Veteran players, what is good setting for tech/tradition?

[Fartikus]

For people who like really long, long 4x gameplay, what do you set your tech/tradition cost to? Do you leave it at 1x? Buff it for super slow tech progression? Speed it up so that you can actually get to megastructures in a lifetime? What do you generally prefer?

[Mistfox]

Leave it at one, adjust your crisis times (this one is more important than tech, no point going low tech when an endgame crisis runs you over).

[Shinzor]

Originally posted by Mistfox:

Leave it at one, adjust your crisis times (this one is more important than tech, no point going low tech when an endgame crisis runs you over).

I would agree but add crisis difficulty as well if you don't want to just stomp them, I always go for the long RP game its why I love it

[Belhedler]

Quite simple: the lower this setting is the more the research advantage is reduced. Having this settings at 0.25 litteraly kills any strategy based on research power. If you don't care for that, you can take any settings. Also take note that ships upgrades are now frickingly expensive so going to low on this settings could prove to deplete your economy.

[Fartikus]

they fixed the ship upgrade costs in the latest beta branch release

[vkobe]

prepare a plan to see what do you want and try to follow this path :^)

[Crim]

Originally posted by Belhedler:

Quite simple: the lower this setting is the more the research advantage is reduced. Having this settings at 0.25 litteraly kills any strategy based on research power. If you don't care for that, you can take any settings. Also take note that ships upgrades are now frickingly expensive so going to low on this settings could prove to deplete your economy.

I disagree and believe its the opposite

Reducing amount of Research produced makes Research produced even more important

AI is not really going to adjust the need for more Research, but you're able to
Which means that while before having a 20-40% Research advantage meant to could be quite a bit ahead, but its pointless to go much further than that because you will just hit the end wall too fast.

With Research drastically reduced, you can easily exploit your economy to 2-3x more research, and have a massive distinct advantage for a greater period of time without worrying about hitting the repeatable wall

[Belhedler]

No, the problem is not here. Have you even played at 0.25 before? At least until 2.2, that's what happens: all empires will be at the same tech level even the ones who bargained going science nexus very early will get close to no advance (that's me btw - expert in science nexus rush)

[Ryika]

The smaller the tech modifier, the more pronounced the differences. Why? Because math. If a player has twice as much science as another player, then...

...when that player only researches a tech every 10 turns, then after 100 turns, that player will have 10 techs, while the other player will have 5 - an advantage of 5 technologies.

...but when that player researches a tech every 5 turns, then after 100 turns that player will have 20 techs, while the other player will have 10 - an advantage of 10 technologies.

Therefor, the faster technologies are researched, the more influence different science rates have - until the point when repeatable costs get out of control that is.

[Belhedler]

OK now I'm explaining why maths are wrong: your building time, or to be exact your upgrading time, is not able to follow at all your tech level. That was at least the issue pre 2.2. I haven't checked what it does in 2.2. If anyone can enlighten us, please feel free.

[Crim]

It's the same that applies to Civ
Quick games on Civ, if you messed up on massive teching in a quick game, you could easily pivot and not lose a ton of ground.

If you're in Epic Mode and someone brings out an Muskets or GWI while you're still in Pikes, you're done, there is nothing you can do in enough time to come back.

[Ryika]

Originally posted by Belhedler:

OK now I'm explaining why maths are wrong: your building time, or to be exact your upgrading time, is not able to follow at all your tech level.

Well, you're not explaining why the math is wrong (it's not), you're just pointing out the limitations of a super-high tech acquisition rate - the fact that your empire development can't keep up with the stuff you're unlocking. That's a fair note to make of course, but it doesn't change the fact that higher tech acquisition rates translate into bigger tech level gaps.

The question of how well this tech level gap translates into actual, material benefits certainly merits its own discussion, but that wasn't the point of my post.

[Belhedler]

How do you get this tech level gap? By upgrading labs. How do you upgrade labs? By piling upgrade labs orders. Until 2.2 that was the main issue. As far as maths were correct they did not apply completely. I'd like to know if that has changed with 2.2 though.

[Ryika]

No, with reduced tech research modifier you got the tech level gap the same way you still get the tech level gap now, by stacking research % modifiers.

[Maht]

If you're playing as something that has high research, then slow it down a bit.

If you're playing as something that has low research, speed it up.