- How research really works
The previous pages presented research costs as if they were exact and always the same. It's more complicated than that.
- Each research level has a set base cost, as shown previously and displayed in the game.
- After the base cost has been paid, additional research points increase the chance of a "breakthrough", which causes the technology to actually be researched.
- The game displays its estimate of the number of turns until a breakthrough in the research status box. This number can be high or low, as the exact timing is random. Once the base cost is paid (and the research window displays 0 RP required), the percentage chance of a breakthrough on the next turn is also displayed in the research status box. Note that this percentage includes the current turn's research, so may be altered by adjusting the amount of RP produced.
- Once the base cost has been paid twice (e.g. Advanced Engineering after 160 RP), including the current turn's RP, the technology is guaranteed to be researched on the next turn. At this point, the Research Status box will display 100%. It's not clear whether this number can be rounded up to 100%, so there may be a small chance that the research doesn't complete when 100% is displayed, as the total RP may be just short of twice the base cost.
- When you begin researching a technology, the game will always estimate at least two turns of research, even if you have enough RP to guarantee an immediate breakthrough.
- When 100% is displayed, you can safely transfer scientists to other jobs, provided the probability does not drop below 100%. You may wish to leave one extra scientist, in case rounding has occurred.
- A better method is to use more expensive technology to determine how many RP have been spent, and calculate the exact number necessary to guarantee a breakthrough. If you are researching Artificial Life, you need to spend 9000 RP total (4500 base cost, x2). If you also have access to Temporal Physics (15000 RP) and it displays a cost of 7520 RP, you know that you have spent 7480 RP (15000 - 7520), and that you need to spend another 1520 RP (9000 - 7480) this turn to guarantee research. Any excess RP is completely wasted.
- If immediate research is not necessary, scientists may be transferred to other jobs as soon as the breakthrough chance reaches an acceptable value. If you have a 50% chance of breakthrough this turn and do not get it, you will still have at least a 50% chance of breakthrough next turn, even if you generate 0 RP. You therefore have an 87.5% chance of a breakthrough in the next three turns (and over 99.9% in the next ten turns) with no additional RP investment.
The value of scientists in other jobs depends on circumstances. If your race is Tolerant or the colony contains production buildings, you could make your ex-scientists produce Trade Goods - you'll need the money some time, possibly to finance an invasion campaign. Otherwise, it may not be useful to move all your scientists into industrial production as a lot of it will be wasted by pollution. Research colonies tend to have high populations, so Housing is not efficient there, but may still be useful if it produces an extra citizen. Farming may be the best general alternative, as the surplus food will increase your income, and may allow you to reassign farmers to production on other planets.
In any case, however, reclaimed >100% scientists represent free effort, provided you remember to put them back to work after the breakthrough.
Summary of techs and research costs[edit]
Eight pages of tech details is a lot to remember, so this page tries to summarise the most useful points for each level, excluding the starting and Hyper-advanced techs:
- Name of each tech level (e.g. "Astro Biology").
- Names of the techs in that level.
- The most usual choice(s) for non-Creative empires.
- Number of RPs needed to research each level.
- Cumulative number of RPs needed to research each level from a Pre-Warp start. This will show how many RPs in total you need in order to get from your current position to some tech you really want - subtract the desired tech's cumulative RPs from your current level's cumulative RPs; then you compare the result with your current research output (bottom right of the Galaxy map and Colony List screens). You may then decide to research and build some more research buildings first.
Remember that the "Usual non-Creative choices" are only a guide:
- Choices you make in other tech subjects may make other choices useful.
- You must adapt to what your opponents are doing.
