1 Overview
Technology Upgrade sectors are special research & development building complex sectors that can grant access to new type of vehicles, buildings, and many other valuable upgrades to a faction during the gameplay. Tech Upgrade sectors will provide certain upgrades to strengthen the player's arsenal once they are acquired by the player.
There are many different types of technology upgrades, as well as their sector layout types. The upgrades can be a new vehicle or a new building, an increase in firepower for a weapon, an augmentation of a shielding, or even an improved radar signal range. The technology upgrade sectors appear as a splashing sigma symbol on the map display.
2 Gameplay
The technology upgrade sectors must be first captured by the player's faction in order to gain access to their benefits.
Over the course of the single-player campaigns, the player will come across many different types of technology upgrade sectors. They are present in most missions and some of them do not directly appear on mission briefing by level design (usually for an extra difficulty). Because of their strategic values, they are most often heavily guarded by the enemy forces. The upgrades and effects gained from technology upgrade are permanent in one's playthrough.
In multiplayer mode, all technology upgrade sectors only provide either a new vehicle or a new building upgrades for different factions present in the level, and therefore there is no extra weapon, shield, or radar upgrades available for the vehicles. Additionally, some technology upgrade sectors in some multiplayer levels will provide double technology upgrades from a single sector, usually one vehicle and one building type for each faction present in the level.
3 Mechanics
3.1 Single-player
In single-player levels, once the technology upgrades are captured by the player, their effects are permanently added to the player's arsenal, even if the player loses the control of the technology upgrade sector later. Therefore there is no practical incentive to guard the technology upgrade sectors once they have been captured at least once.
3.2 Multiplayer
In multiplayer levels, technology upgrades gained are not permanent, and are directly connected to the ownership of the factions who control them. Only the player who currently possesses a technology upgrade sector under their control will have access to the benefits of that technology upgrade sector.
For this reason, players will usually attempt to control more technology upgrade sectors so they can have access to more technology, while also simultaneously denying their access from the enemies. This design encourages additional layers of strategic values and factors during the multiplayer matches.
4 Appearance
The standard Technology Upgrade sectors are usually present in various types of a building complex that are easily distinguishable from their surroundings. The structures appear to be based on libraries or laboratories facilities. In rare cases, the technology upgrade sectors may be present on other special types of sectors.
