How to do research?

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All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> Distant Worlds 1 Series >> How to do research?

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How to do research? - 8/2/2010 4:54:51 PM

XoX

Posts: 18
Joined: 4/5/2010
Status: offline

In a weekend of bordom I decided to check to see if there'd been any updates to the game and downloaded the latest patch and gave it a go.
Wow, seems to be a big improvment so far. The enemy empires are actually a challenge, colonising far and wide and...wow. I got into a war with one and before I knew it they were sending cruisers against me whilst I was sitll stuck with destroyers. I was being offered to buy tech all the time.
Previously I've ignored research in this game. It just didn't seem too interactive like in typical strategy games. Very much leave it to itself, build a few research stations to help, and ignore it.
But...I'm missing something.
How do you 'do' research? Is there a way to change what is being researched? Is the research screen good for anything other than those crash course researches?

Also, a minor question- where exactly should research bases be built at black holes and novas? Build them too close and they get suckd in/destroyed I've noticed (can't remember that in previous versions! Makes sense though) but...at other times they don't recognise as being 'at' the hole/nova. With black holes this doesn't seem so bad. Build it just outside the visible area. But novas?

Post #: 1

RE: How to do research? - 8/2/2010 5:57:58 PM

Florestan

Posts: 227
Joined: 6/5/2010
From: Montpellier, France
Status: offline

You don't have much control about what is being researched. Just build enough research labs (whatever state base they may be built in), and you will research. The different research lab get you research points in the corresponding area. These are then randomly added to one of its subsection. The thing is each empire has a maximum number of research point he can use, depending on its race, government type and population (the more the better). All points produced over this limit will be lost. This potential is shown in the top left corner of the research screen. The "maximum potential" under the stations list is the potential of your stations.
But this is all explained in the galactopedia!
Building around a black hole is not that complex. to get the bonus, you have to build the complex in the "system". The system is delimited by the circle when you are zoomed out, and by grey markings when zoomed in, if you have no ship in the sector. If you have a ship there, unfortunately, the limit will not be shown. When zoomed in, clicking on the black hole will let you see its limit. Simply build the research or/and resort station in the grey zone. Click far away that your construction ship does not accidentally jump to near, and it should be ok.

(in reply to XoX)

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RE: How to do research? - 8/2/2010 6:57:31 PM

lordxorn

Posts: 768
Joined: 12/6/2009
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Research can only be focused on in the area you want to speed up.

As far as Black Hole research I posted a Micro AAR with picture on where to build a research post next to one of them hungry beast.
http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=2414784

In that picture I was really extreme and placed it right on the edge of the point where your base would get sucked in. I believe when you have a constructor selected then click the BH, it should show a shaded area where it is safe to build and still receive the research bonus.

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Distant Worlds Star Wars Mod

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RE: How to do research? - 8/3/2010 5:43:14 PM

XoX

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Joined: 4/5/2010
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hmm, weird that the ai always seems to be so far ahead of me though. Do they do the civ 4 thing and trade techs like crazy?

(in reply to lordxorn)

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RE: How to do research? - 8/3/2010 6:43:41 PM

lordxorn

Posts: 768
Joined: 12/6/2009
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I believe that is the major cause of AI leaping ahead of you, ways you can leap ahead are to find them in Ruins by exploring like crazy, trade yourself, and discover the ancient battleground and dismantle the ships at your shipyards.

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Post #: 5

RE: How to do research? - 8/3/2010 7:03:17 PM

shinobu

Posts: 214
Joined: 12/12/2009
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As lordxorn said, look for those derelict ships! That's where I always make significant advances in research. Put two or three construction vessels in there to repair those ships, then send them off to be retired at the nearest shipyard(s). I've noticed after the last update, it seems to me there are less debris fields in the games now, so they are even more important!

< Message edited by shinobu -- 8/3/2010 7:04:07 PM >

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RE: How to do research? - 8/3/2010 8:38:22 PM

XoX

Posts: 18
Joined: 4/5/2010
Status: offline

Hmm, with those derelict ships I more often use most of them- unbeatable force, especially with the devestator. I just recycle the destroyers and the troop transport.

Those debris fields annoy me though. The AI always seems to show up at the same time as you and you can't tell them to just go away <_<

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Post #: 7

RE: How to do research? - 8/3/2010 8:48:14 PM

Justascratch

Posts: 321
Joined: 2/7/2006
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Another option is to concentrate on your economy as much as you can. Really search out and mine all the luxury goods you can find. Once you have a good cash machine operating you can spend money to concentrate research in specific areas. Go down the list and look for the cheap ones. Soon you will have plenty of tech's that you can trade with other empires for additional techs.

As far as labs are concerned, find a neutron star well behind your lines. Design a small lab with double the number of labs as the default stations, strip off the shileds (all but one or two & the same for waepons). Two or three of these usually provide more research capability than your population can handle. Combined with the economic model above, even the most passive race can become a powerful empire in the early statges of the game.

And I agree will the other's who say to get out there and search. Build am exploration ship with twice the range of the default ship and always keep four or five of them scouting

(in reply to XoX)

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RE: How to do research? - 8/10/2010 2:01:08 PM

Roller

Posts: 14
Joined: 5/15/2010
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There is another thing that hasn't been mentioned yet. Not only can you concentrate on specific component research by "buying" faster research of that component, but you can also concentrate your whole research effort into one area by building the right science station. So if you desperately want new weapons, and don't want spend massively, build a station with enough labs in weapons tech to cover your whole max potential. Then tear down all the other science stations/labs. Then you have only weapons research going on, with your whole potential! It won't give you a specific weapon type as fast as possible, but it's faster than the usual way and more cost effective than buying it, because science stations aren't that expensive if you don't cannon them up. You can easily affort to tear them down and rebuild them as it suits your purpose.

In other words, the ratio of research labs (max points) determines the ratio where the points are spent (output). You can fully steer research output this way.

< Message edited by Roller -- 8/10/2010 2:15:20 PM >

(in reply to Justascratch)

Post #: 9