Engineering[edit]
RPs | Cumul RPs | Level name | Technologies | Usual non-Creative choices |
---|---|---|---|---|
80 | 80 | Advanced Engineering | Anti-Missile Rockets Fighter Bays Reinforced Hull |
Reinforced Hull |
150 | 230 | Advanced Construction | Automated Factory Missile Base Heavy Armor |
Automated Factory |
250 | 480 | Capsule Construction | Battle Pods Troop Pods Survival Pods |
Battle Pods |
400 | 880 | Astro Engineering | Space Port Armor Barracks Fighter Garrison |
Space Port Fighter Garrison |
650 | 1530 | Robotics | Robo-Miners Battlestation Powered Armor |
Robo-Miners |
900 | 2430 | Servo Mechanics | Fast Missile Racks Advanced Damage Control Assault Shuttles |
Advanced Damage Control Fast Missile Racks |
1150 | 3580 | Astro Construction | Titan Construction Ground Batteries Battleoids |
Titan Construction Ground Batteries |
1500 | 5080 | Advanced Manufacturing | Recyclotron Automated Repair Unit Artificial Planet Construction |
Automated Repair Unit Recyclotron (Cybernetic races) |
2000 | 7080 | Advanced Robotics | Robotic Factory Bomber Bays |
Robotic Factory |
3500 | 10580 | Tectonic Engineering | Deep Core Mine Core Waste Dump |
Deep Core Mine |
6000 | 16580 | Superscalar Construction | Star Fortress Advanced City Planning Heavy Fighters |
Advanced City Planning |
7500 | 24080 | Planetoid Construction | Doom Star Construction Artemis System Net |
Doom Star Construction |
Power[edit]
RPs | Cumul RPs | Level name | Technologies | Usual non-Creative choices |
---|---|---|---|---|
50 | 50 | Nuclear Fission | Freighters Nuclear Drive Nuclear Bomb |
This is a "general" tech level - even Uncreatives get all the techs. |
80 | 130 | Cold Fusion | Colony Ship Outpost Ship Transport |
This is a "general" tech level - even Uncreatives get all the techs. |
250 | 380 | Advanced Fusion | Fusion Drive Fusion Bomb Augmented Engines |
Depends on your strategy. |
900 | 1280 | Ion Fission | Ion Drive Ion Pulse Cannon Shield Capacitor |
Ion Drive Shield Capacitor |
2000 | 3280 | Anti-Matter Fission | Anti-Matter Drive Anti-Matter Torpedoes Anti-Matter Bomb |
Anti-Matter Torpedoes Anti-Matter Drive |
2750 | 6030 | Matter-Energy Conversion | Transporters Food Replicators |
Transporters |
3500 | 9530 | High Energy Distribution | High Energy Focus Energy Absorber Megafluxers |
High Energy Focus (beam weapons) Megafluxers |
4500 | 14030 | Hyper-Dimensional Fission | Proton Torpedo Hyper Drive Hyper-X Capacitors |
Depends on your strategy. |
10000 | 24030 | Interphased Fission | Interphased Drive Plasma Torpedo Neutronium Bomb |
Interphased Drive (beam weapons) Plasma Torpedo |
Chemistry[edit]
RPs | Cumul RPs | Level name | Technologies | Usual non-Creative choices |
---|---|---|---|---|
50 | 50 | Chemistry | Nuclear Missile Standard Fuel Cells Extended Fuel Tanks Titanium Armor |
This is a "general" tech level - even Uncreatives get all the techs. |
250 | 300 | Advanced Metallurgy | Deuterium Fuel Cells Tritanium Armor |
Depends on the map. |
650 | 950 | Advanced Chemistry | Merculite Missile Pollution Processor |
Depends on your strategy. |
1150 | 2100 | Molecular Compression | Pulson Missile Atmospheric Renewer Iridium Fuel Cells |
Iridium Fuel Cells (Tolerant races) Atmospheric Renewer (all else) |
2000 | 4100 | Nano Technology | Nano Disassemblers Microlite Construction Zortrium Armor |
Zortrium Armor |
4500 | 8600 | Molecular Manipulation | Zeon Missile Neutronium Armor Uridium Fuel Cells |
Depends on your strategy. |
10000 | 18600 | Molecular Control | Thorium Fuel Cells Adamantium Armor |
Adamantium Armor |
Sociology[edit]
RPs | Cumul RPs | Level name | Technologies | Usual non-Creative choices |
---|---|---|---|---|
150 | 150 | Military Tactics | Space Academy | Space Academy |
650 | 800 | Xeno Relations | Xeno Psychology Alien Management Center |
Alien Management Center |
1150 | 1950 | Macro Economics | Stock Exchange | Stock Exchange |
2000 | 3950 | Teaching Methods | Astro University | Astro University |
4500 | 8450 | Advanced Government | Confederation Imperium Federation Galactic Unification |
Confederation Imperium Federation Galactic Unification |
6000 | 14450 | Galactic Economics | Galactic Currency Exchange | Galactic Currency Exchange |
Computers[edit]
RPs | Cumul RPs | Level name | Technologies | Usual non-Creative choices |
---|---|---|---|---|
50 | 50 | Electronics | Electronic Computer | Electronic Computer |
150 | 200 | Optronics | Research Laboratory Optronic Computer Dauntless Guidance System |
Research Laboratory |
400 | 600 | Artificial Intelligence | Neural Scanner Scout Lab Security Stations |
Neural Scanner |
