Research

Request

from Sins Forums

Greetings,

Researching a single project at a time is a facet of pre-patch Sins that holds great appeal for many - I would very much like to see Sins return to such a state of affairs, or at least allow one to toggle between simultaneous and singular research pursuit.

Simultaneous research paths dramatically shorten that facet of the game. The critical choice of research project is now no longer critical; there is no real hard decision to make anymore. Monies still temper the pace of research, but time does not, and that is not enough.

A single project at a time lends that degree of tension to the game which even lengthened research times cannot match. Without single-path research Sins is less one more strategic decision-making aspect that makes Sins Sins.

I hope such an option might make it into a new patch. Thanks for your time. 

8,972 views 8 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top
I dunno. I think most people don't mind each empire having a military research team and a civilian research team. Then there are the fleet logistics upgrades. But overall, there is a point where additional slowing down of the game doesn't add much, and can actually break game balance between the races. V1.03 breaks a happy medium, IMO. It is both flexible and time/resource intensive at higher levels.
Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top
Fair enough if you want it as an option. I was glad when they changed it to what it is now - its more logical (and better for the game overall - particularly online) when you are able to research in the two seperate trees at the same time.

You still have to pay the costs, its just you get the technology quicker which helps speed the game along.
Ashes of the Singularity II
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top
I would argue that truncation of game session lengths is unimportant in the face of the save game facility. Slower research isn`t the same as a mono-pathed decision.
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
I agree but only on the condition that the civilian branches (beyond Returning Armada and the Deliverance Engine) actually become effective avenues of winning a game. I supsect one reason that this was changed is because the civilian trees are just a supplement to your military rather than a 'choice' in the sense of winning strategies.

If, down the road, economic, cultural, and diplomatic factors play a larger role in games beyond those played against the wholly ineffective AI, then I'll back this wholeheartedly. I'd love to see research 'choices' that actually matter.
Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top
I can understand your point, although I disagree with you that Civilian research is so minor as to be of no consequence to a game, and I do speak of early projects as much as of late ones.

I know for example (speaking as the Vasari tyrant that I am) that reducing attacking Pirate forces by 10% to 20% is a tremendous help. Reducing fortification costs ditto, Scavenging wrecks for resources ditto, unlocking Trade Stations ditto. Not to mention the critical capabilities to settle lava and arctic worlds.
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
I'm not saying they're inconsequential. I'm just saying that, while the civilian branches have useful abilities, military is what wins the game. Against a competent player, if they choose to go heavy military and head your way with a balanced fleet (or a pile of heavy cruisers), choosing to focus on civilian techs and fielding nothing but low-level ships is just going to get you killed. Unless you're abusing Deliverance Engines or RA, you 'need' a military and the civilian side supports it.

Of course, since the AI is a predictable dolt and will destroy itself on static defenses or simply run away 90% of the time, I suppose going back to this system wouldn't make much difference in that regard. If you defend well enough, you'll generally have all the time you could possibly need.
Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top
I would like to see some techs that require research from other trees.

For instance, some military techs which require additional research in the civilian tree, etc.
Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top
Not a bad idea, that. Of course, it would make a couple of the achievements a great deal harder... :D

-- Retro