The NLC is now superior to a Discovery Sphere - it provides 18tp (vs 16tp for Discovery Sphere) albeit at an increased maintenance. It does not need to upgrade.
Apparently, I wasn't clear enough with me description. I meant, that the Invention Matrix and Discovery Sphere should upgrade
to the NLC, not that the NLC should get another upgrade. It's already the most powerful lab, and I'm perfectly fine with that. My problem with it is, that it is possible to have a huge amount of Discovery Spheres on your worlds (all the old labs you built), and a couple NLCs too (all the NLCs you built recently). For the player, this isn't much of an issue, because you can simply build NLCs over all the old labs. The AI, however, doesn't have this option. It is entirely reliant on the upgrade-mechanic, which doesn't work in this case.
Thanks for giving the improvements a close look. I'll have a think about what to do. However as I'm spending a lot of time testing rather than fixing, it could be a while before I put another version out.
No problem, I'm glad I could help. In fact, I should have done this much sooner. After all, your mod was a big inspiration for my own.
I had been working on my mod since shortly before the end of the TotA-beta. Back then, it was primarily about fixing some bugs in the PlanetImprovements.xml, which soon escalated into an attempt to completely rebalance them and teach the AI how to use them. Over time, I added some more files (like the RaceConfig.xml and InvasionTactics.xml), and also some new techs. During my implementation of those techs, I noticed several bugs in the tech trees, but decided not to fix them. It just seemed like way too much work to me. About three years ago, however, I made a first attempt to do just that, because I realised, that my efforts to improve the AI's use of the buildings were pointless, if it couldn't research those buildings first. Still, my efforts proved to be in vain. I just didn't knew what I was doing or, in some cases, what I needed to do. Nor even where I should begin. My depression didn't help either.
Around Easter 2011 I found this thread. At first, I was surprised that several people had the same idea, at the same time. Then I realised, that I had found my answers. I now knew what was necessary, and I began work anew. The first thing I did, was to completely revamp my approach to the tech trees. Instead of trying to fix them how they were written, I completely rewrote the files. I gave them the order, they were lacking, and extended this approach to the other files too. Last year, I refined this even more, by moving all of the techs into the TechTree.xml. This made work much easier for me. Over time, I had several setbacks, and began work from scratch again. (By that time, I was already used to that. Every time Stardock released a new patch, I would scrap my mod and begin anew. Well, back when Stardock still released patches.) However, I also made a lot of progress: figured out new things (new approaches, "new" bugs), discarded old ideas, that didn't really work, and more. The end-result of all of that can be seen in Autumn Twilight.
So... yeah. You can consider this as a "Thank you!", if you will. I don't know how Autumn Twilight would now look like, if it weren't for this thread and your mod, but it definitely wouldn't be as good. I also pretty much doubt, that I would have released it. Heck, I never even intended to do that in the first place.
Anyway, here is part two of my findings.
RaceConfig.xml
Thalan Empire: The RaceMusic is set to Race09, which is the music for the Iconians. It should be changed to Race08.
Dread Lords: Disease Cure and Plague Cure should be added as starting techs. The DL start with their whole tech tree researched. Due to this, the AI will never start researching anything. So, if the Plague or Disease Mega Event happens, the DL are screwed, because they are unable to research the cures. Trading for the Cures isn't possible for the DL either, leaving only invasion as an option. However, even that doesn't really work, due to the effect of the events (especially the Disease). In short, if either event happens, then the DL will become even more of a pushover in the sandbox game.
StarbaseModules.xml
Xeno Influence Module: Has the Insurrection Coordinator as module requirement. However, that module no longer exists, so the game ignores the requirement. It is also a bug in the vanilla game. The Thalan don't have the necessary tech (Cultural Insurrection) in their tech tree.
The total number of available modules is 117 (unless I miscounted somewhere). This means, that the AI is unable to use 17 modules (beginning with Industrial Replication Center III), due to the 100-modules-limitation. There are some module-types the AI never uses (Terror Stars, Sensors, and SlowEnemies). If you move them to the bottom of the file, you would only need to get rid of 8 more modules. Well, or you could move the culture modules to the bottom too. The AI only rarely uses them.
TechTree.xml
Interstellar Governments: Has a bonus of +0% to Influence.
Terraforming: Has no AIValue.