900 | 1500 | Positronics | Positronic Computer Supercomputer Holo Simulator |
Supercomputer |
1500 | 3000 | Artificial Consciousness | Emissions Guidance System Rangemaster Targeting Unit Cyber Security Link |
Emissions Guidance System Cyber Security Link (Democracies) |
2750 | 5750 | Cybertronics | Cybertronic Computer Autolab Structural Analyzer |
Autolab |
3500 | 9250 | Cybertechnics | Android Farmers Android Workers Android Scientists |
Android Scientists (production races) Android Workers (research races) |
4500 | 13750 | Galactic Networking | Virtual Reality Network Galactic Cybernet |
Virtual Reality Network (non-Unification races) Galactic Cybernet (Unification races) |
6000 | 19750 | Moleculartronics | Pleasure Dome Moleculartronic Computer Achilles Targeting Unit |
Achilles Targeting Unit |
Biology[edit]
RPs | Cumul RPs | Level name | Technologies | Usual non-Creative choices |
---|---|---|---|---|
80 | 80 | Astro Biology | Hydroponic Farm Biospheres |
Depends on the map. |
400 | 480 | Advanced Biology | Cloning Center Soil Enrichment Death Spores |
Cloning Center (Lithovores) Soil Enrichment (poor farming) Cloning Center (all else) |
900 | 1380 | Genetic Engineering | Telepathic Training Microbiotics |
Telepathic Training (if you have population growth bonus) Telepathic Training (Democracies) Microbiotics (if you have counter-intelligence bonus) Microbiotics (if you have population capacity bonus) |
1150 | 2530 | Genetic Mutations | Terraforming | Terraforming |
1500 | 4030 | Macro Genetics | Subterranean Farms Weather Controller |
Depends on the map. |
2750 | 6780 | Evolutionary Genetics | Psionics Heightened Intelligence |
Psionics (Democracies, Dictatorships) Heightened Intelligence (Unification) Depends on the mix of population (Feudal). |
4500 | 11280 | Artificial Life | Bio Terminator Universal Antidote |
Universal Antidote |
7500 | 18780 | Trans Genetics | Biomorphic Fungi Gaia Transformation Evolutionary Mutation |
Evolutionary Mutation |
Physics[edit]
RPs | Cumul RPs | Level name | Technologies | Usual non-Creative choices |
---|---|---|---|---|
50 | 50 | Physics | Laser Cannon Laser Rifle Space Scanner |
This is a "general" tech level - even Uncreatives get all the techs. |
150 | 200 | Fusion Physics | Fusion Beam Fusion Rifle |
Depends on your strategy. |
250 | 450 | Tachyon Physics | Tachyon Communications Tachyon Scanner Battle Scanner |
Battle Scanner (beam weapons) Tachyon Communications |
900 | 1350 | Neutrino Physics | Neutron Blaster Neutron Scanner |
Neutron Blaster (beam weapons) Neutron Scanner |
1150 | 2500 | Artificial Gravity | Tractor Beam Graviton Beam Gravity Generator |
Depends on your strategy. |
1500 | 4000 | Subspace Physics | Subspace Communications Jump Gate |
Subspace Communications |
2000 | 6000 | Multi-Phased Physics | Phasors Phasor Rifle Multi-Phased Shields |
Depends on your strategy. |
3500 | 9500 | Plasma Physics | Plasma Cannon Plasma Rifle Plasma Web |
Depends on your strategy. |
4500 | 14000 | Multi-Dimensional Physics | Disruptor Cannon Dimensional Portal |
(attack Antarans:)Dimensional Portal (otherwise:)Disruptor Cannon |
6000 | 20000 | Hyper-Dimensional Physics | Hyperspace Communications Mauler Device Sensors |
Depends on your strategy. |
15000 | 35000 | Temporal Physics | Time Warp Facilitator Stellar Converter Star Gate |
Time Warp Facilitator |
Force Fields[edit]
RPs | Cumul RPs | Level name | Technologies | Usual non-Creative choices |
---|---|---|---|---|
250 | 250 | Advanced Magnetism | Class I Shield Mass Driver ECM Jammer |
Depends on your strategy. ECM Jammer |
650 | 900 | Gravitic Fields | Anti-Grav Harness Inertial Stabilizer Gyro Destabilizer |
Inertial Stabilizer |
900 | 1800 | Magneto Gravitics | Class III Shield Radiation Shield Warp Dissipater |
Class III Shield |
1500 | 3300 | Electromagnetic Refraction | Stealth Field Personal Shield Stealth Suit |
Personal Shield (Ground fighters) Stealth Suit (all else) |
2000 | 5300 | Warp Fields | Pulsar Warp Interdictor Lightning Field |
Lightning Field |
2750 | 8050 | Subspace Fields | Class V Shields Multi-Wave ECM Jammer Gauss Cannon |
Gauss Cannon Class V Shields |
3500 | 11550 | Distortion Fields | Cloaking Device Stasis Field Hard Shields |
Stasis Field Hard Shields |
4500 | 16050 | Quantum Fields | Class VII Shield Planetary Flux Shield Wide Area Jammer |
Class VII Shield, otherwise Planetary Flux Shield |
7500 | 23550 | Transwarp Fields | Displacement Device Subspace Teleporter Inertial Nullifier |
Inertial Nullifier Subspace Teleporter |
15000 | 38550 | Temporal Fields | Class X Shield Planetary Barrier Shield Phasing Cloak |
Phasing Cloak |