For speeding research up, open GameInfo folder and find this file:
Gameplay.constants
Find this section in file (these tied up to game-setup research speed button setting. Increase positive to speed things up):
researchSpeedData-Slow
researchRateGameSpeedScalar -2.0
researchSpeedData-Normal
researchRateGameSpeedScalar -1.0
researchSpeedData-Fast
researchRateGameSpeedScalar 0.0
To lower/increase cost find files named: RESEARCHSUBJECT_* . . . (* = many types). In these types of files (note, some are race specific) find section:
BaseCost
and change to what you like:
credits 600.000000
metal 50.000000
crystal 100.000000
Right under this you can also change: PerLevelCostIncrease
You can also change: BaseUpgradeTime just before “BaseCost”.
About resource collector, open GameInfo folder and find these files:
PlanetAsteroid.entity
PlanetDeadAsteroid.entity
PlanetDesert.entity
PlanetDesertHome.entity
PlanetIce.entity
PlanetTerran.entity
PlanetTerranHome.entity
PlanetVolcanic.entity
Go to section in every file:
planetResourceSetupInfo
and change what you want (this section taken from PlanetTerranHome.entity):
asteroidSpawnAngleVariance 1.256637
totalMaxResourceAsteroids 3
metalResourceAsteroidSetup
minCount 2
maxCount 2
extractionRate 0.400000
refineryRate 0.060000
maxRefineryCount 3
crystalResourceAsteroidSetup
minCount 1
maxCount 1
extractionRate 0.400000
refineryRate 0.060000
maxRefineryCount 3
neutralMetalResourceAsteroidSetup
minCount 0
maxCount 0
extractionRate 0.000000
refineryRate 0.000000
maxRefineryCount 0
neutralCrystalResourceAsteroidSetup
minCount 0
maxCount 0
extractionRate 0.000000
refineryRate 0.000000
maxRefineryCount 0
Hope this was helpful to you!