The Great Science Plan

[Drogue]

While we have decided to go for Centauri Ecology first, I did quite a bit of planning to see what else we would like. The way I do this, is set target techs, in order, and then build in what I need for them.

This is just an idea, but if it was me, this is what I would do for the CyCon. We start with Information Networks and Applied Physics BTW.

Targets
Centauri Ecology - Formers, Weather Paradigm
Industrial Automation - Crawlers, Hab Complex
Gene Splicing - Nutrient restrictions lifted
Ecological Engineering - Terraforming and mineral restrictions, especially if we don't have the Weather Paradigm
Environmental Economics - Tree Farms and energy restrictions
Intellectual Integrity - The Citizen's Defense Force
High Energy Chemistry - Plasma (3) armour, ability to defend ourselves well
Synthetic Fossil Fuels - Missile (6) weapons, the ability to attack well
Cyberethics - Knowledge SE setting
Applied Relativity - The Supercolider
Pre-Sentient Algoristhms - The Hunter Seeker Algorithm
Fusion Power - Fusion Reactor

My reasoning (all just my opinions):
Ind. Auto. is needed ASAP to grow, and as others have said, it should be a priority.
Gene Splicing means we can grow, which is hard with our growth penalty. We should have Weather Paradigm by then, which would give us consensers, and we want to be able to crawl more than 2 nuts.
Eco. Eng. removes the mineral restrictions, allowing us to reap the benefits of mines and boreholes. It also let's us build them, if we missed the Weather Paradigm, which we really should go for IMHO.
H.E.C. is needed for defense, as we could come up against the Hive or someone relatively soon, and we need to be able to defend our bases.
Synth. Foss. Fuels is important for attack. If we want to sue tech steal to any effect, we need a few decent usits soon, and this would give us that. I know it takes time out from our research goals, but in conquering, it coudl help us research quicker.
Intellectual Integrity gives us the Citizen's Defense Force, important for keeping captured bases, and saving many minerals from all our bases.
Cyberethics gives us the Knowledge SE setting, which is much needed for us. We need to beat the UoP!
App. Relativity gives us the Supercolider, which we will need if we are to out tech the UoP. Whoever get's this could run the game, so this could be crucial.
Pre-Sentient Algorithms stops probe attacks, which would give us big advantage against AI with the Googlie probe tweak, and humans who use it a lot. Also would really kill the UoP, who need this.
Fusion Power speaks for itself. The Fusion reactor gives us military supremacy, and is very important and efficient.
A reason for specialising like this is that it also means that we get advanced tech early on, and will likely be able to steal or trade for the earlier techs, that other factions will have.

The reason Biogenetics isn't on there, for the Human Genome Project, is because it will be straight after Ind. Auto. because it goes into getting Gene Splicing.

Thus, the entire list to Fusion Power goes like this:

Techs
Centauri Ecology
Planetary Networks
Industrial Base
Industrial Economics
Industrial Automation
Social Psychology
Biogenetics
Ethical Calculus
Gene Splicing
Ecological Engineering
Environmental Economics
Doctrine Mobility
Doctrine Loyalty
Intellectual Integrity
High Energy Chemistry
Synthetic Fossil Fuels
Cyberethics
Polymorphic Software
Advanced Subatomic Theory
Optical Computers
Superconductor
Applied Relativity
Doctrine Flexibility
Adaptive Doctrine
Advanced Military Algorithms
Pre-Sentient Algorithms
Fusion Power

This is all from the Science Thread, a plan I made a while ago. Obviously polls will still be used for the next tech each time, but in case of emergencies, and as a general plan, I wanted to see if people would use this? Please discuss, so that we can update and change it, if needs be. This is the overall plan I have used (I change when I need a special SP or tech) many times, and it seems to work well. It gets use the pre-requisite for the SPs we need most quickly, while also giving us the ability to attack and defend ourselves should we need (although Doc. Airpower. might want to go in). Also, if we specialise like this, we can trade for the lesser techs we miss, and thus get a rounded ability too.

This poll will not end.

[Maniac]

Well the general idea is good, but I hope we won't stick to it too rigidly. For example if we meet the UoP relatively early, I would propose to research Nonl Maths and Doc:Flex asap and try a rover rush.

[Drogue]

Of course. I am not asking for it rigidly at all. Just in case of emergencies, if I get the turn and we haven't had a poll for some reason. What would you change on it? Just as a general guide, without taking into account specifics, like depending on who we meet (when it would change to meet those specifics).

[Corellion]

Allowing, of course, for flexibility due to circumstances, I agree entirely with this plan (with a possible forray to Adaptive Economics). We need to go for the fasted tech growth ASAP. And we can fill in the gaps with tech steal and probe teams. I'm even willing to overlook my usual opposition to FM for this (at least at first).

[Maniac]

Oh btw, in case we can't research a tech aiming for IndAut, may I suggest we research Biogen before SocPsych? Recycling tanks seem more useful than rec commons at this stage of the game.

[Chaunk]

It'd be nice to pick up D:AP (and MMI too) on the way to fusion methinks...

Do we really need Intellectual integrity and Doc:Loyalty too? SotB would be nice for trance (and the jump to Nueral grafting and MMI!) but otherwise I think I mostly agree...

[Drogue]

Originally posted by Maniac
Recycling tanks seem more useful than rec commons at this stage of the game.

Not if we change to FM. Even under Planned the third worker will be a drone, meaning for any growth, which is needed to go for an SP, we would need a Rec. Commons, yet Rec. Tanks, though useful, are not essential ATM IMHO. The extra resources would be nice, but is not a necessity in the same way as a Rec. Commons IMHO.

My usual build queue would be:
Former, Scout, CP, Crawler, Former, Rec. Commons (often needs to be rushed because of growth), Crawler, Childrens Creche, Rec. Tanks. With the Virtual World I sometimes put a Net Node in there too.

I will bow to what people want, but have never found Rec. Tanks to be that useful personally. At least, not on the same scale as Rec. Commons or CCs.

Originally posted by Maniac
It'd be nice to pick up D:AP (and MMI too) on the way to fusion methinks...

I agree, although if we are not near anyone else, it might not be essential. Where would you suggest it goes? It would be nice to have, especially if we decide to use our tech steal properly

Originally posted by Chaunk
Do we really need Intellectual integrity and Doc:Loyalty too?

If we want the Citizen's Defence Force, which is a great SP IMHO, especially for defending any base that we take, and reducing much of the work needed to build perim. defences in other bases. I expect we will trade for doc. loyalty earlier (if we meet the Hive) but I think we need it if we are near anyone for the perimiter defences.

Originally posted by Chaunk
SotB would be nice for trance (and the jump to Nueral grafting and MMI!) but otherwise I think I mostly agree...

True, but I suspect we will trade for that too. The UoP already have it I think, and as soon as we find some people, it should be easy to trade for.

[Chaunk]

I'd put MMI after SFF, and drop Intellectual integrity down below it.

I would definatly make MMI a priority, being as the tech tree rarely gets much past MMI in most of the MP games I've played.

On the Rec. Commons front, they are useful, but we can always make a CP instead of spending credits to ruch something we don't really need yet. With the -1 growth, it's much easier to grow from 1 to 2 in lots of small bases than 3 to 4 in one larger base. Perhaps that's another reason why we need the HGP so as the first citizen is a talent, meaning no drone riots til size 3 at least

[Maniac]

This guy knows what he's talking about!

[Drogue]

Ok, let's put MMI in, that seems like a good idea. I guess we're going quite militaristic then Sounds good to me. Maybe we should get AP and MMI ASAP, and try to go for Chaos and Fusion, then just win by force?