Question about Research Levels

[wenslydail]

Genuine Question. Who has actually managed to create a Monolith?
I have finished at least one game on every available map and am sitting on about 30 hours in the game and have only once even reached 1400 pop to unlock that tier. I've never built a monolith because in that game it was so close to the end that the training didn't finish in time.

It is such a huge leap from 900 to 1400 that I've only managed it once so far, and then I wasn't able to create a monolith before the end of the game. Even getting there involved building a literal field of life support and habs. I think that 1400 and 1900 for the final tier is just too high. Or is there a mechanic I am missing? Do research points lower the pop threshold?

So I am curious how others feel, and above that, how many people have reached the last 2 tiers of research.

[Rithrin]

I just finished whatever the third option is for game length on Seth 148 (desert map) on Survivor. I did get to the second-to-last tier of research right before the second-to-last wave, but I never managed to make it to the last tier. I could have if I tried, but all of my resources needed to go to shoring up defenses for the final wave and I was already producing something like 1,000 effort per cycle so the additional pop was not needed. I did build a heck of a lot of Slipstream aircraft, though, once they were available.

That said, I was playing the Physicist (Science guy), and a few levels into the game I picked up the Dusty Blueprints perk which unlocks the Monolith lol, so I did actually build about 6 of them total that game (the Isotope requirement kinda shuts them out most of the game anyway, though...).

So, the final two unit unlocks really are powerful, the Slipstreams mop up hordes of enemies in groups of 5 or 6, perfect for taking out the Breeders mid-wave with no risk, and the Monoliths actually take out Biters in one shot (with splash!). However, it's true you probably won't see them in most games. I made a comment on research requirements in another recent thread, but basically I think the requirements were made with the idea of playing Epic and Endless games.

[Trien]

technically the research should be balanced for each difficulty level, or at least lessed for the short ones. Otherwise it's a straight rush IMO

[Heartbreakhero]

Monoliths are easy to get in longer maps, but you need to rush the research to get them on short ones. Physicist makes it easier to get also if you really wanna rush it.

[Klingenmeister]

Monoliths are massivly overrated in the current game settings. They have way more damage per shot than any enemy type has health exept one type and that one doesnt spawn on all maps.
Their charge up time also makes them very difficult to use in most settings beside standing on a defensive position like a turret with legs. I only build them in the valley map and I question their usefulness. Monoliths should be like the titans in TAB, being able to clear areas without support from other units. In their current form they have to be babysitted at all times or they get swarmed and die.

(actually I never used a charge up weapon in any game in my life and said "wow this weapon / unit is so much fun)

Originally posted by wenslydail:

It is such a huge leap from 900 to 1400 that I've only managed it once so far

On what day do you have 900-1400?

[wenslydail]

Originally posted by Klingenmeister:

Monoliths are massivly overrated in the current game settings. They have way more damage per shot than any enemy type has health exept one type and that one doesnt spawn on all maps.
Their charge up time also makes them very difficult to use in most settings beside standing on a defensive position like a turret with legs. I only build them in the valley map and I question their usefulness. Monoliths should be like the titans in TAB, being able to clear areas without support from other units. In their current form they have to be babysitted at all times or they get swarmed and die.

(actually I never used a charge up weapon in any game in my life and said "wow this weapon / unit is so much fun)

Originally posted by wenslydail:

It is such a huge leap from 900 to 1400 that I've only managed it once so far

On what day do you have 900-1400?

I think the numbers were changed in one of the updates. I have been mostly playing other games lately. Waiting for a bigger update for this game to hop back in. So the numbers may be different now. This post is a few months old now after all.

[Klingenmeister]

Originally posted by wenslydail:

This post is a few months old now after all.

Damn, right, i got tricked by a threadnecro again, sorry :D