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What are some recommended CSA game start research areas?
Thanks for any opinions.

Highly recommend you read the Strategy guide accessible via the main menu . It is excellently put together and goes into the pros and cons of various options and also covers the key research areas.

A lot of your choices in research depend entirely on the overall strategy you decide to employ .

Thanks for the reply. I had the "big four" already maxed for chits. I'm curious as to what others are most important. Whenever I play a game as the CSA I like to go for a western strategy as historically they were very poor in the west. I like to try and do a lot better.

You mostly want to focus on any tech that improves your infantry/leaders and economy. So besides the big four, I would recommend: field telegraph, leadership, infantry tactics, spying and intelligence, fort modernization

For naval heavy strategies, the naval techs can make a significant impact but its tough to afford both the techs and building all the ships.

Further investment into production by CSA is quite useless. Not a huge priority for Union either.

redrum68 wrote: Fri Jul 01, 2022 4:23 pm So besides the big four, I would recommend: field telegraph, leadership, infantry tactics, spying and intelligence, fort modernization

Why spying?

Well in theory if the game goes into 64-65 then production, industry, and S&I are pretty crucial to maximize MPP/FS and keep pace in research. If the game ends in 62-63 then they don't have time to make a big impact which right now the CSA usually loses in 63.

Unless you're playing on harder difficulties, then you don't need to worry too much about making perfect decisions on research. It's better in my opinion to be a bit playful. Just don't neglect the primary ones like Infantry Equipment.

One idea: Cavalry Equipment and Cavalry Tactics. You can field a lot of powerful cavalry units early as the CSA.

I'm undecided about fort modernization. I'd appreciate some opinions about this.

I would definitely go for it, cost is negligible. Just do not expect wonders - well, not against marines and land units, river boats without naval weapons have hard time against modernised forts, it seems.

Anything that makes infantry better(there are several techs), Industry and Production. Though all this depends on your strategy. Cavalry is expensive as is the Navy but if you could make any of it work I'm sure it could pay.

redrum68 wrote: Fri Jul 01, 2022 4:23 pm You mostly want to focus on any tech that improves your infantry/leaders and economy. So besides the big four, I would recommend: field telegraph, leadership, infantry tactics, spying and intelligence, fort modernization

For naval heavy strategies, the naval techs can make a significant impact but its tough to afford both the techs and building all the ships.

I consider Leadership part of the big 5. The HQs are very, very weak and each point helps A LOT, especially because you don't have many.

Yogol wrote: Fri Jul 15, 2022 4:30 pm I consider Leadership part of the big 5. The HQs are very, very weak and each point helps A LOT, especially because you don't have many.

Yeah you could argue leadership and telegraph form the big 6. I actually think getting at least the first level of field telegraph is even more important than leadership as otherwise HQs have such limited range.

redrum68 wrote: Sat Jul 16, 2022 4:56 pm

Yogol wrote: Fri Jul 15, 2022 4:30 pm I consider Leadership part of the big 5. The HQs are very, very weak and each point helps A LOT, especially because you don't have many.

Yeah you could argue leadership and telegraph form the big 6. I actually think getting at least the first level of field telegraph is even more important than leadership as otherwise HQs have such limited range.

Yes, depending on your playstyle, you might want to get that +1 range too. Personally, I am used to planning ahead and managing HQ placement carefully, but the extra range makes it easier, for sure!

When I play the Union I always keep 2 chits in Spying & Intelligence. What do people think about that research for the CSA?
Thanks for any opinions.

Having a higher S+I vs your opponent will accelerate your research and vice versa. This makes it one of the most important researches in the game.


