong add_trait = trait_very_strong } set_country_flag = strong_removed_verystrong_added } else_if = { limit = { has_trait = trait_weak } modify_species = { species = this remove_trait = trait_weak add_trait = trait_strong } set_country_flag = weak_removed_strong_added } else_if = { limit = { NOR = { has_trait = trait_weak has_trait = trait_strong has_trait = trait_very_strong } } modify_species = { species = this add_trait = trait_very_strong } set_country_flag = verystrong_added } set_country_flag = modification_stronger country_event = { id = distar.3057 days = 5 } } } option = { # Use the green solution name = distar.3055.b custom_tooltip = distar.3055.b.tooltip hidden_effect = { if = { limit = { has_trait = trait_adaptive } modify_species = { species = this remove_trait = trait_adaptive add_trait = trait_extremely_adaptive } set_country_flag = adaptive_removed_extremelyadaptive_added } if = { limit = { has_trait = trait_nonadaptive } modify_species = { species = this remove_trait = trait_nonadaptive add_trait = trait_adaptive } set_country_flag = nonadaptive_removed_adaptive_added } if = { limit = { NOR = { has_trait = trait_nonadaptive has_trait = trait_adaptive has_trait = trait_extremely_adaptive } } modify_species = { species = this add_trait = trait_extremely_adaptive } set_country_flag = extremelyadaptive_added } set_country_flag = modification_adaptive country_event = { id = distar.3057 days = 5 } } } option = { # Use the blue solution name = distar.3055.c custom_tooltip = distar.3055.c.tooltip hidden_effect = { if = { limit = { has_trait = trait_enduring } modify_species = { species = this remove_trait = trait_enduring add_trait = trait_venerable } set_country_flag = enduring_removed_venerable_added } if = { limit = { has_trait = trait_fleeting } modify_species = { species = this remove_trait = trait_fleeting add_trait = trait_enduring } set_country_flag = fleeting_removed_enduring_added } if = { limit = { NOR = { has_trait = trait_fleeting has_trait = trait_enduring has_trait = trait_venerable } } modify_species = { species = this add_trait = trait_venerable } set_country_flag = venerable_added } set_country_flag = modification_longlived country_event = { id = distar.3057 days = 5 } } } option = { # Sell them name = distar.3055.d custom_tooltip = distar.3055.d.tooltip add_monthly_resource_mult = { resource = energy value = @tier2materialreward min = @tier2materialmin max = @tier2materialmax } add_monthly_resource_mult = { resource = minerals value = @tier1materialreward min = @tier1materialmin max = @tier1materialmax } }}

Archael90 said:

why it cant be both strong (or very strong, or weak) from empire creation (or gene modding), and very strong from event?

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Those traits are locked against each other intentionally. Why would the scripts ignore those rules?

The Founder said:

Those traits are locked against each other intentionally. Why would the scripts ignore those rules?

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Bcs this glorifies min/maxing players, and discriminating roleplayers, and newbies.
When someone is creating his species, should not thinks: "i dont need physicist, and intelligent, bcs of wurm. I dont need strong, bcs of alien box etc". Players should play how they wants, and if they will choose traits they really wants in species creator, they can be weakend compared to those, who was creating species especialy for event traits. Also, players have to w8 with every event untill they genetically modify their species, bcs after getting traits they will run out from trait points. And again this glorifies min/maxing players, and discriminating roleplayers, and newbies, bcs they are doing what their playstyle wants them to do, and in most cases this is to not delay with events, while players that are abusing game mechanics waits untill genemodding, so they can have another 1-2 traits more than roleplayers. In the end, some players done every event and have just ordinary species with no more than -2 trait points, and some have uber species with -9 trait points. And difference is bcs first group wanted to have fun from game (and this is purpose of any game), and second group abused not fully considered mechanics.

Archael90 said:

See Also

Worst Anomaly Event: Orbital Speed Demon (Alien Box)

Bcs this glorifies min/maxing players, and discriminating roleplayers, and newbies.
When someone is creating his species, should not thinks: "i dont need physicist, and intelligent, bcs of wurm. I dont need strong, bcs of alien box etc".

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There are only two ways any player will resolve this event:
a) Gambling
b) Insider information, like from the Wiki, Forum or previous experience.

