Sciences surplus or science waste?

sugar daddy · May 30, 2002, 09:36

If you have lets say 100 beakers left to reach the next tech, and you produce 1000 beakers pr turn. Does the 900 beakers go to the next tech like in civ2 or are they lost?
At one point in my last game I found that I could set the science rate to 10% and still get the next tech in the next turn + about a 1000 gpt for that turn...

Mannamagnus · May 30, 2002, 09:53

I recall reading somewhere that they are lost.

Nym · May 30, 2002, 10:31

Quote:

Originally posted by sugar daddy
If you have lets say 100 beakers left to reach the next tech, and you produce 1000 beakers pr turn. Does the 900 beakers go to the next tech like in civ2 or are they lost?

Yes, they are lost. In the same idea, all accumulated beakers are lost if you change the tech researched.

Quote:

At one point in my last game I found that I could set the science rate to 10% and still get the next tech in the next turn + about a 1000 gpt for that turn...

That is one of the best examples of micromanagement and it is the only way to decrease the number of excess beakers lost.

MiloMilo · May 30, 2002, 10:52

Well, Nym, I wouldn't say that those beakers are wasted, so much as that the inattentive player is wasting his own beakers. Every time you start to research a new tech, it is worth checking your science rate to see how much money you can make while researching. The miraculous last turn is an illusion.

For example, let's say you can research something in four turns, and for the first three you make 100 gold per turn, and then for the last turn you find that you can make 500 gpt. The fact is, if you had set your tax rate properly, you would have gotten 200 gpt for those four turns, ending up with the same tech and the same 800 gold.

Nym · May 30, 2002, 14:51

Quote:

Originally posted by MiloMilo
Well, Nym, I wouldn't say that those beakers are wasted, so much as that the inattentive player is wasting his own beakers. Every time you start to research a new tech, it is worth checking your science rate to see how much money you can make while researching. The miraculous last turn is an illusion.

For example, let's say you can research something in four turns, and for the first three you make 100 gold per turn, and then for the last turn you find that you can make 500 gpt. The fact is, if you had set your tax rate properly, you would have gotten 200 gpt for those four turns, ending up with the same tech and the same 800 gold.

I totally agree. The interest to put the science rate at the maximum is to get the tech sooner.

Franses · May 30, 2002, 15:09

Milomilo,

You are only partially correct and what you refer to was not meant in the earlier posts.

If a science costs 8800 beakers you often have to choose between setting your science at eg 900 (for 10 turns) or 1000 (for 9 turns).
In both cases you can wast 200 beakers or save them in the last turn. This effect happens every time you research an advance and has nothing to do with the start of the research.

Jaybe · May 30, 2002, 17:21

BTW, everyone's EXPERIENCE indicates they are lost. I don't think anyone from Firaxis has spoken on the subject. It sure would be cool if they changed it or automatically handled the micromanagement.

I wonder what happens on the AI side. Does it accumulate or do they never micromanage, losing out on the gold??

JB

kring · May 30, 2002, 23:57

I read this comment on another forum, and was curious to the answer myself. It would be easy enough to test.

I did notice one time I changed research in midstream, then changed right back in the same turn as a test. Suddenly, I needed the full amount of time again, even though I had researched it about 2/3 of the way.

I would like to hear Firaxis respond also.