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Does it cost to change research field? Mon, 30 July 2007 22:42 Go to next message
Mr K is currently offline Mr K

 
Petty Officer 2nd Class

Messages: 59
Registered: February 2007
Location: Christchurch, New Zealand
Hi, I need to know if it costs resources (and how many) to change which field you are researching.

For example if I am currently researching construction and want to switch to energy where the next will cost 4000 resources, do I just have to select "energy" in the research window and spend 4000 on it to get it by next turn, or do I need to spend more because it costs when you change research fields?

I thought there was a cost involved but I have looked far and wide for an answer to this and found nothing, so now I'm starting to think I may have dreamt it up.

Someone set me straight please!
(I also need this info for the next turn I'm playing so if it makes any difference - there is a sense of urgency in this question too Confused Smile )

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Re: Does it cost to change research field? Mon, 30 July 2007 23:11 Go to previous messageGo to next message
ccmaster is currently offline ccmaster

 
Lt. Commander
Dueling Club Administrator

Messages: 985
Registered: November 2002
Location: Germany

Hi ,

to change the research cost nothing , the only think you have to look for is that your need moreResources for a tech field when you have more tech level .
What means that if you need at the moment 4000 and reach a tech in kon it will grow , and depend on the tech you have .
But the Kost will always be the same so if noone answere make a test where you research all the techs you have now and look how many resources you have to pay more when you reach 1 more level in kon .
Maybe this could also help :
http://home20.inet.tele.dk/craebild/hab_range_tool/habcalc.h tml


ccmaster

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Re: Does it cost to change research field? Tue, 31 July 2007 00:16 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Dogthinkers is currently offline Dogthinkers

 
Commander

Messages: 1316
Registered: August 2003
Location: Hiding from Meklar
Yes, ccmaster is correct.

The cost of each level costs an amount depending on the tech level in that field (related to fibonacci sequence IIRC) plus a modifier according to the total number of levels you have (summed across *all* fields.) The modifier is 10 times the total number of levels.

The total is then modified by the field cost (cheap 0.5, normal 1.0, expensive 1.75)

So...

Supposing I am researching con, 100 resources to go to get the next level. Let's also suppose my next level of prop also shows as 100 resources to go. Let's say con is cheap, and prop is expensive. I decide to research con and choose 'switch to prop'.

To get my level of prop, I will need to invest 218 resources - 100 for the con, then 100+17.5 for the prop, since the cost of the prop will go up after I complete the con.

I can save resources, by doing my research the other way around. If I research prop with 'switch to con', then I'll only need to spend 205 resources - 100 for the prop, then 100+5 for the con, since the modifier there is less because I have the field cheap.


If I wanted to get two levels in the follow on field, I'd need to add the modifier twice - once for each level. For example, if grabbing 2 levels of prop had shown in the research dialog as costing 500 resources, then to grab these after grabbing con, you'd need to invest a total of 100+500+17.5+17.5 = 635. I'd actually invest 636 here, to be safe, since I haven't bothered to research when Stars! charges 17 and when it charges 18 for this...


An interesting corollary to this, is that if I have several non-urgent research fields I need to get, but I don't care the order I get them... Then it's better to research the expensive ones first and the cheap ones last, since the extra incremental cost is less on the cheap fields. Of course, if you don't need to worry what order your techs come in, you probably don't care about about trying to save such a small amount of resources Wink


[Updated on: Tue, 31 July 2007 00:26]

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Re: Does it cost to change research field? Tue, 31 July 2007 06:44 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Mr K is currently offline Mr K

 
Petty Officer 2nd Class

Messages: 59
Registered: February 2007
Location: Christchurch, New Zealand
Thanks guys
this is all very helpful.
I should've specified the situation a little further to say that I wouldn't actually be completing a level in construction before switching to energy.
Just changing straight there.

But in any case I get the impression that there is no penalty for chopping and changing lots between research fields. Somehow I always had the misconception that if you stayed in one research field over multiple levels it was more economical because you didn't have to pay lots of field-changing costs.

I'm glad I've got this sorted.

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Re: Does it cost to change research field? Tue, 31 July 2007 10:03 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Dogthinkers is currently offline Dogthinkers

 
Commander

Messages: 1316
Registered: August 2003
Location: Hiding from Meklar
Right.

The amount already spent in each field is a seperate total, and nothing can degrade it. It can just look that way, because of the above.

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Re: Does it cost to change research field? Sat, 11 August 2007 20:01 Go to previous messageGo to next message
bigcanuknaz is currently offline bigcanuknaz

 
Officer Cadet 1st Year

Messages: 205
Registered: July 2004

As previously stated, there is no *direct* cost of switching research fields.

