Engineer vs Scientist Balance

[Mick]

The choice was easy in Enemy Unknown/Within. Scientists were a noob trap and engineers were a high priority.

Do you believe that XCOM2 will make the balance between these better, or will engineers still dominate?

[Martin]

I think in early game we'll have to choose engineers to bolster workshops and clear out areas etc. But, that said, a little faster research isn't a bad idea either.. of course that's balanced by having to need to have the materials to actually make what you researched which in part is what you need the engineers for..

[Tamiore]

Originally posted by Mick:

The choice was easy in Enemy Unknown/Within. Scientists were a noob trap and engineers were a high priority.

Do you believe that XCOM2 will make the balance between these better, or will engineers still dominate?

From the looks of it engineers are still preferable in most situations, just for different reasons this time.
That being said, scientists are still very good — at least the first several that will increase your research speed several-fold.

[TradeGy]

Engineers seem to be a priority early game to speed up cleaning, construction and cut down build times but I think Scientists will be quite importent to close the technology gap, especially on Legendary.

[Rox]

I don't even seem to recall actually seeing scientists in the preview videos. I think Tygan just has a team of researchers and you can assign an engineer to the research to speed it up?

Don't count me on that, I'm entirely uncertain.

[asd]

Originally posted by Rollout:

I don't even seem to recall actually seeing scientists in the preview videos. I think Tygan just has a team of researchers and you can assign an engineer to the research to speed it up?

Don't count me on that, I'm entirely uncertain.

I don't think you can assign your research staff anywhere unfortunately, they just give a passive bonus. Seeing how well the engineers are reworked, it just seems a waste to leave scientists the same way they were in EU/EW. Each scientist gives a bonus to the research speed. I think it works like this: first scientist +50% reasearch speed, 2st scientist +33%, 3rd scientist +25% and so on

[Martin]

I'm sure on one of the previews someone said you need a scientist to speed up the medical bay to heal soldiers faster, so there may well be other benefits they can have as well.

[gimmethegepgun]

Originally posted by Martin:

I'm sure on one of the previews someone said you need a scientist to speed up the medical bay to heal soldiers faster, so there may well be other benefits they can have as well.

No, that's engineer.
Scientists are staffed in the Laboratory though. Obviously doing so will make research faster, but I don't know the specifics. It probably doubles the effectiveness of the staffed scientists or something.

[Lathrim]

Originally posted by Martin:

I'm sure on one of the previews someone said you need a scientist to speed up the medical bay to heal soldiers faster, so there may well be other benefits they can have as well.

Yeah, I'm fairly certain Engineers are the ones you staff on your medical bay. Scientists are used specifically for, well, research buildings. The Laboratory is the only one I know of so far.

[Martin]

Hmm.. Medical Professionals are usually more scientist than they are engineers.. but ok. We'll know for sure in a week or so.

[gimmethegepgun]

Originally posted by Martin:

Hmm.. Medical Professionals are usually more scientist than they are engineers.. but ok. We'll know for sure in a week or so.

We know it for sure for the preview builds. It uses an engineer.

[Woodchuck Norris]

You need Engineers just to operate some of your rooms, so they're clearly going to be very necessary, but depending on the difficulty level, if you're not using scientists to boost your research you may find yourself outpaced as Advent and the Alien troops get bigger and tougher faster than your offensive capability goes up.

[Martin]

This new gameplay model of scampering around taking over areas etc.. sounds like hype/fear mongering.. I think the game pace will probably be around the same as EU/EW.

[Lathrim]

Originally posted by Martin:

Hmm.. Medical Professionals are usually more scientist than they are engineers.. but ok. We'll know for sure in a week or so.

I'm not entirely sure I agree with that specifically in the XCOM 2 setting, where high-end technology is most prominent, I find it far more likely that machinery is used to treat operatives (that would therefore require maintenance, which is why one would staff an engineer) than a scientist being useful in a healing environment. There's a reason why a medic isn't considered a scientist-- they do different things, even in the medical side of science. One develops compounds that cure or treat conditions and the other makes practical use of that composite in order to save and improve lives.

Edit: with that said, unless it's explicit that some sort of machine does all the work in the medical bay, I don't like that engineers are used to speed up recovery times. Neither them nor scientists would fit.

[Martin]

Whilst an engineer might operate machinery.. or maybe say an xray machine type system, usually medical types are more like scientists, ie they have everything but engineering backgrounds.. there isn't actually very much difference between an engineer and a scientist.. there's probably more of a difference between a medic and either or. I just tend to think of Doctors not just being Medical Doctors, But Science Degree Doctors. ie a Doc of Art.. hehe. or a Doctor of Religious studies..

[Mick]

Originally posted by Martin:

.. sounds like hype/fear mongering..

Wut?