Research Question

[Cyrtis]

I've read and re-read the great guide on research, but I'm still not understanding it all. Can someone help explain this to me:

For my current game, my Total Empire Research Potential is: 704K

Total Research Capacity is: 1200K, 1150K, 1200K.
Actual output is: 651K, 460K, 557K.

So first off, why is actual so much lower than total? I have a bonus to research from my race and government of 50% and 20% respectively. My scientists also give bonuses, and no maluses.

Second, what does Total Empire Research Potential mean? Is that what my Actual Output for each category is capped at?

Thanks a bunch! [&:]

[feelotraveller]

704k is the research (before bonuses) your empire can do.

1200k/1150k/1200k is the labs your empire has which can do research. You have far too many... All you need is labs totaling a little bit over 704, so something like 250/250/250 would leave a bit of room. All those extra don't hurt your research but do cost maintenance.

651k + 460k + 557k is your 704k divided into the three fields with bonuses applied. [:)]

[spiralaxis]

We, as a forum, need to put together a proper FAQ on this.

[Evan85]

All beginner FAQs and tutorials explain it.

[NephilimNexus]

You only get research credit for one base per type of base. All other bases do not add anything to the total.

Example #1: You have a design for a Weapon Research Station that produces 500 research points. You build one and you get 500 research points. You build two and you still get 500 research points. Build twenty and you still get 500 research points. Only the highest one counts.

Example #2: You have one Weapon Research Station that produces 500 research points. You build a new one that produces 750 research points. Your total for the two bases i 750 research points, because that's the highest level of the base type.

Example #3: You have a Space Port that produces 500 research points and a Research Lab that produces 500 research points. Your total is now 1000 research points because they are two different base types so they add together.

Example #4: You double the above. You still only get 1000 research points, however, because as stated before multiple copies of anything don't stack.

Example #5: You have a Weapons Lab that produces 500 Weapons RP and 100 Energy RP. You add a Energy Lab that produces 500 Energy RP and 100 Weapons RP. Because these are technically two different types of bases, they add up for a total of 600 Weapons RP and 600 Energy RP.

In conclusion:

You want one Space Port with research labs. Beyond that you get nothing.

You want one of each type of Research Station. Beyond that you get nothing.

Note that all three of your research stations can contain all three types of research labs and they will stack. So if you have a Weapons Station with 1000RP in each category, then copy it as a Energy Station and again as a HighTech Station, you'll get 3000RP across the board total.

Also, when choosing special locations, again only the highest level one counts. So if you build a lab at one spot with a 40% bonus and another at a spot with a 50% bonus, you only get the one 50% and no extra RP from the redundant station.

So all told you should never have more than a total of four facilities doing research: One space port, and one of each type of research lab. If you want more RP then just make the existing four stations bigger, because building more copies of them will gain you nothing.