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| − | '''Research''' is a decisive factor in the contest of Man versus Alien. X-COM forces start out badly outclassed by their alien foes, but as they master alien technology, the battle swings to the Humans' favor. | + | '''In other languages: [[연구|한국어]].''' |
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| − | Through research, X-COM forces gain access to vastly improved [[weapons]] technology, [[armour]], [[Base Facilities|base facilities]], interception and transport [[craft]], and a variety of other useful technologies. Researching captive live aliens provides information about the aliens' methods and traits, and is ultimately the only path toward [[Alien Research#Cydonia or Bust|winning the game]].
| + | The war between Man and Alien is not fought waged purely on the field of combat. It is also fought with science. |
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| − | == Research Costs ==
| + | '''Research''' is a decisive factor in winning the game. X-COM forces start the war outclassed by their alien foes and their more powerful technologies. By capturing alien artefacts and researching them, X-COM forces gain access to vastly improved [[weapons]], [[armour]], [[Base Facilities|base facilities]], new [[craft|aircraft]], and other useful technologies. Researching captive live aliens provides information about the aliens' methods and traits, and ultimately [[Alien Research#Cydonia or Bust|how to beat them]]. |
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| − | You start the game with one [[Laboratory]] and 10 Scientists. You will want to add 40 additional Scientists when space and money permit, so as to unlock new technology as soon as possible. This is expensive: 40 Scientists have a hiring cost of $2.4 million (and a monthly salary of $1.2 million), and require the addition of a new [[Living Quarters]], at a cost of $400,000.
| + | == Research Basics == |
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| − | An additional Laboratory, Living Quarters, and 50 Scientists (for a total of 100) is recommended when you can cobble together an additional $4.2 million, so as to unlock all useful alien technologies within the first few months of the game.
| + | Researching a topic is simple. As the Commander of X-COM all you need to do is to pick a research topic and assign a number of scientists to work on it. Then sit back and wait until they are done. |
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| − | Many of the game's most important research topics require the capture of certain specific live aliens, so it is recommended you start building an [[Alien Containment]] at the very beginning of the game. As few as three aliens need to be captured and researched to ultimately unlock all the critical research topics which are dependent on alien captives. See [[#The Minimum Three|The Minimum Three]] for more details.
| + | In order to research , you will need to have the following: |
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| − | == Initial Research Projects ==
| + | ---- |
| | + | # A research topic |
| | + | # [[Laboratory]] |
| | + | # [[Living Quarters]] |
| | + | # Scientists |
| | + | ---- |
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| − | You are given [[Weapons#Laser_Technology|Laser Weapons]], [[Medi-Kit]]s, and [[Motion Scanner]]s as research topics at the beginning of the game. Every subsequent research topic becomes available by completing a previous research topic, or by capturing new technology found on the battlefield. You cannot research any given alien item until you have a sample of it in your possession.
| + | '''Research topics''' are made available several ways. They are provided at the start, obtained by capturing alien artefacts, or deriving them from previous research topics/interrogations. Each research topic require a certain amount of research hours to complete. This value is hidden to the player but you are given a general indication of the progress. This value is randomly adjusted ±50% at the time the topic is started, so some projects may finish sooner or much later than expected. After a research topic is complete, you will be able to build and use the technology and sometimes gain access to new topics to research. |
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| − | Alien artifacts from the battlefield cannot be [[manufacture]]d or used (or even thrown!) by your soldiers until they have been fully researched. In fact, you start the game unable to manufacture any items until you have completed your first research topics.
| + | The '''laboratory''' is where your scientists get to do their work. Each lab has space for 50 scientists. You can have a maximum of 255 scientists working on a project at a time, though it is recommended to work within multiples of 50. |
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| − | X-COM commanders differ on which technologies are best researched first, although the initial three topics are all good choices. [[Laser Rifle]]s are an enormous improvement over standard armaments, particularly against [[Cyberdisc]]s, the toughest early foe. Laser weapons are reasonably powerful and do not require ammunition, making them useful for the duration of the game.