And for gambling, there is alwasy the chance to get no or a non-helpfull result.

There is exactly one case - very strong already - where one choice of the box does nothing. Very strong is a 3 point trait, so it is not exactly common. Special handling is certainly nessesary. But your solution to just "give strong in addition to extra strong" does not sound viable.
I think I saw a "sciencing the solution" event in the files. So the very strong+red case could just default for hat science option.

The Founder said:

There are only two ways any player will resolve this event:
a) Gambling
b) Insider information, like from the Wiki, Forum or previous experience.

And for gambling, there is alwasy the chance to get no or a non-helpfull result.

There is exactly one case - very strong already - where one choice of the box does nothing. Very strong is a 3 point trait, so it is not exactly common. Special handling is certainly nessesary. But your solution to just "give strong in addition to extra strong" does not sound viable.
I think I saw a "sciencing the solution" event in the files. So the very strong+red case could just default for hat science option.

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Yeah, but there is more traits given from event, and or you go for all of them individually, or made a global solution.
And yes, players can know what every event is doing, but the case is that lot of players especially RP, but not only, dont want to know, when they are new, and dont want to spoil their game only bcs mechanics can be abused. Game should provide fun, and there should not be option to maximizing your species by looking at game fully mechanical way. Game should provide simmilar experience and pretty equal chances to both RP and mechanic players. And while lot of stuff is pretty ok, so event traits are not. Ability to just give players traits despite of what they choose in species creator, is a step in good way. When someone wants to play very strong, they shoud not be punished from taking that trait when creating species (be aware that green, and blue option could be as much rellevant to some players as food for machine empire). When someone wants to have strong species they should not be punnished with lesser benefit compared to those who didnt took strong trait, but some other instead, ending with one less traits (both will have very strong, but one who wanted to RP have only this, and second one who is abusing mechanics have both this one and one extra "free" from species creation).

Archael90 said:

why it cant be both strong (or very strong, or weak) from empire creation (or gene modding), and very strong from event?

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I don't understand the question. Why can't it be both strong and weak? Because it's not possible. You're either strong(or very strong), or weak, or average. Imagine seeing a pop that's both strong and weak. Army damage bonus would be +-0, mineral bonus would be +-0, it would take up 2 slots for traits while neither taking or giving trait points.

Granted, psychic powers, FTL travel, true AI etc isn't possible either (though some may be in the future, who knows?) but they make sense from a fantasy and/or sci-fi perspective. But being strong and weak from biological traits is so mindboggling I would believe magic to be real over that.

Devanor said:

I don't understand the question. Why can't it be both strong and weak? Because it's not possible. You're either strong(or very strong), or weak, or average. Imagine seeing a pop that's both strong and weak. Army damage bonus would be +-0, mineral bonus would be +-0, it would take up 2 slots for traits while neither taking or giving trait points.

Granted, psychic powers, FTL travel, true AI etc isn't possible either (though some may be in the future, who knows?) but they make sense from a fantasy and/or sci-fi perspective. But being strong and weak from biological traits is so mindboggling I would believe magic to be real over that.

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In a Star Warsy Voice: "The weakness is strong in this one!"

I read this as "strong" + "very strong", wich is hte specific case we are talking about. If you pick red and are already very strong, nothing happens.

evilon said:

How about if you had very strong already and chose red, you would get a new trait called 'bad', and a dragon would spawn in your territory?

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As I said, there is a unused and unchooseable "research it" result. Just hook that one up if they already have very strong.

Having the results swing from positive traits to negative traits and a leviathan spawn seems enterily arbitrary. And arbitrariness is the enemy of informed decisions. In all honesty, I can not tell if you even meant that seriously. Poe's Law applies as usual for textbased communication.

Archael90 said:

I think that events should not gives traits at all. Or if do, it should be "special" traits that costs 0 points, but allow you to have free slots for traits, and gives you ability to gene-modding this special traits to any species you want. Of course it should not be traits that gives some big boosts, but some unique ones.

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The pop trait system needs a major rework. Something on the level of the Economic rework.
It was originally designed for leader/ruler like entities.

Pop traits and population modding already push it way past it's original design limits.

evilon said:

How about if you had very strong already and chose red, you would get a new trait called 'bad', and a dragon would spawn in your territory?

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Would it burninate all your planets?