Anomalies: Now or Later?

[Fellow Traveler]

When exploring do you prefer researching anomalies as they come up, or saving them for later?

If you save them for later you can survey systems faster, and ensure the right (i.e. 0% failure) scientist comes back for the anomaly.

But you also don't get the bonuses as early, and you risk it getting sniped by another empire.

A third option could be to have a high level scientist trail behind your surveyors to complete anomalies.

Edit: Extra credit question, 2 or 3 science ships? Or more?

[Ваня]

I prefer to go by fail risk rather than time. In general I will only do an anomaly if the fail risk is <30%. So depending on how I have my species, traditions and whatnot setup I will either be able to do a lot of them early as they come up or be forced to wait.

[mcsproot]

I always do them with 0% fail risk.

Because as we all know, when the game claims it's 10% fail chance, it's actually 99.99999999999999999999999999999999999999999% fail chance.

[Ваня]

Originally posted by mcsproot:

I always do them with 0% fail risk.

Because as we all know, when the game claims it's 10% fail chance, it's actually 99.99999999999999999999999999999999999999999% fail chance.

Come on now, this isn't quite CIV IV.

But I feel ya. Had plenty of 10%-ers fail and blow up my science ship and officer.

[mcsproot]

Originally posted by Ваня:

Originally posted by mcsproot:

I always do them with 0% fail risk.

Because as we all know, when the game claims it's 10% fail chance, it's actually 99.99999999999999999999999999999999999999999% fail chance.

Come on now, this isn't quite CIV IV.

But I feel ya. Had plenty of 10%-ers fail and blow up my science ship and officer.

What annoys me more is the Special Projects that can fail, where it's pure random.

I've helped the Infinity Machine 10 times now, and gotten the OK ending 7 times and the bad ending 3 times, not seen the good ending.

[ExavierMacbeth]

I usually leave them for later. Once you "discover" them they seem to belong to your empire regardless of what the AI does so I will usually use Assist Research on planet until I have a 5 star scientist (or the anomoly hits 0% fail) and then do them in batches.

Since you only seem to get the anomolies if your the first to scan the location this usually lets me scan a larger area before the AI science vessels can swarm through areas I can reach easily.

[mcsproot]

Speaking of, I notice the Archaeologist trait doesn't reduce fail chance, but 'reduces fail risk'.

I assume that means that each fail has a 'you didn't get anything good' and a 'you scientist dies' fail, and Archaeologist makes a 'good' fail more likely?

[Fellow Traveler]

Originally posted by Ваня:

Originally posted by mcsproot:

I always do them with 0% fail risk.

Because as we all know, when the game claims it's 10% fail chance, it's actually 99.99999999999999999999999999999999999999999% fail chance.

Come on now, this isn't quite CIV IV.

But I feel ya. Had plenty of 10%-ers fail and blow up my science ship and officer.

Right? I thought of this after losing a scientist in just such a manner. My species is venerable so I really want to keep my leaders safe so they grow up big and strong,

Originally posted by ExavierMacbeth:

I usually leave them for later. Once you "discover" them they seem to belong to your empire regardless of what the AI does so I will usually use Assist Research on planet until I have a 5 star scientist (or the anomoly hits 0% fail) and then do them in batches.

Since you only seem to get the anomolies if your the first to scan the location this usually lets me scan a larger area before the AI science vessels can swarm through areas I can reach easily.

Now that's a great tip. Really good to know I don't have to worry about that.

[Emperor Cheesius Secundus]

Originally posted by clock code:

When exploring do you prefer researching anomalies as they come up, or saving them for later?

If you save them for later you can survey systems faster, and ensure the right (i.e. 0% failure) scientist comes back for the anomaly.

But you also don't get the bonuses as early, and you risk it getting sniped by another empire.

A third option could be to have a high level scientist trail behind your surveyors to complete anomalies.

Edit: Extra credit question, 2 or 3 science ships? Or more?

I really go by risk like the other guy. If it is more than 10-20%, i try to get someone else or come back later (or just switch out my surveyour temporarily with one of my head scientists for a few weeks to research it. then i replace him/her with the origional guy and move on.) Extra question answer: 2 if you don't have auto-survey, 3 if you do. After 2 it becomes a royal pain to micro-manage the surveying.

[Ваня]

I go for 2-4 science ships depending on circumstance.

[Isokon]

Originally posted by mcsproot:

Speaking of, I notice the Archaeologist trait doesn't reduce fail chance, but 'reduces fail risk'.

I assume that means that each fail has a 'you didn't get anything good' and a 'you scientist dies' fail, and Archaeologist makes a 'good' fail more likely?

I think archaeologist just affects your fail chance on certain anomalies. Those that deal with ancient civilizations or the like specifically.

[Exarch_Alpha]

That depends on galaxy setup.

If you put less enemy empires then Discovery traditions, and eventually 3 science ships instead of the standard two, is viable. Even better if you use the quick learner trait. You wlill get 3 elite scientists faster, that discover more anomalies (due to Discovery bonus to find them).

Then, once you have skill 4-5, you research all anomalies.

Even if you use standard AI number Discovery is viable, as long as you use Assist Research.

Finally - yes it does seem that if you find the anomaly the AI can´t find and use it. The AI itself certainly does find anomalies as they often have raiders, derelict cruisers in their fleet, as well as several planets with special modifiers in them.

[HugsAndSnuggles]

Originally posted by clock code:

When exploring do you prefer researching anomalies as they come up, or saving them for later?

Unless it's in habittable planet I plan on colonizing - definitely later. Much later... that is if I bother with them at all. Early on I need to build mines, not replace science ships.

Originally posted by clock code:

But you also don't get the bonuses as early, and you risk it getting sniped by another empire.

Doesn't work that way. Every empire has a chance of getting anomaly when scan something within their borders or unclaimed space. Only they can 'use' it.

Originally posted by Isokon:

Originally posted by mcsproot:

Speaking of, I notice the Archaeologist trait doesn't reduce fail chance, but 'reduces fail risk'.

I assume that means that each fail has a 'you didn't get anything good' and a 'you scientist dies' fail, and Archaeologist makes a 'good' fail more likely?

I think archaeologist just affects your fail chance on certain anomalies. Those that deal with ancient civilizations or the like specifically.

Exactly. Even if place 'begs for archeological work', does not mean that trait applies.

[nDervish]

Immediate if it's 0% fail, otherwise leave it until someone with 0% fail can come look at it.

Two science ships to start, eventually moving up to four. I would run more, even, but they eat up too much leader cap, since they can't do anything useful at all without a named scientist on board.

And I use a mod that makes the auto-survey function available at game start, but I still prefer to control them manually until I have a good radius around my homeworld scouted, simply because auto-survey seems to like ignoring adjacent unsurveyed systems in favor of checking out one that's on the far side of the galaxy.

[Yow!]

10% risk is a very good success chance.

4 science ships asap. You want your surroundings scouted very quickly, so you know where to build FOs and colonize. And 2 extra ships to look for other empires for the extra influence.

I easily reach 6 or more because of discovery traditions.

[Shahadem]

Originally posted by mcsproot:

Originally posted by Ваня:

Come on now, this isn't quite CIV IV.

But I feel ya. Had plenty of 10%-ers fail and blow up my science ship and officer.

What annoys me more is the Special Projects that can fail, where it's pure random.

I've helped the Infinity Machine 10 times now, and gotten the OK ending 7 times and the bad ending 3 times, not seen the good ending.

It has a super low chance of success. You have to save and reload before you talk to the Infinity Machine the first time.