| + | '''Living quarters''' are required to house the scientists, and sometimes for captured aliens that are being transferred from another base. It is unclear why the latter is required, but bed space is temporarily allocated for aliens at the destination base while they are in transit. |
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| − | [[Medi-Kit]]s are rapidly researched and of great utility, especially once your soldiers are outfitted with armor. [[Personal Armor|Armor]] technology is also a high priority, although it is relatively time-consuming to research and subsequently manufacture.
| + | Finally, and most importantly, the '''scientists''' themselves. Each scientist that is allocated to a project will reduce that project's number of research hours by 1 every hour. Calculations to the remaining research hours are applied at midnight every night. The scientists are otherwise free for most of the day. |
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| − | [[Motion Scanner]]s can help you pinpoint the location of your foes, and are the most profitable item that can be manufactured in the early game. (See [[Manufacturing Profitability]].)
| + | With all these available at a base, you can go into the lab, bring up the available research topics, pick the topics that interest you and then allocate a certain number of scientists to work on them. You can assign all scientists to one topic, or split them across several as needed. |
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| − | After your first [[UFO Ground Assault|combats]], advanced alien weapons become available for research. [[Heavy Plasma]], [[Small Launcher]], and [[Blaster Launcher]] (if you can find one) are all popular early research choices.
| + | At the end of each day, the scientists will decrease the research hours needed to complete the topic they are assigned to. Once the research hours on their topic reach 0, the research is complete and the scientists are free to be assigned to other topics. Where applicable, you will now be able to use and manufacture the researched technology. |
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| − | Commanders who wish to supplement their incomes by manufacturing profitable items should research [[Laser Cannon]]s early on, as they are the most profitable production item in the entire game.
| + | For more detail on how research works, the amount of time required for specific projects or other information such as the maintenance costs, refer to the auxiliary articles at the end. |
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| − | Once you manage to capture an alien [[Navigator (Alien Rank)|Navigator]], you should research it as soon as possible, as the [[Hyper-wave Decoder]] it unlocks is an invaluable technology. Researching a psionically-enabled alien (a psionic [[Sectoid]], which means either a [[Leader (Alien Rank)|Leader]] or [[Commander (Alien Rank)|Commander]] or any [[Ethereal]]) should also be a top priority, as [[psionics]] becomes an enormous factor as the game progresses.
| + | == Research Basics: Starting == |
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| − | == The Minimum Three ==
| + | You start the game with one [[Laboratory]], sufficient space in the [[Living Quarters]], 10 Scientists, and the following research topics that you can start on immediately: [[Weapons#Laser_Technology|Laser Weapons]]; [[Medi-Kit]]; [[Motion Scanner]] |
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| − | You only need to capture three live aliens to unlock the research topics that will allow you complete the game. These three aliens are, in the following order:
| + | The choice of which technology to start with is entirely up to you, as there are merits to all the possible choices (irrespective of what some veteran players may argue!). They are quick to research and provide good equipment that can last all through the game. |
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| − | #Any ''random alien''
| + | In addition to deciding which topic to start with, you will need to consider how to improve your research operations with your limited starting resources. The starting set up is reasonable, but will quickly prove to be inadequate once you get research topics that require a greater number of research hours to complete. |
| − | #Any ''Leader or Commander''
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| − | #Any ''Commander''
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| − | By studying these three aliens, you can unlock the end-game mission [[Alien Research#Cydonia or Bust|Cydonia or Bust]]. These same three aliens can be used to unlock all additional technologies dependent on alien captives by altering the list as follows:
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| − | ;[[Hyper-wave Decoder]]
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| − | : Substitute "any ''random alien''" with "any ''Navigator''"
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| − | ;[[Psionic Laboratory]]
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| − | : Make sure your captured Leader or Commander is [[Sectoid]] or [[Ethereal]]
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| − | Thus, to unlock all technology that matters, you only need to research:
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| − | #Any ''Navigator''
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| − | #''Sectoid or Ethereal Leader/Commander''
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| − | #Any ''Commander''
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| − | Studying any alien (including the above three) can also produce a variety of [[UFOpaedia]] entries, such as alien species information, UFO stats, and alien mission types, which also adds to your [[scoring#Research|score]]. See [[#Researching aliens|Researching Aliens]] for more details.
