What do the numbers next to infinite research mean?

[GAMING_Alligator]

Seems like this should be obvious, but I'm confused.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3381064298

I'm currently on "Electric weapons damage 3". The next level though appears to be level 7 (screenshot is wrong) for some reason. But there's a 4 in the bottom right. 4 makes sense, since it's 3+1, but what is the 7 (8 in the screenshot) about?

[Nonotorious]

lol

[Fel]

Level 1 to 3 of this technology are before infinite technologies, starting from level 4 it is the same entry in the tech tree as an "infinite technology".

You have already researched (or queued) up to level 7 (including the first 3 prior to infinite technologies), the next one would be level 8.

[GAMING_Alligator]

That's the thing I don't get. Looking at my research screen, I have level 3 researched.
I have the next level queued. This is literally literally called "Electric Weapons Damage 7" (got my numbers slightly wrong in OP).

Here's a full screenshot, hopefully this will show what I mean better.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3381082258

What I'm confused about, am I just missing something, or shouldn't there be something called "Electric Weapons Damage 4"?

[Fel]

As I wrote, it's the same technology from level 4 onward, it is level 4 at first, then level 5, 6, 7, 8 and so on as you queue/research it further, increasing its cost as the level goes up but giving the same bonus (additive) with each level.

EDIT: All infinite technologies work like this by the way, it has been like that ever since infinite technologies were introduced.

[argrond]

Depends on tech tree.
If you researched electric weapons 3, but now you have 8, means 4,5,6,7 are in queue. The game allows you to add research matters to queue if they are directly adjacent by tech tree.
Usually, infinite researches start from 1 to ~, but some steps of infinite tech might need additional tech to be advanced.

Originally posted by GAMING_Alligator:

Here's a full screenshot, hopefully this will show what I mean better.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3381082258

You are at electric damage 7, no? states the number in top left corner, in research queue.

[kremlin]

It's currently working on level 7, then you must have queued it a few times without realizing you did.

[Fel]

Most of the old infinite technologies don't start at level 1 (only artillery range and speed did).
Funny enough, among the ones added by space age, only electric weapon damage doesn't start at level 1 as infinite technology.

[Hurkyl]

Basically speaking, "4-∞" means that this panel represents the research levels "from 4 to infinity". For levels 4 and up, you don't get individual panels in the tech tree for each research level -- it's all bundled up into that single panel.

[GAMING_Alligator]

Originally posted by kremlin:

It's currently working on level 7, then you must have queued it a few times without realizing you did.

Doh, that's very probably it!

[Chindraba]

Originally posted by GAMING_Alligator:

Originally posted by kremlin:

It's currently working on level 7, then you must have queued it a few times without realizing you did.

Doh, that's very probably it!

Knowing how it infinite techs work in the queue can help you see how it could happen, and prevent it in the future.

If you have the ability to research one of the infinite techs, or the last on before them, like level 3 in your case, when you enqueue that one, marked in yellow, the next level turns orange. If you enqueue that orange one, the number will change, in this case from 4 to 5 and it will stay orange. It 'looks' like the enqueue command didn't work, so you click it again, and the number goes up again, and the tile stays orange. Do that a few times and then, while 3 is still in the queue, or even being researched, and you will have the main list showing level 3 in yellow and level 8 in orange right next to it with no space for levels 4 through 7 at all.

Works the same for all infinite techs once you reach the infinite levels.