How does research work?

[Spicey]

I started researching something, and it had a timer and a 5 next to it. Is that 5 minutes, seconds, hours? The bar isn't moving so I don't know if I'm doing it right

[Ame]

The times displayed in Factorio are always in seconds; you then have to devide that time by the speed of whatever is putting the item together (pretty sure the base speed of the labs is 1, but that can be improved by research or modules. Everything else with a production speed should display it when you hover your mouse over it).

You also need science packs to do research (science packs are the beaker-looking things in the intermediate products section of the crafting menu, 3rd from the left). Since you mentioned 5 seconds as the time, you likely only need red science, which can be made from 1 copper plate and one gear. In the beginning, you can craft science packs by hand, but you eventually want to automate production of them to keep up with the demand for research (you can research faster by supplying multiple labs with science packs and power).

Also, more complex research requires more complex science packs (these should be shown on the tech tree by the little bottles along the bottom). So, be mindful of what you research; you might not yet have the science packs to do it.

[AlexMBrennan]

Basic crafting/research time is in seconds. A timer with a "5" means that one lab will produce 1 science every 5 seconds if it's supplied with all the science packs.

The bar isn't moving so I don't know if I'm doing it right

Did you build a lab? Is it powered? Did you supply it with all the science packs needed?

[Warlord]

It indicates how long it takes to consume the science pack in seconds. You want short times, as it can chew through a lot of science packs quickly and finish the research.

[Spicey]

Thanks everyone, didn't realise I needed a lab. Gonna continue playing the campaign I guess so I don't get confused

[DCYW]

Originally posted by Chocolate Thunder:

I started researching something, and it had a timer and a 5 next to it. Is that 5 minutes, seconds, hours? The bar isn't moving so I don't know if I'm doing it right

minutes but depending on what you want research on, research in a lab

[Fel]

Originally posted by davidtsuiyw:

Originally posted by Chocolate Thunder:

I started researching something, and it had a timer and a 5 next to it. Is that 5 minutes, seconds, hours? The bar isn't moving so I don't know if I'm doing it right

minutes but depending on what you want research on, research in a lab

The little time icon with number is always the base time in seconds, be it for crafting or research, for research it means for one round.

[The_Pastmaster]

Originally posted by Fel:

Originally posted by davidtsuiyw:

minutes but depending on what you want research on, research in a lab

The little time icon with number is always the base time in seconds, be it for crafting or research, for research it means for one round.

As I recall it even says "5s" on the thing.

[DCYW]

Originally posted by Fel:

Originally posted by davidtsuiyw:

minutes but depending on what you want research on, research in a lab

The little time icon with number is always the base time in seconds, be it for crafting or research, for research it means for one round.

I playing with the Research Queue Mod that's why, so I can research that specific tech, I know researching one tech cost seconds in vanilla game (even 1 min = 60 sec), it is just more fun with mods, like again really depending on what tech you are researching