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| − | == How To Capture Live Aliens ==
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| − | Capturing the above three aliens, especially early on in the game, can be difficult. However, [[Mind Probe]]s can make it much easier to single out specific aliens, and once you get [[Small Launcher]]s, things are pretty easy. Be sure to build an [[Alien Containment]] at the beginning of the game, and don't bother to capture any aliens alive until it's built.
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| − | Using [[Stun Rod]]s is tricky, except when you can sneak up on an alien from behind. However, sending a swarm of rookies with Stun Rods into a UFO can be worth it in order to capture that first Navigator. Don't attempt this if there are multiple aliens facing your soldiers -- you will get shot to pieces.
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| − | If you spot an alien with a Small Launcher, you can often get him to knock himself out by walking up to him point-blank and letting him shoot you next turn.
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| − | Occasionally you will simply get lucky -- conventional weapons can deal a small amount of stun along with a lot of conventional damage. Aliens may also go [[unconscious]] due to smoke inhalation.
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| − | When an alien is unconscious, you can see what rank it is by standing over it and picking it up. Bring the most desired aliens back to the transport and have a sentry with a Stun Rod watch over them in case they wake up again. If your Containment is getting full, any undesired aliens can be killed while unconscious using any form of [[grenade]] or HE ammunition.
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| − | == Research Tips ==
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| − | In principle, doubling the number of scientists means you get the results in half the time. In reality, because of rounding errors, it is better to run several small projects in parallel. The again, small projects may take a long time to complete. Don't be shy of pooling your entire workforce on a single project if you want to get quick results.
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| − | Scientists at different bases cannot pool their efforts: if you have two bases work on the same project, it will take as long to complete as if you had only base working on it. If possible, you should build all your laboratories at a single base to allow all your scientists to focus on one project at a time.
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| − | You cannot begin researching any alien technology unless you have a sample of it on base. However, once you begin research, you do not need to keep the sample on hand. If you begin every project as soon as it becomes available to you, you can sell off all alien items (including alien corpses) which you do not wish to keep around. (You can also transfer aliens to another base's Containment unit after you have begun researching them.) You do not need to assign any scientists to a project to begin it: only assign your scientists to whichever project you wish to complete next.
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| − | If you build two labs and hire 100 scientists as soon as you can afford it, you can research all the most desirable alien technologies within 7-8 months (by July or August). With three labs and 150 scientists, you can research all the best stuff by June or so. More scientists than this will not appreciably speed your progress.
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| − | == Popular Research Sequences ==
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| − | Research time is given in total Scientist days and average days needed for one Laboratory (50 Scientists). Two Laboratories (100 Scientists) will take approximately half as long. The listed times are averages: actual research times will take between 0.5 and 1.5 times as long (see [[#Research time: notes|Research time: notes]] for more details).
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| − | A <tt>-></tt> before an entry signifies the total time required to complete that project. For example, Laser Pistol requires Laser Weapons (50 days) + Laser Pistol (100 days); <tt>-></tt>Laser Pistol is 150 days.
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| − | <big>'''Laser Pistol'''</big>
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| − | An option which should not be overlooked. Researched extremely quickly, 53% more damaging than than a basic [[Rifle]], one-handed, fastest rate of fire of any weapon (good for scouts), can be manufactured for [[Manufacturing Profitability|profit]]. Good for covering the span before you get [[Laser Rifle]]s or [[Heavy Plasma]]s they remain useful for the entire game. Laser Pistols are an excellent secondary weapon to attach to your belt in case you run out of ammo, [[Morale#Panicking_and_Berserking|forced to drop your main weapon]], or want to [[Reaction Training|train reactions]].
