Tech booming, realism, pacing.

[Menuhin]

Personally I'd prefer if the game would stay away from long research tech trees.  Because we can currently only research 1 item at a time it basically puts in a arbitrary time limit as to what and how you can build and progress.  I'd really like to see a system more along the lines of production chains limiting the higher tech.  and then maybe the necessity of valuable materials or maybe blue prints which would primarily be acquired by traders or maybe an upgraded faction system.

The primary reason is because currently almost all of my games start out with the first several months of my top priority researcher hammering out the tech just to get it out of the way.  The fact that research is a specific skill and for all practical purposes you only need/want 1 researcher makes it to me feel out of place and I think the concept of acquiring blue prints or resources would be more believable.

[Elixiar]

Menuhin raises an interesting point.

Maybe something along the lines of how the command and conquer games allow progression. Having to build a machine or device, (doesn't have to do anything by itself, or can offer an AoE bonus or minor stat improvement speed or something) Which then opens up new construction options. On the side of that, it also unlocks 'new research projects'.

This way it wouldn't feel mundane to just sit a colonist in front of a bench, but wouldn't over write it either as I quite like to build a nice room for the research table. Gives older or more useless colonists something to do as well.

Example: build tool cabinet. - research unlocked 'pneumatic drills'.
Building bonus: Construction and deconstructing work speed increased by 5%.
Can now build: Dining Chair, Armchair, Double Bed

Doesn't have to be that exactly but you get the idea.

[Jorlem]

Why not make research optional, by letting you buy schematics and textbooks and whatnot from passing trade ships.  No need to reinvent the wheel, after all, and the basics should be in the databanks of any passing ship. Then, once you've researched or acquired all the preset techs, you could have your researcher work on refinements to your techniques.  A high level researcher (level 16+, perhaps?) could make discoveries that could provide some incremental boost, like faster repair speeds or greater hauling ability.  These discoveries could be sold to a trader, making it possible to build a research colony, instead of needing to make art or sell scraps from raids for money.

[Menuhin]

That is something I would like to see, research being more optional.  Though I'm not sure a research colony could ever really be viable as research would in general need to be flushed out, and you will likely eventually run out of research.

But the main point I was trying to make with moving away from research is that currently progression is tied to 1 person.  The reason I'd rather see progression tied behind either production chains, or barriers by cost from a merchant is that it allows you to have multiple people working towards progression or a "next tier."  Multiple people can be working to save up money to buy a schematic while only 1 person can research.  Multiple people can work on a production chain while only 1 person can research.

I think not building a ton of barriers in research, and in general moving away from research allows for more variety in the way we can play.

[Jorlem]

That is something I would like to see, research being more optional.  Though I'm not sure a research colony could ever really be viable as research would in general need to be flushed out, and you will likely eventually run out of research.

That's why I suggested that there be random-ish generic discoveries after you've researched all the preset techs in the list.  Think of how future tech works in the Civilization games, once you've filled out the tech tree.

Maybe it could be possible for other factions to gain access to discoveries you've sold, so you would have to think about if you really want the silver from selling a boost to mortar accuracy, for example.  (Obviously, you wouldn't loose access to the discoveries you've made when you sell them, so giving hostile AIs access to the ones you've sold could help balance that, or at least make you think about what to sell.  If this is in place, perhaps the military boosts could be far more valuable as well.)

[Mikhail Reign]

You know multiple researchers working at multiple benches researches faster yeah? I've hammered out important projects overnight by getting the whole colony to work on it.