There are some research fundamentals which will help you very much at the start. Here’s what I go for (if I play the start awesomely :-D)
- Look at the Research Leaders you have: Are they good? If not..
- Look at the recruiting tab (anyway) to see if you should fire a leader or put him on a research ship and either hire a Spark of Genius or a Maniacal leader.
- The Technology system: You have a random selection of 3 techs (+ bonuses) every time you choose a new tech. An exception is the Colonization tech early on (which you should always choose first on the Asimov 1.2x patch). This selection is based on your empire and on what you have already researched, also on certain events or battle debris projects.
- Research Tech Choice: First go for techs helping you to build up. Only go for military techs if you know you have an opposing empire near. Consider purple techs always as they are rare and might not pop up again to choose.
- Swap your research leaders for bonuses: If you have an Expertise: X Leader and a tech is X, send him to the according spot in the labs and exchange his position with another leader. It won’t need time nor will it cost you research points, so do the swap!
- Send your Research Ship(s) on Survey Missions immediately.
- Military ships: Scout systems for monsters so you know where it is safe to send your science ships.
- Research anomalies only with low fail percentages. Once YOU have discovered them, they cannot be taken from you. So level up your Researchers first and decrease that risk!
- If you close borders, you can secure potential anomalies in your area against other empires. It is dangerous though, pissing the others off by doing that.
- If the AI scans a planet and discovers an anomaly, you cannot discover an anomaly there anymore, so if reasonable, close borders and survey the neutral systems first for anomalies to “tag” them for you.
- Projects and Timed Projects: Do them only if these are close to disappearing and only if they don’t stop a crucial research you make. (The Colonization tech is an example for such a crucial tech)
- You can gain research points and access to totally new technologies by fighting enemies and space monsters and analyzing the debris.
- Prefer Mineral Stations over Research Stations, but still, those stations can be useful! So go for them. Same goes for buildings on the planet. On early planets, don’t specialize, use the resources already there and improve these.
For further illustration and all the examples inside the game, just watch the video I made about Research:
Hope this can lead to a great game for you! 🙂
Happy Gaming, your
Immanuel Can