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| − | Laser Weapons 50 1.0 day
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| − | [[Laser Pistol]] 100 2.0 days
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| − | '''Total: 150 3.0 days'''
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| − | <big>'''Laser Rifle'''</big>
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| − | Respectable damage, no ammo required. A good alternative to [[Heavy Plasma]] for some of your troops.
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| − |
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| − | ->Laser Pistol 150 3.0 days
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| − | [[Laser Rifle]] 300 6.0 days
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| − | '''Total: 450 9.0 days'''
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| − | ''or'' '''Laser Pistol + 6.0 days'''
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| − | <big>'''Laser Cannon'''</big>
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| − | A poor Craft weapon, but the most [[Manufacturing Profitability|profitable]] item in the game. Completing this research topic also permits you to build [[Tank/Laser Cannon]]s, which have a much more powerful weapon than Cannon and Rocket tanks, and are effective against several dangerous units, particularly [[Sectopod]]s.
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| − | ->Laser Rifle 450 9.0 days
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| − | [[Heavy Laser]] 460 9.2 days
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| − | [[Laser Cannon]] 420 8.4 days
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| − | '''Total: 1330 26.6 days'''
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| − | ''or'' '''Laser Rifle + 17.6 days'''
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| − | <big>'''Small Launcher'''</big>
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| − | Small Launchers make capturing aliens a snap, and have surprisingly broad tactical use. One stun bomb can knock out several weak aliens at once, and unlike explosives, they are safe to use in confined quarters. Furthermore, stun bombs do not damage equipment, making for potentially higher [[UFO Recovery Values]]. Stun bombs are also quite effective against 4-space terror units (Reapers, Cyberdiscs, and Sectopods) due to each square taking partial damage from the stun blast.
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| − | [[Small Launcher]] 550 11.0 days
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| − | [[Stun Bomb]] 180 3.6 days
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| − | '''Total: 730 14.6 days'''
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| − | <big>'''Heavy Plasma'''</big>
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| − | Just about the best weapon in the game. There's a reason why every alien eventually carries one of these.
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| − | [[Heavy Plasma]] 800 16.0 days
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| − | Heavy Plasma Clip 400 8.0 days
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| − | '''Total: 1200 24.0 days'''
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| − | <big>'''Plasma Beam'''</big>
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| − | The best Craft weapon, 100% effective against everything except [[Battleship]]s.
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| − | ->Heavy Plasma 1200 24.0 days
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| − | [[Plasma Beam]] 660 13.2 days
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| − | '''Total: 1860 37.2 days'''
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| − | ''or'' '''Heavy Plasma + 13.2 days'''
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| − | <big>'''Blaster Launcher'''</big>
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| − | When you absolutely, positively, have to kill every alien in the room. Accept no substitute.
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| − | [[Blaster Launcher]] 900 18.0 days
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| − | [[Blaster Bomb]] 300 6.0 days
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| − | '''Total: 1200 24.0 days'''
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| − | <big>'''Fusion Ball Launcher'''</big>
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| − | Useful against [[Battleship]]s when using multiple crafts; use Plasma Beam otherwise.
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| − | ->Blaster Launcher 1200 24.0 days
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| − | [[Fusion Ball Launcher]] 880 17.6 days
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| − | '''Total: 2080 41.6 days'''
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| − | ''or'' '''Blaster Launcher + 17.6 days'''
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| − | <big>'''Fusion Ball Defences'''</big>
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| − | The most compact base defense facility besides the [[Mind Shield]] -- although a proper [[Base Layout Strategy|base layout strategy]] is probably better still.
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| − | ->Fusion Ball Launcher 2080 41.6 days
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| − | [[Fusion Ball Defences|Fusion Defence]] 800 16.0 days
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| − | '''Total: 2880 57.6 days'''
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| − | ''or'' '''Fusion Ball Launcher + 16.0 days'''
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| − | <big>'''Personal Armor'''</big>
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| − | Wearing this, you might actually survive a shot or two. But don't press your luck.
