This was implemented, mostly here plus some followup commits:
https://github.com/ZeroK-RTS/Zero-K/pull/5364#event-14438442302It can be tried with '!game zk:test' by ticking Experimental -> Tech-K in battle options (wait for the game to download to view the options). We played about ten games today, it seems to be fairly stable. The tech is infinite though, so it will crash eventually.
The implementation ended up being a bit different to the OP. Here is the effect of going up a level.
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Cost: 200%
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Mass: 200%
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Health: 200%
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Health Regen: 200%
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Shield: 180%
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Shield Regen: 200%
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Range: 110%
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Speed: 95%
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Jump Range: 110%
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Metal Income: 125%
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Energy Income: 300%
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Build Power: 200%
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Projectile Count: 200%
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Minimum Projectile Spray: (level^0.25 - 1)/25
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Death Explosions: 200% (they are spread around a bit as numbers increase)
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Wreckage: 200%
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Height: 1.6^(level^0.45 - 1)
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Various abilities buffed by 200% (Airpads, cloakers, Puppy etc...)
Climb the tech levels by using a constructor's Tech Up command on the factory it came from. The command can also be used to upgrade any structure to the level of the constructor. I went with this approach to avoid adding anything extra to the build menu, and because I knew I'd want a command that automatically upgrades metal extractors. So there is one command that does both things. Factory plates work provided there is a factory nearby of at least their level. One potentially annoying thing about this system is that it means everyone has to either receive a constructor from their team, or tech up themselves, to upgrade.
(Edit: To address this I just made it so that any constructor can upgrade a plate to match the level of its parent factory)
I went with multiplying projectiles because it is the simplest way to make more damaging weapons look more powerful. Stacking projectiles stacks lights, making everything brighter, and multiple impacts means multiple explosion effects. I also added minimum projectile spray so that every unit has a little bit of inaccuracy when upgraded, since this makes cannon shots and beams appear to be a bit wider. Upgraded units spawn multiple death explosions and wreckages for similar reasons.
I put range at 110% and speed at 90% because a lot more range can do a lot, and going slowly is "Epic". Not being able to see what you are shooting at is also epic, so sight ranges and radar are unchanged. Units are taller though, so can shoot over terrain a bit better.
(Edit: Speed was bugged in our test games and not being applied. I have applied it and reduced the reduction to 90%, later I changed it to 95% because 90% felt a bit slugging, so perhaps it was closer to good before the speed change applied at all.)
Shield capacity is only at 180% rather than 200% because shields worry me, especially with projectile multiplication. Upgraded shields start to become very effective against units that penetrate most of the shield, since their individual projectiles always deal the same low damage. Our test games did not go into this sort of shield play though. My guess is that tacnukes risk become obsolete as soon as they are produced.
Metal income was 150% in our test games, but I since reduced it to 125% to try out in any future games that happen. Mexes at 150% make teching for mex better than base game overdrive, before adding the effect of 300% energy income. It was probably a bit too much. Energy income is at 300% because 200% would be pointless. Windgens are amazing.
Various abilities were also buffed, mostly in ways that cancel out. Airpads work at twice the rate, but bombers also cost twice as much to repair and rearm. The rate at which cloakers and teleporters do their ability on units depends on mass, which was also increased 200%, so there is no change among units of the same level. If your units are taking forever to cloak though, then you probably need to upgrade your cloakers. Puppies also work the same way; they drain wrecks at twice the rate, but it costs twice as much to make a Puppy.
A notable exception to ability multiplying is stockpile. It costs the same to stockpile a missile, but it is built at a multiplied rate, and the missile still shoots multiple missiles. Perhaps this makes Scylla or Reef silly, at which point it might be worth fixing, but there is an issue with what to do existing stockpiles when a stockpiling structure is upgraded. Also note that antinuke ranges are unaffected, and that firing multiple projectiles does not let antinuke block more than one nuke at a time.
The games we played were more interesting than I expected. It was nice how "small" units such as Ronin and Ravager could come back later in the game at a higher tech level. I suppose this makes sense since their main weakness is their low weight, and they tend to have amazing stats for their cost. That said, counters at one tech level down still seemed to work. I was expecting the range buff, speed nerf, and general power of light turrets to make the games revolve more around turrets and artillery, but overall they tended to be a bit more open. Raids could also be quite devastating late into the game, since there is no quick response to a concentrated mass of high-tech raiders. The raiders can be built up over time, but in standard ZK there is no buildup that makes your raiders resist a few quick riots, bombs, or bombers.
