Research, how does it work?

[Spec]

This is the way I understand it. The more peeps I have in my empire the more research points I get everyturn. Is that right?

Spec.

[Ethelred]

No, not directly anyway. Its not the people, its the commerce. True the more people you have the more tiles with commerce you will be able to work. However if you have all of them working tiles with no comerce you won't have any money for research at all.

In general more people means more commerce but if you use them badly they won't help. Roads add one unit of commerce per tile worked. Some tiles have commerce bonuses like gold or whales. Plus of course some buildings increase either comerce or multiply the research.

Government type effects commerce as well so thats an important consideration.

[Spec]

Then why do scientists give 1 research points each? You have to have a research points per turn somewhere? So that means that corruption affects research a whole lot?

Spec.

[Ethelred]

Then why do scientists give 1 research points each?

Because Firaxis in its infinite wisdom decided to make specialists nearly worthless. A pop point working a tile with two commerce can produce four flasks not a mere one if the science is set to 50% and you have the marketplace and bank and the library and university.

I have found that a scientist is usefull when anarchy sets in. The specialist continue to put out their one flask each which can make a difference. The rest of the time an entertainer can be far more usefull.

You have to have a research points per turn somewhere?

Well yes you do. Thats what the science slider in the Domestic Moron Screen is for. It sets the percentage of money you spend on science. Per turn.

So that means that corruption affects research a whole lot?

Since it affects commerce yes it can effect research a lot. It comes before the building mulitpliers on top of it so one wasted coin of commerce can loose several flasks. Which is why a Courthouse can help a bit even if you only save one unit of commerce.

[Tarquinius]

it works like this:
Every city you own 'produces' at least one commerce, from its own square. Most cities produce more of course, because its citizens are working on tiles with a road, a river or/and a special resource.
All your cities together collect a certain amount of commerce.
Then you can choose hom much of this commerce you want to use for tax, luxuries and science

An example to make clarify this:
Suppose all your cities together produce 100 commerce.
If you use 50% from this for science, and 50% as tax, you would gain 50 'lightbulbs' (you can see them in your city screen)
The more lightbulbs you have, the quicker research will go.
You can boost your amount of lightbulbs by building libraries and universities, by transforming some of your citizens in scientists, wich produce one lightbulb each or by raising your civilizations science rate.

But before you can use these 100 commerce, corruption comes into play. If 50 of your 100 commerce points are corrupted, you only have 50 commerce points to devote to science, tax and luxuries.

You probably noticed some techs go faster than others; not all techs cost the same. But still: the more lightbulbs, the faster science will go (unless you reach the absolute minimum of turns, which is 4 turns if you haven't edited it)

[Carver]

For a full explaination look at regoarrarr's thread "How science works and why there is a 4 turn cap" thread on the main strategy page.

Thanks regoarrarr.