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| − | [[Alien Alloys]] 400 8.0 days
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| − | [[Personal Armor]] 180 3.6 days
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| − | '''Total: 580 11.6 days'''
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| − | <big>'''Power Suit'''</big>
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| − | You might survive a shot or three.
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| − | ->Personal Armor 580 11.6 days
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| − | [[Elerium-115]] 450 9.0 days
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| − | [[UFO Power Source]] 450 9.0 days
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| − | [[Power Suit]] 205 4.1 days
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| − | '''Total: 1685 33.7 days'''
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| − | ''or'' '''Personal Armor + 22.1 days'''
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| − | <big>'''Flying Suit'''</big>
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| − | A shot or three plus much greater visibility and mobility.
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| − | ->Power Suit 1685 33.7 days
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| − | [[UFO Navigation]] 450 9.0 days
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| − | [[Flying Suit]] 330 6.6 days
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| − | '''Total: 2465 49.3 days'''
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| − | ''or'' '''Power Suit + 15.6 days'''
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| − | <big>'''Firestorm'''</big>
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| − | Your first UFO. Unfortunately, a standard [[Interceptor]] armed with [[Plasma Beam]]s can often do just as well. This technology may be most desirable as part of the path to unlock Hovertanks.
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| − | Alien Alloys 400 8.0 days
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| − | Elerium-115 450 9.0 days
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| − | UFO Power Source 450 9.0 days
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| − | UFO Navigation 450 9.0 days
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| − | UFO Construction 450 9.0 days
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| − | [[Firestorm|New Fighter Craft]] 600 12.0 days
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| − | '''Total: 2800 56.0 days'''
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| − | However, there is high overlap between UFO technology and armor technology. Commanders will almost always research [[Power Suit]]s or [[Flying Suit]]s before embarking on UFO construction:
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| − | ->Flying Suit 2465 49.3 days
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| − | UFO Construction 450 9.0 days
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| − | New Fighter Craft 600 12.0 days
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| − | '''Total: 3515 70.3 days'''
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| − | ''or'' '''Flying Suit + 21.0 days'''
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| − | <big>'''Lightning'''</big>
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| − | A craft with unique properties -- but most prefer an [[Avenger]].
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| − | ->Firestorm ''(via Flying Suit)'' 3515 70.3 days
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| − | [[Lightning|New Fighter-Transporter]] 700 14.0 days
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| − | '''Total: 4215 84.3 days'''
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| − | ''or'' '''Firestorm + 14.0 days'''
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| − | <big>'''Avenger'''</big>
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| − | They don't call it the Ultimate Craft for nothing. Two or three Avengers plus a handful of Interceptors can give you complete air superiority over Terra. It also allows you to bring twice the manpower into battle than you could before. What's not to like?
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| − | ->Lighting 4215 84.3 days
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| − | [[Avenger|Ultimate Craft]] 900 18.0 days
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| − | '''Total: 5115 102.3 days'''
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| − | ''or'' '''Lightning + 18.0 days'''
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| − | ''or'' '''Flying Suit + 32.0 days'''
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| − | <big>'''Grav Shield'''</big>
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| − | Combined with several [[Fusion Ball Defences]], a Grav Shield will make your base impervious to alien invasion. However, a [[Mind Shield]] and/or a secure [[Base Layout Strategy|base layout]] is a quite viable alternative. Immediately shooting down scout UFOs on [[Alien Missions#Alien Retaliation|Alien Retaliation]] missions will also prevent most attacks.
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| − | ->Lightning 4215 84.3 days
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| − | [[Grav Shield]] 930 18.6 days
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| − | '''Total: 5145 102.9 days'''
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| − | ''or'' '''Lightning + 18.6 days'''
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| − | <big>'''Hovertank/Plasma'''</big>
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| − | A popular (and expendable) scout. Immune to Psi attacks, like all tanks. Produceable immediately after the completion of Firestorm and Plasma Beam research topics. Apparently, v1.0 has a bug where it is immediately available for construction after researching Plasma Beam, Elerium and Alien Alloys. In that case, you don't need the Firestorm topic.
