not understanding research & technology

[cpbeller]

I am understanding the game more and more, as i play it....but one thing i cannot figure out is how tech and research works.....does anyone know the concept and how to do research???

p.s. I really do like this game....i didn't go into playing it with any preconceived ideas, as i never played MoO2, but only very briefly....just got some questions concerning how different things work, and this is the most prominent now....

Thanks

(after i posted this, i realized i didn't say what i understood about research...here goes:

what i do understand is that i have got to research a "level" of a school of technology, right? after i reach a level, my empire begins to research a particular tech, right? After that tech is researched, it moves onto something else, right?

My question(s) are:

Can I manually direct for a particular tech or tech level, or is it generally set by the research school funding sliders?

Also, are my scientists trying to discover many techs, or just one tech? or just one tech per tech school?

These are the things i am not seeming to get yet, any help would be appreciated....thanks

[canamrock]

Here's the best way to look at it, IMO...

In MOO2, you had a choice of various technologies for a group, and everyone but Psilons got to pick one of those. The key here was that you, as the player, was mostly in charge of this decision.

In MOO3, the technologies you gain are chosen with some bit of randomness to it. The scientists work in a semi-linear manner, working for all available technologies in each field. This means that the entire technology process is mostly transparent. All you, as the player, need to worry about is research focus and those holes which trade will need to fill.

If you notice, late game trade choices will often be flooded with obsolete technologies. That's why.