Quick research questions:

[Nax]

1) Can you naturally research more than one tech a turn? Naturally = not AA or bonus techs

2) How is the research bonus calculated? Does +5 research modify your research output by *1.5 or the tech costs by -.50%?

[Mr. President]

You cannot research more than one technology per turn.

I believe the bonus is +/- 10% accumulation rate for each unit of research rating above or below neutral.

[Sikander]

You cannot research more than one tech at a time, but you can research more than one per turn. Research is calculated base by base, with any excess labs production from the base that pushes you over the line for a tech being lost. However you are prompted to make another tech selection, and the next base's labs count toward the new tech. Theoretically you could research as many techs as you have bases in one turn, assuming each base produced enough labs alone to pay for a tech a turn.

The bonus to tech is just like the bonus for industry, in that it reduces the tech cost by a "row" for each bonus to research, up to a maximum of 5. These are equivalent to reductions of 10% each from the base cost.

[Mongoose]

On tech...both! a delta to the tech cost equal to 10% *(- RESEARCH) and a delta to your labs production equal to 10% * RESEARCH.

At +5 RESEARCH, your cost is cut in half and your output is increased by 50%.

[CEO Aaron]

Originally posted by Mongoose
On tech...both! a delta to the tech cost equal to 10% *(- RESEARCH) and a delta to your labs production equal to 10% * RESEARCH.

At +5 RESEARCH, your cost is cut in half and your output is increased by 50%.

This is news to me. I'm examining the appendices in the SMAC manual, and from what the documentation says, changes in research are only reflected in increased or reduced research cost, not in lab output.

[Mongoose]

Check the bases panel in F2...you will see two values for a faction with RESEARCH attribute of non-zero. One is the basic value, the other is after adjustment for the RESEARCH modifier. Total F2 lab production diplayed is the sum of the modified values.

[Sikander]

Originally posted by Mongoose
Check the bases panel in F2...you will see two values for a faction with RESEARCH attribute of non-zero. One is the basic value, the other is after adjustment for the RESEARCH modifier. Total F2 lab production diplayed is the sum of the modified values.

I'll check this out tonight when I get home. It's certainly news to me. It makes knowledge a much stronger SE choice than I thought.

[CEO Aaron]

Nope, I just checked, and it seems that the tech cost does not change based on your Research rating, only the number of effective tech points per turn. So in fact, when the manual says you get +10% to your tech rate for every point in your research rating, it means just that.

[Nax]

Ok, that begs another question:

What order does it check the bases in when accumulates research points?

[Mongoose]

CEO, how did you check that? I doubt that an SE change would effect the cost of the current research goal, just as acquiring a tech does not. In the latter case, the effect is delayed until the next goal is selected. I suspect it will be the same way with RESEARCH level.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Originally posted by Nax
Ok, that begs another question:

What order does it check the bases in when accumulates research points?

Normally order of bases founded. So typically unless you rebuild your HQ base. Its HQ first and then through all subsequently created bases.

It pays to remember the order because if yo build a Super Scinece City with all the lab enhancing SPs as well as all facs. You can waste a huge number of lab points. For instance if all you need is 100 lab points to complete a tech and your SSC is at your HQ (1st base) and it contributes 1000 labs, you lose 900 labs as the routine will drop the remaining labs once the tech is achieved. The other bases you have will of course contribute their labs but losing 900 labs point from a SSC is still a b_tch.