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| − | ->Firestorm 3515 70.3 days
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| − | ->Plasma Beam 1860 37.2 days
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| − | '''Total: 5375 107.5 days'''
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| − | <big>'''Hovertank/Launcher'''</big>
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| − | In the field, it's less popular than the Plasma Hovertank due to the expense of its ammunition, which also does less damage than the man-portable [[Blaster Launcher]]. For base defense, the free Hovertank/Launcher ammo that is granted to you to protect the base turns this tank into the ultimate expendable defensive unit. It can be built immediately after the completion of the Firestorm and Fusion Ball Launcher research topics.
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| − | ->Firestorm 3515 70.3 days
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| − | ->Fusion Ball Launcher 2080 41.6 days
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| − | '''Total: 5595 111.9 days'''
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| − | <big>'''Psionic Laboratory'''</big>
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| − | Once you get [[psionics]], the aliens' days are numbered. It's tricky catching a Sectoid Leader or Ethereal, but the sooner you can, the better. With a psi lab you can separate the wheat from the chaff.
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| − | Any live psionic alien 192 3.84 days
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| − | [[Psionic Laboratory]] 420 8.4 days
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| − | '''Total: 612 11.24 days'''
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| − | <big>'''Psi-Amp'''</big>
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| − | Barely useful when [[Psionic Skill]] is low, but way too useful when it's high. A transport full of Psi soldiers is as scary to the aliens as the [[Ethereal]]s were at first to you.
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| − | ->Psionic Laboratory 420 11.24 days
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| − | [[Psi-Amp]] 500 10.0 days
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| − | '''Total: 920 21.24 days'''
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| − | ''or'' '''Psionic Laboratory + 10.0 days'''
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| − | <big>'''Mind Shield'''</big>
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| − | With a single Mind Shield at each base, the aliens will keep attempting [[Alien Missions#Alien Retaliation|Alien Retaliation]] missions, but most of them time, they'll zig-zag around, unable to find your base. Shooting down any Retaliation scout you see in addition will ensure that they almost never mount an attack on your base.
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| − | ->Psionic Laboratory 420 11.24 days
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| − | [[Mind Shield]] 360 7.2 days
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| − | '''Total: 780 18.44 days'''
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| − | ''or'' '''Psionic Laboratory + 7.2 days'''
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| − | <big>'''Hyper-Wave Decoder'''</big>
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| − | One of the most important technologies of the game. Build one at each base you own and you will be able to see just about every alien craft that enters the Earth's atmosphere. Every craft you intercept will please your funding nations, and can be worth millions in [[UFO Recovery Values|salvage value]]. A Hyper-Wave Decoder is your meal ticket: grab an alien Navigator the first chance you get.
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| − | Any live alien Navigator 192 3.86 days
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| − | [[Hyper-wave Decoder]] 670 13.4 days
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| − | '''Total: 862 17.26 days'''
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| − | <big>'''Cydonia'''</big>
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| − | Your final mission. Win it, and you are a savior; lose it, and humanity dies. You have to perform the research in this particular order, so don't forget to research The Martian Solution before you interrogate your first Commander, or else you'll have to capture another one. The same goes for your first Leader -- but if it's a Sectoid, research it immediately: the [[Psionic Laboratory]] is your absolute top priority. Once you get Psi soldiers, you can capture another Leader without much trouble at all.
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| − | In addition to completing these research topics, you must have an [[Avenger]] built before you can travel to [[Cydonia]]. The Avenger can be researched and built at any time, independent of the Cydonia-specific research topics. None of these topics are useful aside from unlocking Cydonia, so you can save most of it until you're ready to complete the game.
