Expensive research and AI

[Bone]

i am in my first game using the "expensive research" option. anyone played with this much?

i'm not sure the AI is handling this very well. I am about 12 game years in, so we're in mid-game in a huge galaxy. knowing research was going to be expensive, from the get go i have focused as much on research facilities and tech as i have on resource production, contrary to how i usually handle the "regular" research cost.

i am now outproducing research of my nearest competitor by over 100k per turn, and the gap is increasing. this is with them having the the highest ai bonuses. they do not seem to get the idea, and I am becoming quite technologically advanced in comparison. i am already into phased shields and they are still running around with level 3 normal shields and apb V's. they also spent too much time/effort getting to Dreadnaught, where i realized i could do better with weaps and other techs by waiting for that and living with Battleships for awhile.

i wish the AI realized that expensive tech requires more focus on research oriented techs early. in the next game year i am going to have Applied Research III (cost: 900k), and none of them yet have II.

this would have been a great game. i am using Fyron's quad mod in a spaghetti galaxy and i lucked out as it has created about 6 fantastic chokepoints for which about 6 races are having some stupendous battles for control with me. It was frantic early, but with my tech advantage really kicking in now, i'm starting to really chew them up and can start going passive defense in some of those spaces with battle stations and passive defenses.

anyone else tried the expensive research bit?

[geoschmo]

High research cost is not recomended for games against the AI. They only have one set of files. If they research Dreadnaughts before Phased Shields with low tech cost, they will do it with high tech cost as well. And they won't know to build more research facilities then normal either.

[Bone]

i did not know that. bummer. thanks.

[oleg]

Are you playing against TDM AIs ? They usually follow more cunning research path

[Bone]

no, i have not tried TDM yet. the only mod i have played so far is Fyron's (thanks for it, Fyron).

i will try it though, thanks! glad to know it has more smarts, i assume it provides a better challenge?