alien artifact

[DeathByTheSword]

we have an alien artifact in NA.....what are we going to do with it?......we can use it for a SP or for an tech in NA! dicuss away please!

i say use it for CDF in NS we need it before zak gets it

[Drogue]

Isn't New Suez one turn away anyway? Or were you talking about after building the PTS? If the latter, then wouldn't New Apolyton be a better bet for building the CDF? And since NA can build so fast at then moment, we don't really need the AA to help it. We have plenty of Credits to hurry it if it's really needed aswell.

I say use it for a Tech. I think it's far more valuble to keep ahead technolocially (and so build future SPs earlier) and I think we can get the CDF anyway.

[Aaron Blackwell]

I agree with drogue.

We should keep it for later use and preferably for an additional tech.

I say we should wait until it can help us acquire a key technology that is likely to come available in a near future.

[Drogue]

Interesting idea. Personally I would use it now (help now means the future techs come quicker too) but there's a lot to be said for waiting until it's actually needed.

[Method]

if we have a node (which i *think* we do) use it for a tech. right now, i don't think we need it for an SP, what with our crawled rocky minerals

[Aaron Blackwell]

Using it right now can usefull.

But just bear one thing in mind:

The more tech we acquire, the more expensive future tech become.

Which means that if we treasure our Alien artifacts and use them a bit latter, though they will provide us the same number of techs, the combined sum of research points of these tech will actually be greater.

[Earwicker]

Exactly! Save it and link to a network node later! Its value in terms of labs points will be greater the longer we wait.

Also, if we link it now there's a greater chance of receiving a tech that one of our neighbors already has. Why use an AA to get a tech when we could steal it from Yang? Instead, when we have achieved tech parity with all the other factions, the AA can push us into the lead!

[Pandemoniak]

Its value in terms of labs points will be greater the longer we wait.

Thats right, but thats useless. Later techs are more expensive, but they are usually researched faster, since we'll have a far better infrastructure. If we use it for tech, let's do it ASAP. If we use for SP, then we can save it for later, though its better IMHO to use it soon for SP

[Aaron Blackwell]

Tech are only researched faster when lab ehancement discoveries are made.

For the moment, we don't have that much of that kind of discoveries IMHO.

Later techs are more expensive, but they are usually researched faster, since we'll have a far better infrastructure.

That only stands true at the end stage of the game ( where we clearly are NOT).
Getting those tech to have insane research take quite some time

We should wait until we get some problems to raise our research outbreak rate or if a key tech become available to get it faster IMHO.

[Pandemoniak]

Tech are only researched faster when lab ehancement discoveries are made

Indeed. So thats why its useless to keep AA for too late, lets use it now to be able to build good lab enhancements.

[Method]

Originally posted by Aaron Blackwell
That only stands true at the end stage of the game ( where we clearly are NOT).

it's not uncommon to see a research rate of 4 turns around 2200 (assuming free market of course)

[Earwicker]

Originally posted by Pandemoniak
Indeed. So thats why its useless to keep AA for too late, lets use it now to be able to build good lab enhancements.

Not too late - when we're cranking through research to begin with. But right now we can go to other human factions to get the techs already discovered - let's use the AA to receive a tech no one will have but us! It won't be long before no other faction has something we want.

[Pandemoniak]

Also be sure it doesnt bring us a tech we could have trade.

[Kirov]

It would work best to consider using AA every time we make a breakthru.