Research Subsidies edict - Is it worth the cost?

[cbdeakin]

I think this edict would better with a 1:1 ratio between energy and base rate of researchers.

So, each researcher costs 1 additional energy, but generates 1 additional science.

That would restore the effectiveness of researchers to how they used to be a few patches ago (but at additional cost), when the base rate of researchers was 4, instead of 3.

[cbdeakin]

It's an edict I rarely use, you might use it if you have a limited number of researcher pops.

[flame from Halo]

I favor technological advantages in Stellaris, since the difference in 1 tech can mean the difference in crush an enemy in war/suffering substantial casualties or having a significant boost in production I value it more than most other resources.

10% researcher bonus may not seem like much but I believe that applies to the raw science resources output, which stacks multiplicatively with the massive tech/leader bonuses you get on the research itself. The cost is also cheap when you consider that early/mid-game people rarely have more than 2 edicts active at once, with energy being the cheapest resource in the game(arguably with food or in some cases minerals) the only real upkeep is the unity.

I am a bit bias though, since my favorite play style rushes Discovery Tradition with Technological Ascendancy as some degree of Materialist.

[cbdeakin]

Unfortunately it's just 10% researcher output, according to the wiki site.

I agree with you on getting the Discovery path done, then selecting Technological Ascension, it's a strong start.

I might choose the Materialist ethic to unlock the Technocracy civic, but science directors aren't that great anymore, their base science rate is just 4. The output is better on politicians (who give a decent amount of unity), so it depends how much a player wants to focus on just raw science research.

[flame from Halo]

10% to researchers, but that affects the raw output so a scientist providing 10 of each science will give 11 raw Phys/Soc/Eng, which then gets mutliplied by techs like '+10% engineering research bonus' or leader bonuses to 12.1. It doesn't sound like much but a few techs/leader traits with dozens of scientists it adds up month after month, year after year, over a hundred or more years. By that time each small well chosen tech helps snowball that much more.

Unity isn't a problem if you go down the Trading tree 2nd or 3rd and choose 'marketplace of ideals' policy. They made trading so strong with that tree that any ecumenoplis or large empire with ringworlds can just trade their way to full tradition trees/ambitions. Even if that isn't enough 1 or 2 generator worlds negates the negative effects of the new trade policy.

I play on grand admiral scaling and I only ever need to switch this tactic if a fanatic purifier or devouring swarm starts near you. Even then you can go diplomatic corps, make everyone your friend with no military but with starbases, and every non-genocide civ will protect you automatically in a defensive war, making you unassailable. Guaranteeing you independence also makes a 1-way 10 year truce, if they break it after you decline subjugation demand, to which you can easily make them love you again in those 10 years. If you are talking competitive pvp then ignore me since it isn't aggressive enough 99% of the time.