Discovery focus does not solve its problem

[Voker57]

1. -66% is a huge debuff which makes the discovery task meaningless, and does not even guarantee a specific tech. I'd rather take my chances with the RNG.
2. It's possible to effectively evade debuff anyway, by keeping focus off until the very last moment when you gain enough for a discovery.

Suggestion: Make it free (or much cheaper, like -20%), fix the loophole enabling its evasion through micromanagement. Or get rid of the random discovery mechanism altogether.

[phyroks]

Giving us even more control over discovery is not really something im looking for (choosing specific tech), but limiting the rng would be fine with some minor cost increases. Right now you are better off discovering 3 random techs instead of 1 from chosen category.

I would prefer if it would cost political points (10ish?) to ask focus on a category until something is discovered.

[mroyer]

Giving us even more control over discovery is not really something im looking for

I'm in favor of giving players some indirect control (whatever the mechanism), since I feel like that is a better model of how large-scale research works in real life. Sure, at a small scale, universities, professors, scientists, companies and so forth, do their own thing, outside the purview of the government usually with an eye towards profit or personal interest.

But, for the big projects that are deemed in the public interest (including military), projects that are too expensive for individual companies, universities or people to embark upon, governments step in and subsidize activity with a boat-load of 'strings' attached in an attempt to direct the project towards the desired end goal.

In my view, this is what 'discovery focus' is simulating.

I would prefer if it would cost political points (10ish?) to ask focus on a category until something is discovered.

Yes(!), I think I really like the idea of a PP cost for focus vs just a big negative buff (the -66%). The negative buff just feels gamey anyhow - not sure what it represents. I suppose government contracts are often less efficient, but that's usually related to production rather than research. A PP cost with a much smaller buff may be a better simulation.

-Mark R.