when tech is maxed out

[taltamir]

Edited for clarity: when you have researched all technology available a bug occurs in automatically assigned espionage missions, they perform "steal research" missions. (when you manually try to assign one it will show you that there is no research to steal.

Also, the following improvements could be made to the AI (both for your own empire's AI and that of computer controlled empires) to increase its late game competitiveness and effectiveness. 1. all research stations should be automatically scrapped, they are just a waste of money. 2. all research station designs should be marked obsolete, so they are no longer built automatically. 3. even if research station designs are not marked obsolete, constructors should not auto build research stations. 4. starbase designs created by the AI should no longer include labs.

this will save money. it will help the AI especially, since as a human player I can do so manually, the AI is thus a step behind when it finishes research, because it is unable to to stop investing into now useless research.

[korenje]

some races have (unfortunately only one) unique technology.

There should be abandon station option so money isn't wasted. or perhaps modify station to upgrade it to something else.

there should be different material dependent researches. so basically researching based on available materials should give unique weapons which can be worse than already researched or better. (that I mean no research tree - basically some material could just add range to a weapon) the AI should then build designs based or weapon (or other) properties instead of the latest research. currently research is linear so AI automatically uses the latest research. that's what I call poor programming.

[taltamir]

ORIGINAL: korenje

some races have (unfortunately only one) unique technology.

All races have access to all tech, some races just start out with certain high end tech already known.

There should be abandon station option so money isn't wasted.

There is, its called scrap. My suggestion was for the AI to use it, I as a player can already do so manually.

or perhaps modify station to upgrade it to something else.

If it is built at a planet, it can be retrofitted, except for defensive bases, they cannot. But yes, I think that would be nice, but not really related to this specific issue.

there should be different material dependent researches. so basically researching based on available materials should give unique weapons which can be worse than already researched or better. (that I mean no research tree - basically some material could just add range to a weapon) the AI should then build designs based or weapon (or other) properties instead of the latest research. currently research is linear so AI automatically uses the latest research. that's what I call poor programming.

this is something that should go more in the wish list. And I don't know if I would condone simply abandoning the research tree altogether, and the researching of randomized tech that might be worse then current tech.

[korenje]

scrap means destroy the base. abadon means leave the base in space. possibly for other players to take over or something...

[taltamir]

ORIGINAL: korenje

scrap means destroy the base. abadon means leave the base in space. possibly for other players to take over or something...

But the only reason to do that, rather then destroy, is if you want to give it to someone else, so just cut out the middle man and request an option to "gift" individual bases / ships to other players.

[Sinnari]

But in case of a gift, in real life, the player who is given the station, will also get some personell from the original owner.. in some circumstances, it will allow him to gain this races bonuses. While 'abandon' means that all the personell is withdrawn prior to letting the station go ... However, as far as I know, the personell/racial thing is not implemented in this game for units other than planets..

[taltamir]

ORIGINAL: Sinnari

But in case of a gift, in real life, the player who is given the station, will also get some personell from the original owner.. in some circumstances, it will allow him to gain this races bonuses. While 'abandon' means that all the personell is withdrawn prior to letting the station go ... However, as far as I know, the personell/racial thing is not implemented in this game for units other than planets..

you said BASE, bases have NO personnel and NO racial bonuses.. COLONIES have people and racial bonuses.

[Fishman]

Why would you WANT to abandon a research station and leave it for a random person to find, as opposed to blowing it up so no one can have it? If you just want to GIVE it away, isn't there something like that in the diplomacy features?

What I tend to do is build late-game research stations around a resort base anyway, so the base continues to serve a purpose after the research has been exhausted. The research components have insignificant upkeep, and you never know when something might be added to be researched later.

[sbach2o]

ORIGINAL: Fishman

If you just want to GIVE it away, isn't there something like that in the diplomacy features?

More or less no. I think only stations and planets in 'contested' systems are available for trades. Research stations tend to be not attached to those. 'Contested' seems limited to systems where either side has a colony and even then you can only give to the side with the 'stronger' presence based on the game's evaluation (which seems mostly related to population).

Not that I am advocating the introduction of an option to 'abandon' bases or ships. That looks like something of decidedly minor importance for this game, a gimmick.

[taltamir]

Yes, you can only give bases if they are in a system which belongs to another player.