From the manual

"9.2.4. Spying & Intelligence
Each new level of Spying & Intelligence increases your own research by 1% per
turn. However, this can be impacted if your opponent is also researching and
achieving Spying & Intelligence levels of its own.
The impact can either be to decrease or to negate your research bonus
entirely. Though note that only the intelligence levels of fully mobilized enemy
Majors are taken into account.
For example, if the enemy’s intelligence level is higher than yours, then it
will negate your own Spying & Intelligence. But if your intelligence level is higher
than your enemy’s, your Spying & Intelligence bonus will be the difference
between the two levels.
For example, if the Union has intelligence Level-1 and the Confederacy has
intelligence Level-2, then the Confederacy’s research bonus will only be the
difference of 1. The Union will receive no bonus in their own research as the
Confederacy has a higher level.
If both you and your enemy’s highest Spying & Intelligence levels are the
same, then they simply cancel each other out until one or the other achieve a
new higher level. Essentially Spying & Intelligence helps you if you are ahead of
your opponent but not if you have the same or a lower level in it.
9.2.5. Examples
Our first example represents the research formula using just the Catch up
Bonus.
§ We have just one chit in Leadership at Level 1 (where the normalized
research formula means you have an average 4% progression per turn)
and the enemy currently has Level 3, so the result will be:
§ Base Chance + (highest enemy level - current level) x research chits invested
§ 5 + (3 - 1) x 1 chit = an average 7% progression per turn
§ If we also assume that we have 2 more levels of Spying & Intelligence than
our enemy does, the formula becomes the following:
§ Base Chance + (highest enemy level - current level) + Spying & Intelligence
modifier) x research chits invested
§ 5 + (3 -1) + 2 x 1 chit = an average 9% progression per turn.
2 192 @
If 2 chits were invested then progression would average out at an impressive
18% a turn!"

I also highly recommend S&I for the CSA though they are capped at 2800 MMP.
The real hard choice comes whether to continue or not with S&I (as CSA) when the first research techs you chose finish and you find out that you may have to either double down on another tech or get into a new one because of circumstances.
On the whole though, S&I is so important and a top tier choice in my opinion.

OldCrowBalthazor wrote: Mon Jul 18, 2022 3:10 am I also highly recommend S&I for the CSA though they are capped at 2800 MMP.
The real hard choice comes whether to continue or not with S&I (as CSA) when the first research techs you chose finish and you find out that you may have to either double down on another tech or get into a new one because of circumstances.
On the whole though, S&I is so important and a top tier choice in my opinion.

Why would it be important? For CSA it seems trash to me, given tech constraints. It is not like we are for four years researching 5 level of tanks, fighters, strategic bombers, long range, anti-aircrafts, submarines... For most of the techs, there are 1-2 levels to be had, and only real 'race' would be infantry equipment, but additional investment in spying does not help there.

Union invest in research for bit longer than CSA, even something into 1863, but still not that much and without a feel of urgency, hm. Maybe spying for Union is not terrible, depending on approach, but I would still not do it.

Beriand wrote: Mon Jul 18, 2022 5:42 pm

OldCrowBalthazor wrote: Mon Jul 18, 2022 3:10 am I also highly recommend S&I for the CSA though they are capped at 2800 MMP.
The real hard choice comes whether to continue or not with S&I (as CSA) when the first research techs you chose finish and you find out that you may have to either double down on another tech or get into a new one because of circumstances.
On the whole though, S&I is so important and a top tier choice in my opinion.

Why would it be important? For CSA it seems trash to me, given tech constraints. It is not like we are for four years researching 5 level of tanks, fighters, strategic bombers, long range, anti-aircrafts, submarines... For most of the techs, there are 1-2 levels to be had, and only real 'race' would be infantry equipment, but additional investment in spying does not help there.

Union invest in research for bit longer than CSA, even something into 1863, but still not that much and without a feel of urgency, hm. Maybe spying for Union is not terrible, depending on approach, but I would still not do it.

Read my attachment because the North will be researching at 18%+. It accelerates the whole process. There are several important researches that go to level 3-5 you're telling me they are done by '63 ? Maybe because you never invested in S&I.

PvtBenjamin wrote: Mon Jul 18, 2022 9:29 pm There are several important researches that go to level 3-5 you're telling me they are done by '63 ?

Which ones, aside from Industrial?

Corp Organization - 4
Field Telegraph - 3
Infantry Tactics - 3
Leadership - 3 (North, CSA starts lv 1)
Cavalry Tactics - 3 (North)
Logistics - 5 (south)
Prod Tech - 5

Again one of the most important aspects of S&I is making sure your opponent doesn't research faster. Doesn't seem to me that the South has enough MPP to invest in Naval, probably irrelevant to both sides. I wouldn't argue 2 chits on S&! up to level 5 but initially IMO it makes sense.