Advanced Computing: The Category is set to Miniaturization. Pure Research would make more sense, in my opinion.
Counter Espionage: It can't be traded, but it can be stolen!? Doesn't make much sense.
Advanced Barren World Colonization: The Category is set to None. It should be Barren Terraforming.
Interstellar Construction: I'm not sure, if the game is case-sensitive, but the Category is set to HULL. It's probably best to set to Hull. Just in case.
PlanetaryFortification: There should be a space between Planetary and Fortification in the DisplayName.
Artificial Slavelings: The Category is set to MilManufacturingitary. It should be Manufacturing.
Ion Cannons II and Ion Cannons III: Those techs are missing both Description and Details.
Industrial Revolution: The last sentence of the Details has an extraneous "did": "so did did their productivity."
Ultimate Diabolical Research: The Display Name is currently Imaginative Research. It should be Ultimate Diabolical Research.
Industrial Starbase Construction and Advanced Industrial Starbases: The Category for those techs is set to Industry. It should be either Manufacturing or Starbase.
Healing Pools: The ID is set to Biology, and the Category is set to Medical. Either set the ID to Culture and the Category to Entertainment, or set the Category to Biology.
Altarian_TechTree.xml
Healing Pools: The Altarians already have the Temple. Giving them access to yet another, independent morale improvement doesn't make sense. It also adds problems for the AI. Healing Pools have a higher bonus than the Temples. Yet, with a choice between two different morale improvements, it is very likely, that the AI will use the Temples. It would probably be better to remove the Healing Pools, and to give the Temples a higher bonus. Still, it is already an improvement compared to how it originally was. Somebody at Stardock didn't think this through.
Inherent Magic: This tech is currently set to ID Industry and Category Pure Research. ID Weapons and Category Invasion would make more sense, in my opinion.
The following techs have no Details:
Military Improvements
Technology Progression I
Advanced Space Weapons
Technology Progression II
Technology Progression III
Ultimate Space Weapons
Arcean_TechTree.xml
Fleet Battle Tactics: Category is set to Military, overriding Category Communications from the TechTree.xml. Is that intentional?
Tulon Weapon Focus: Category is set to Military, overriding Category Communications from the TechTree.xml. Is that intentional?
Robust Hull Construction: Has no AIValue.
The following techs have no Details:
Ultimate Space Weapons
Technology Progression I
Technology Progression II
Technology Progression III
Space Weapons
Advanced Space Weapons
Military Improvements
Space Weapons: It has also no Description.
Temple of Honour: It has a Cost of zero, and no tech requirement. Intentional?
Dreadlords_TechTree.xml
Just a heads-up: The game treats the DL tech tree just like the one for the minor races. This means, that, if a tech is only available for one major race on the map, the minors/DL won't have it in their tech tree anymore. For example: If you are playing a one-on-one between the Arceans and the Drengin, then the minors/DL won't have access to any factory-techs (like the Industrial Sectors), any engines above Hyper Drive, and more. In other words, the DL are screwed again, because it will take them forever to build their ships.
Drengin_TechTree.xml
Fleet Battle Tactics: Category is set to Military, overriding Category Communications from the TechTree.xml. Is that intentional?
Tulon Weapon Focus: Category is set to Military, overriding Category Communications from the TechTree.xml. Is that intentional?
The following techs have no Details:
Technology Progression I
Space Weapons
Advanced Space Weapons
Technology Progression II
Technology Progression III
Ultimate Space Weapons
Ultimate Starship Defenses
The following techs also have no Description:
Space Weapons
Ultimate Starship Defenses
Iconian_TechTree.xml
Fleet Battle Tactics: Category is set to Military, overriding Category Communications from the TechTree.xml. Is that intentional?
Tulon Weapon Focus: Category is set to Military, overriding Category Communications from the TechTree.xml. Is that intentional?
Industrial Replication I and Industrial Replication II: Category is set to Missile. Should be Manufacturing.
The following techs have no Details:
Advanced Robotics
Ultimate Space Weapons
Technology Strategy I
Technology Strategy II
Technology Strategy III
The following techs also have no Description:
Technology Strategy I
Technology Strategy II
Technology Strategy III
Okay, that's enough for today. I'll go through the rest of the tech trees and the ship modules tomorrow. By now, I doubt I'll find anything more serious than I already have. The worst bugs have already been fixed.