To compare the research costs of various techs, I looked at the ini, every tech has a Research Point cost. I've converted those costs below into "Scientist Months (SCM)", which is the number of scientists required to research that tech in one month. So for example, Coilguns can be researched in 5 months by 1 scientist, or in 1 month by 5 scientists, or in 16 days by 10 scientists. These units of research cost make it easier to understand how many scientists you actually need.
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I picked some important and interesting techs that I might want by the end of August.
Tech Cost (SCM)
Resistance Communications 0.3
Modular Weapons 0.2
Alien Biotech 0.4
Hybrid Materials 0.6
Lasers 1.1
Advanced Lasers 1.1
Combat Armor 1.5
Battle Armor 1.5
Trooper Autopsy 0.6
Officer Autopsy 1.1
Faceless Autopsy 1.1
Stun Lancer Autopsy 0.7
Advent Robotics 0.7
Mag Weapons 2.9
Advanced Mag Weapons 2.9
Resistance Radio 1.1
Elerium 2.8
Coilguns 5.0
Advanced Coilguns 5.0
Viper Autopsy 1.0
Sectoid Autopsy 0.8
Psionics 1.3
Total SCM Cost = 36.5
- Tygen is worth 2 scientists and you have him the entire game, so your minimum rate of research is 2 scientists.
- Each scientist is worth a ... scientist.
- Putting a scientist in a lab gives you an additional scientist.
- Putting a scientist in the AWC, Psi Lab, or as a Haven Leader prevents him from generating science.
- Each Basic Research you complete is worth a scientist.
Example: If you have 2 scientists, you'll generate a total of 4 SCM per month (Tygen + 2 scientists). If you have 4 scientists in a lab, you'll generate 10 SCM per month. If you move one of those scientists out of your lab into the AWC, you'll now only generate 8 SCM per month.
You can estimate how much SCM you will generate in the first 6 months. For example:
Low Science Strategy, 30 SCM: Get 1 scientist per month up to June, build lab at end of July, and slot all 4 scientists in.
Aggressive Science Strategy 45 SCM: Acquire 2 scientists in March/April, build lab in May and slot 4 scientists in it. Also research Basic Research immediate after Res Comms in March.
So focusing on science can generate about ~50% more research progress, how many scientists you have is important, and the sooner you get them the more research they generate over the course of the campaign. How you use your scientists is also very important, for example:
- Psi costs 2 SCM to acquire (Sectoid Autopsy + Psionics). If you have 2 scientists spend about 3 months helping train psions, then you'll have spent another 6 SCM. So if you go into Psi, expect to spend about 8 SCM out of your research budget. It's especially bad if you are taking a scientist out of the lab to put him into Psi, because then you're effectively losing 2 scientists. Be very sure you want to do Psi, it is very expensive strategically.
- Putting a scientist in the AWC for 3 months will cost 3 SCM, fairly significant. Again, if you have a lab, pulling a scientist out of the lab doubles this cost.
- Lasers are fairly cheap on science for what they do, costing about 2.2 SCM. It doesn't seem like there is much reason to skip lasers to save research time, it does however save supplies and a lot of elerium.
- Mag Rush costs 9 SCM total with all prereqs. A science focused strategy can unlock them in mid may.
- Exo Rush costs 4.5 SCM. This compares favorably with laser rush, which costs 3.7 SCM, but EXOs are much more expensive to build and you have to get lucky with an alloy hack or alloy intel package. Still EXOs into Mag Weapons seems like a very good strategy if you happen to stumble into a bunch of alloys early game.
- Researching Basic Research in March costs 1.5 SCM, but then provides 5 SCM, for a net gain of 3.5 SCM. It will however delay nanovests.
- SCM can be "converted" into intel by researching data pads. 0.3 SCM for ~23 intel for the first one, not sure how much it increments from there.
Finally, I wanted to look at the total cost of acquiring key tactical techs by the end of August. To get all the stuff below, in addition to the mandatory stuff (ex Res Comms, Res Radio), you need about 35 SCM.
Usually you want to do some corpse rendering, datapad research, and AWC healing, which further boosts your SCM costs. If you focus on science you can do all these things by August. The easiest way to get into trouble and fall behind is by not spending your science wisely, there are a lot of shiny techs that probably aren't worth it (Psi, Mobile Armor, various autopsies). Not saying those techs are bad, but you're probably not getting the return you need on investment when resources are so tight in the early and mid game. The other way to get into trouble is of course not generating enough research in the first place. You want to come out of March/April with 3-4 scientists, and you should aim to have a Lab with 4 scientists working in it by the beginning of June.Key Techs:
Hybrid Materials - Provides Nanovests, very good early game for preventing deaths. They're so cheap to build that I equip them on nearly every soldier.
Laser/Mag/Coil Weapons - This is pretty self explanatory. The most important boost to damage per turn.
Battle Armor (aka Exo Suits) - Still really powerful in 1.4, very good for doing AOE damage and stripping armor.
Officer Autopsy - Provides incendiary grenades, which is the best CC in the game and a great answer to big HP targets like mutons and officers.
Faceless Autopsy - Provides Stiletto rounds, and faceless corpses are reasonably accessible due to rendezvous missions. Stiletto rounds will boost the damage of your weapon almost an entire tier.
Stun Lancer Autopsy - Arc Blades/Ionic Axe.
Advent Robotics - Gremlin IIs for better hack chances. This is a cheap tech, almost certainly worth getting early.