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| − | Any live alien 192 3.84 days
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| − | [[Alien Research|Alien Origins]] 300 6.0 days
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| − | Any live Leader 192 3.84 days
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| − | [[Alien Research|The Martian Solution]] 500 10.0 days
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| − | Any live Commander 192 3.84 days
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| − | [[Alien Research|Cydonia or Bust]] 600 12.0 days
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| − | '''Total: 1976 39.52 days'''
| |
| − | ''plus''
| |
| − | ->Avenger 5115 102.3 days
| |
| − | '''Total: 7091 141.82 days'''
| |
| − | | |
| − | <big>'''Stand-alone technologies'''</big>
| |
| − | | |
| − | In addition to the above research sequences, there are four useful technologies which have no research "dependencies" and can be studied directly. Medi-kits and Motion Scanners are two of the initially-available research topics (described [[#Initial research projects|above]]). Alien Grenades are a substantial improvement over the standard X-COM grenade, packing almost as much punch as a High Explosive, but far easier to carry and throw. Mind Probes can show alien rank and stats (useful for singling out Leaders and Commanders), although their usefulness is dwarfed by that of the Psi-Amp.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [[Medi-Kit]] '''210 4.2 days'''
| |
| − | [[Motion Scanner]] '''180 3.6 days'''
| |
| − | [[Alien Grenade]] '''200 4.0 days'''
| |
| − | [[Mind Probe]] '''600 12.0 days'''
| |
| − | | |
| − | = Technical Details =
| |
| − | | |
| − | == Research Trees ==
| |
| − | | |
| − | Here are sequences of research topics needed to unlock all the technologies in the game.
| |
| − | | |
| − | <big>'''Laser Weapons'''</big>
| |
| − | Laser Weapons (tech breakthrough)
| |
| − | |
| |
| − | [[Laser Pistol]]
| |
| − | |
| |
| − | [[Laser Rifle]]
| |
| − | |
| |
| − | [[Heavy Laser]]
| |
| − | |
| |
| − | [[Laser Cannon]]
| |
| − | ([[Heavy Weapons Platforms|Laser Tank]])
| |
| − | |
| |
| − | [[Laser Defences|Laser Defense]]
| |
| − | | |
| − | <big>'''Plasma Weapons'''</big>
| |
| − | [[Heavy Plasma]] [[Plasma Rifle]]
| |
| − | | Heavy Plasma Clip | Plasma Rifle Clip
| |
| − | |___________| |__________|
| |
| − | | |
| |
| − | | |
| |
| − | |__________OR___________|
| |
| − | |
| |
| − | [[Plasma Beam|Plasma Cannon]]
| |
| − | ([[Heavy Weapons Platforms|Hovertank/Plasma]])*
| |
| − | |
| |
| − | [[Plasma Defences|Plasma Defense]]
| |
| − | | |
| − | <nowiki>*</nowiki> [[#Craft|New Fighter Craft]] must also be researched before you can build hovertanks
| |
| − | | |
| − | <big>'''Fusion Weapons'''</big>
| |
| − | [[Blaster Launcher]] [[Blaster Bomb]]
| |
| − | |___________|
| |
| − | |
| |
| − | [[Fusion Ball Launcher|Fusion Ball]]
| |
| − | ([[Heavy Weapons Platforms|Hovertank/Launcher]])*
| |
| − | |
| |
| − | [[Fusion Ball Defences|Fusion Ball Defense]]
| |
| − | | |
| − | <nowiki>*</nowiki> [[#Craft|New Fighter Craft]] must also be researched before you can build hovertanks.
