Research & Production

PRODUCTION

The following table shows production requirements and outputs of common items:

Item Tech to use Pop employed Hrm used Lrm used Output produced
Industry 1 10 3 2 2 Con
  2 9 2 2 3
  3 8 2 1 4
  4 7 1 1 5
  5 6 1 1 6
  6 5 1 1 7
  7 4 1 1 8
  8 3 1 1 9
HRM mine of LRM mine 1 10 - - 2 Materials
  2 9 - - 3
  3 8 - - 4
  4 7 - - 5
  5 6 - - 10
Matter transmuter 4 - - - 5 Hrm & Lrm
  6 - - - 10
  7 - - - 20
Strip mine 2 - - - 25 Hrm/Lrm
  4 - - - 50
  6 - - - 100
  8 - - - 100
Farm All 5 - - 1000 food
Hydrophonics farm All 5 - - 500 food
Subterranean farm All 5 - - 500 food
PDF 1 - - - 10 Def pts
  2 - - - 20
  3 - - - 30
  4 - - - 40
  5 - - - 50
  6 - - - 60
  7 - - - 70
  8 - - - 80
Planetary missile All - - - -
Base Provides additional defences based on best missile type
Troops 1 - - - 5 Def pts
  2 - - - 10
  3 - - - 15
  4 - - - 20
  5 - - - 25
  6 - - - 30
  7 - - - 35
  8 - - - 40
Research base All 5 1 1 1 Res pt
Computer complex All - - - -
  Co-ordinates research and defence of a planet
Shipyard All 250 - - -
  Produces 100 ship units/ turn per yard  
Spaceport All - - - -
  Produces credits from trade    
Waste processor All 10 - - -
  Reduces pollution 1 level    

All of the above are operated automatically, provided the restraints shown are met, in the order previously described. Each Shipyard and Waste processor cost 1000 credits a month to run.

RESEARCH

Your scientists continually quest for new discoveries and new frontiers, this is simulated in the game by the operation of research bases. Each fully manned base you own and can operate on any world will generate a single point of research, any Computer complexes present on the planet modify this. Research output is totalled across the empire during each production run and then split between a number of fields according to the percentages that you have set. When the number of research points reaches a certain level within a given field, technological advancements have been made, the exact number of points necessary for a level will remain hidden, but each additional gain in technology - above and beyond the first couple of stages - grows increasingly difficult. You will certainly need to put some time and effort into this area of the game if you want to gain the benefits from it; if left unattended, your initial world could take a couple of years before it makes discoveries allowing you to design and build units of an advancement past the original level. The following are brief descriptions of the available research topics:

General Research
This research area defines the level of sophistication of your planetary units such as industry, defence installations and infantry troops as well as the types of ship available for construction.

Armour research
Studies into the physical properties of materials and composites help advance the amount of protection available to your ships and troops.

Armour type Defence value Cost per unit con Credit Level
Titanium 10 1 100 1
Exaferrium 20 2 200 2
Thrasonite 30 3 400 3
Mekonite 40 4 500 4
Neutronium 60 5 1000 5
Adamantium 80 6 2000 6

Shield research
Fields that deflect or absorb physical damage form the basis of this research, again, ship protection is principle use for this technology.

Shield type Defence value Cost per unit con Credit Level
Magnetic 25 2 20 1
Optronic 50 5 50 2
Specmatic 100 12 125 3
Chromatic 200 30 250 4
Multiphased 350 50 1000 5
Hard 450 100 2000 6

Computer research
Advances in computer technology allow ships to carry more sophisticated, quicker targeting and ship management systems.

Computer type Defence value Cost per unit con Credit Level
Electronic 1 1 50 1
Optical 2 5 250 2
Cybernetic 3 10 1000 3
Positronic 4 20 2000 4
Moletronic 5 30 5000 5
Nanotronic 6 50 10000 6

Weapons research - Electromagnetic
Research into electromagnetic fields and how they can be used to inflict damage upon an intended target, range tends to be low although there are some exceptions to the rule.

Weapon type Attack value Optimum range Cost per unit con Credit Level
Laser 10 s 2 10 1
Ion laser 20 s 3 50 2
Laser cannon 35 l 5 150 3
Mass driver 45 s 10 350 4
Phased cannon 60 l 15 700 5
Neutron laser 90 s 20 1500 6
Lightening bolt 120 s 25 3500 7

Weapons research - Particulate/vibrationary
Another, primarily, short range weapon system which focuses on effecting a target at the molecular level. As would be expected, these systems are capable of inflicting immense amounts of damage.

Weapon type Attack value Optimum range Cost per unit con Credit Level
Pulse cannon 15 s 3 50 1
Ion pulsed 25 l 5 100 2
Gauss cannon 35 s 10 200 3
Graviton beam 50 s 15 400 4
Phasor 70 l 20 1000 5
Plasma cannon 100 s 25 2000 6
Disruptor 120 s 45 4000 7
Mauler 150 s 80 7000 8
Pulsar 180 s 100 10000 9
Death ray 250 s 250 25000 10

Weapons research - Missiles
Self propelled explosive delivery systems that can be fired in huge salvos to swamp an enemy fleet.

Weapon type Attack value Optimum range Cost per unit con Creditt Level
Chemical 10 s 5 100 1
Fission 20 l 10 200 2
Fusion 30 l 15 500 3
Anti matter 45 s 25 1000 4
Photon 55 l 40 2000 5
Plasma 65 s 60 5000 6
Mercurite 75 l 75 10000 7
Pulsar 100 l 100 20000 8
Zeon 130 l 150 50000 9

Weapons research - Bombs
Research into heavy weapons dropped from ships onto planetary targets.

Weapon type Attack value Cost per unit con Creditt Level
Chemical 10 2 50 1
Fission 20 5 150 2
Fusion 35 15 500 3
Anti matter 60 35 1000 4
Graviton 90 50 2500 5
Neutronic 110 80 4000 6
Nanotronic 125 100 6000 7

Weapons research - Specials
The following are some of the systems you may see coming from the 'special' research labs:

1 Heavy Fighters
2 Commando's
3 Spies/counter spies
4 Drones
5 Advanced dmage control
6 Auto repair
7 Targeting systems
8 ECM

Medical research
The search for longer life expectancies and the elimination of diseases by using bio and chemical engineering.

Level Civil break through
2 Pop growth +5 pts
3 Pop growth +10 pts
4 Cloning
5 Pollution negation

Cloning involves the introduction of Clone banks onto your empire's planets. An explanation of their operation is in the planetary units section.

Economic research
Primarily concerned with mineral extraction and waste processing this research area gives you access to the untold riches of your planets. Initially the two types of deep mine are available.

Level Civil break through
2 Strip mines 1
3 Strip mines 2
4 Matter transmuter 1
5 Strip mines 3
6 Matter transmuter 2
7 Matter transmuter 3
8 Strip mines 4

Civil research
Studies into the planning and building of your cities. Initially you will start with Cities, when you have reached the required level the following will be available:

Level Civil break through
1 Super city
2 Domed city
3 Subterranean colony
4 Subterranean city
5 Metropolis

Though this rulebook covers technological gains to a limit of tech level 8, there may well be gains to be made beyond this range, only time and patience will tell.