Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares/Recommended research paths

Recommended research paths showed how expensive it is to research the top-level military techs and why you have to balance military research with researching civilian techs that enable you to build advanced research buildings and to pay for their maintenance. So it's vital to know which order to research the set of techs you're aiming for.

The recommendations on this page are only general guidlines, because you will have to adjust to the information you gather about what your opponents are doing. For example if they are following a more militaristic research path than usual, you should at least prepare to defend your empire; and if you can do just enough military research to survive in good shape, you'll be ahead in research and / or industrial and / or financial and / or farming techs and that's probably a long-lasting advantage that should win you the game.

Most guides focus on production-oriented races, because these are generally thought to be the strongest. This guide will cover these, and also research-oriented and Creative races.

Production-oriented races

These races colonize fastest, but are usually rather weak in research early in the game; this is especially true of UniTol races (Unification + Tolerant) as their production is not limited by pollution and they will often put all their non-farming population into building Colony Bases and Colony Ships. The only way they can get any research at all in this period is from the flat-rate RPs that Research Labs produce without any scientists, so Research Labs are their first priority. A typical sequence is:

1. Electronics -> Electronic Computer
2. Optronics -> Research Laboratory
   Build the Research Lab immediately.
3. Nuclear Fission -> Freighters, Nuclear Drive
   After researching and building Freighters they may colonize any usable planets in their home system and use them as Housing colonies.
4. Chemistry -> Standard Fuel Cells, Extended Fuel Tanks, Nuclear Missile.
   Now build 1 or 2 Scout ships to look for system to colonize.
5. Cold Fusion -> Colony Ship
   If the Scout ships find a few good systems, the homeworld now builds 2 to 4 Colony Ship flat out, relying on the 5 RP from their

Research Lab to keep their research moving.

1. Advanced Engineering ->Reinforced Hull
2. Advanced Construction -> Auto Factories
   Build the Auto Factory immediately. now they can move some workers into research.
3. Astro Biology -> Biospheres
   And build Bioshpers on the homeworld to maintain population growth for a few more turns.
4. Advanced Biology -> Soil Enrichment or Cloning Center.
   Build whichever.
5. Artificial Intelligence -> Neural Scanners
6. Positronics -> Supercomputer
   Build one on the homeworld immediately.
7. Capsule Construction -> Battle Pods
8. Astro Engineering -> Spaceports
   Build one on the homeworld immediately.
9. Robotics ->Robo Miners
   Build one on the homeworld immediately. They can move a few more workers into research when they want.
10. Physics -> Laser Cannon, Space Scanner, etc.
11. Advanced Metallurgy ->Tritanium Armor if Tolerant, otherwise Deuterium Fuel Cells
12. Advanced Fusion -> Augmented Engines
13. Fusion Physics -> Fusion Beam
14. Advanced Chemistry -> Merculite Missile
15. Molecular Compression -> If Tolerant, Iridium Fuel Cells; otherwise Atmospheric Renewer
16. Nano Technology -> Zortrium Armor.