ruins, what do they do, what are they for?

In SEIV they gave you a unique tech that couldn't be researched, I assume its still the same, just not working.

Stolen from TechAreas.txt

Requirement 1 Description := Requires the discovery of ancient ruins.
Requirement 1 Formula := Empire_Has_Found_Unique_Discovery(4)

So Yep, same as SEIV just not working.

Possibly its not an instant discovery like in SEIV but over time?

I haven't seen any in my demo yet (only played a bit). In SEIV - you would get a technology advance. If you already had the advance (later in the game), there would be an announcement of finding the ruins, but no discovery.

I have not seen any ruins in the SEV demo yet. In SEIV they give you either a hard coded (you always get the same thing on that planet)unique tech that can not be researched, or they give you tech level advances randomly in the normal techs. They have the potential for adding major imbalance, like when you find a new colonization tech on game turn 10 or so. The bonuses occur when the planet is colonized. If you see not tech advancement it means you already have what you would have received.

Some ideas for Ruins that I would like to see are more unique facilities and also maybe planetary bonuses. This could add some strategic considerations. Assume you colonize a mineral rich (130%+) world with ruins and the ruins give a 200% research bonus on that planet and you are running low on resources. Now you have to make tough choices about to build there.

I have started some games with ruins in the same solar system as my homeworld on planets that I could colonize and by the time I could get a colony ship there, the ruins had disappeared.
Colonizing the planet did not give any new benefits like new tech.

In SEIV or SEV??

probably just not working in the demo.

Hopefully ruins are working in the full release. For me they add some flavor as well and early game objective to gane a few tech levels, maybe even something usefull, and deny my future enemies of the same.

How about adding some minor chance on a negative effect? I refer to Civilization/Alpha Centauri, where this would sometimes be the case. Would be cool to unleash a space monster instead of gathering that anticipated tech every once in a while (evil grin).

That will be quite easy to mod in now that they have techs that give empire wide bonuses. You could have one that is like a plague which would drop population growth by a percentage empire wide. You would have to research the next tech level (at a high cost) to get that reversed.
Your lord and master (below Foamy) LordHavoc

This is a good idea but should it come from technologically advanced ruins or should be implimented as a random event.

I keep seeing Ruins on the first turn in the SEV Demo and then I try to colonize the planet but by the time I can get a colony ship there the ruins have disappeared.
Seems Strange.

Build faster ships?

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Interdum feror cupidine partium magnarum Europae vincendarum
Sometimes I get this urge to conquer large parts of Europe.

The ruins disappear on the first turn. So do the abilities attached to storms. Its a bug.

I was kidding. But I can definitely see that as annoying. I havent noticed that myself but to be honest my tests of the game so far have been mostly involved in combat simulations. also testing recon and sentry stalites and their usefulness etc.
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Interdum feror cupidine partium magnarum Europae vincendarum
Sometimes I get this urge to conquer large parts of Europe.