There is, however, the opportunity cost of resources invested in partially completed fields, that yield no return on the investment.

I always try to just complete my existing field, and then switch to the new field I want to complete. If possible, I try and do this in one turn, so I have no "non-working" resources.

Of course, emergencies, and possible late game expensive tech fields may require more than one turn per level, may result in non-working invested resources. Also, when completing multiple levels in a field, some resources may be invested in excess of *exactly* what is needed.

But the general theme of trying to end your turn with as many of your resources working as possible, can yield being ahead by a turn or so every 10 or 20 years.

Areas to apply this concept include:
1. research
2. ship building
3. terraforming.
4. facility building

for example, with 1030 resources:

A. Wrong way:

Turn 1: Complete a 700 resource ship, and partially complete the 2nd ship at 330 resources

Turn 2: Finish the 2nd ship at 370 resources, and do 6 units of terraforming. Start a 7th unit of terraforming.

B. Right way:

Turn 1: Complete a 700 resource ship, 3 units of terraforming and 10 mines.

Turn 2: Build a 700 resource ship, do 3 units of terraforming, and build another 10 mines

As you can see, the right way shifts 3 units of terraforming ahead, and builds a few mines (assuming they were needed)

This micromanagement is quite fun in the 1st few years where it pays the biggest dividends. But some macro parts of it, should be utilized throughout the game.

Economy wins wars.

edit: typos and minor number changes to make the example clearer.

naz


[Updated on: Sat, 11 August 2007 20:07]

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Re: Does it cost to change research field? Sun, 12 August 2007 10:11 Go to previous messageGo to next message
ccmaster is currently offline ccmaster

 
Lt. Commander
Dueling Club Administrator

Messages: 985
Registered: November 2002
Location: Germany

bigcanuknaz wrote on Sun, 12 August 2007 02:01



Economy wins wars.

naz



Your Economy don't win wars your MINERALS do this .


ccmaster

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Re: Does it cost to change research field? Mon, 13 August 2007 03:56 Go to previous messageGo to next message
m.a@stars is currently offline m.a@stars

 
Commander

Messages: 2765
Registered: October 2004
Location: Third star to the left
ccmaster wrote on Sun, 12 August 2007 16:11

Your Economy don't win wars your MINERALS do this.

ccmaster


Your minerals don't win wars. Your WARFLEETS do this. Twisted Evil

Minerals are just part of the economy. Rolling Eyes



So many Stars, so few Missiles!

In space no one can hear you scheme! Deal

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Re: Does it cost to change research field? Tue, 14 August 2007 14:59 Go to previous messageGo to next message
iztok is currently offline iztok

 
Commander

Messages: 1206
Registered: April 2003
Location: Slovenia, Europe
Hi!
m.a@stars wrote on Mon, 13 August 2007 09:56

Your minerals don't win wars. Your WARFLEETS do this. Twisted Evil


Errr... rather check this:

Jason Cawley:

economy -> technology -> ships


And I fully agree with him. You can't get anything else without having econ first.

BR, Iztok

{Mod edit: fixed quote}


[Updated on: Wed, 15 August 2007 18:39] by Moderator


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Re: Does it cost to change research field? Tue, 14 August 2007 23:44 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Dogthinkers is currently offline Dogthinkers

 
Commander

Messages: 1316
Registered: August 2003
Location: Hiding from Meklar
Yup, minerals undersupplied with resource+technology are about as useless as resource+technology is when undersupplied with minerals.

They are codependent.

As MA pointed out, it's all just different parts of the economy. The economy makes ships. The ships fight wars.

I suspect the point that ccmaster was trying to highlight for us, is that it's easy to neglect your mineral supply when designing your race, or when playing it, in the fever to get the biggest resource count and the highest tech. That's why I feel the testbed style of getting X of a certain ship design by Y year has more value than just getting X resources by Y year. I'm too lazy to do either though >_>

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Re: Does it cost to change research field? Wed, 15 August 2007 05:57 Go to previous message
m.a@stars is currently offline m.a@stars

 
Commander

Messages: 2765
Registered: October 2004
Location: Third star to the left
Dogthinkers wrote on Wed, 15 August 2007 05:44

it's easy to neglect your mineral supply when designing your race, or when playing it, in the fever to get the biggest resource count and the highest tech.


So true! Embarassed Whip



So many Stars, so few Missiles!

In space no one can hear you scheme! Deal

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