| |
| − | | |
| − | <big>'''Armor'''</big>
| |
| − | [[Alien Alloys]]
| |
| − | |
| |
| − | [[Elerium-115]] [[Personal Armor]] [[UFO Power Source]]
| |
| − | |_____________|_________________|
| |
| − | |
| |
| − | |
| |
| − | [[Power Suit]] [[UFO Navigation]]
| |
| − | |_________________|
| |
| − | |
| |
| − | [[Flying Suit]]
| |
| − | | |
| − | <big>'''Craft'''</big>
| |
| − | Alien Elerium UFO UFO
| |
| − | Alloys 115 Power Source Navigation
| |
| − | |___________|___________|______________|
| |
| − | |
| |
| − | UFO Construction
| |
| − | |
| |
| − | |
| |
| − | New Fighter Craft*
| |
| − | ([[Firestorm]])
| |
| − | |
| |
| − | New Fighter-Transporter
| |
| − | ([[Lightning]])
| |
| − | __________|____________
| |
| − | | |
| |
| − | [[Grav Shield]] Ultimate Craft ([[Avenger]])
| |
| − | | |
| − | <nowiki>*</nowiki> New Fighter Craft must be researched before you can build hovertanks
| |
| − | | |
| − | <big>'''Psionics'''</big>
| |
| − | Any Live Psionic Alien
| |
| − | |
| |
| − | [[Psionic Laboratory|Psi Lab]]
| |
| − | |_______
| |
| − | | |
| |
| − | [[Psi-Amp]] [[Mind Shield]]
| |
| − | | |
| − | <big>'''Hyper-Wave Decoder'''</big>
| |
| − | | |
| − | Any Live Alien Navigator
| |
| − | |
| |
| − | [[Hyper-wave Decoder]]
| |
| − | | |
| − | <big>'''Endgame'''</big>
| |
| − | | |
| − | These research topics must be completed in order to travel to [[Cydonia]] and finish the game.
| |
| − | | |
| − | Any Live Alien
| |
| − | |
| |
| − | [[Alien Research#Alien Origins|Alien Origins]]
| |
| − | |
| |
| − | | Any Live Alien Leader
| |
| − | | /
| |
| − | [[Alien Research#The Martian Solution|The Martian Solution]]
| |
| − | |
| |
| − | | Any Live Alien Commander
| |
| − | | /
| |
| − | [[Alien Research#Cydonia or Bust|Cydonia or Bust]]
| |
| − | |
| |
| − | | [[Avenger]]
| |
| − | | /
| |
| − | [[Cydonia]] (mission)
| |
| − | | |
| − | Alien Commanders can be found on [[Battleship]]s, or in [[Alien Base Assault|alien bases]]. An alien Commander will also always accompany a [[Base Defense|base invasion]] force. The [http://www.xcomufo.com/usg.html Unofficial Strategy Guide] incorrectly states that only a Commander from an alien base can be used to give access to "Cydonia or Bust". In practice, any Commander will do -- so long as The Martian Solution has already been researched. Should you research a Commander prior to this, you'll have to capture another.
| |
| − | | |
| − | <big>'''Individual topics'''</big>
| |
| − | | |
| − | Researching these topics will not unlock any technologies beyond themselves.
| |
| − | | |
| − | * [[Medi-Kit]]
| |
| − | * [[Motion Scanner]]
| |
| − | * [[Alien Grenade]]
| |
| − | * [[Mind Probe]]
| |
| − | | |
| − | There are also four UFO Components which can be researched but which have no practical value:
| |
| − | | |
| − | * [[Alien Entertainment]]
| |
| − | * [[Alien Food]]
| |
| − | * [[Alien Surgery]]
| |
| − | * [[Examination Room]]
| |
| − | | |
| − | A fifth component, [[Alien Reproduction]], cannot normally be found in the game, although it can be researched if you add it to your General Stores using a game editor.
| |
| − | | |
| − | == Researching Aliens ==
| |
| − | | |
| − | Researching live aliens will provide a variety of information. The type of information revealed is usually dependent on the alien's rank (or type).
| |
| − | | |
| − | Here is an overview of the research each alien type can produce:
| |
| − | | |
| − | *Any Live Alien: [[Alien Research#Alien Origins|Alien Origins]] and information on its own species
| |
| − | *Alien [[Soldier (Alien Rank)|Soldier]] or [[Terrorist (Alien Rank)|Terrorist]]: Nothing, beyond information on its own species
| |
| − | *Alien [[Medic (Alien Rank)|Medic]]: information on other [[#Alien species|alien species]]
| |
| − | *Alien [[Navigator (Alien Rank)|Navigator]]: [[#Alien missions|Alien missions]] and [[Hyper-wave Decoder]]
| |
| − | *Alien [[Engineer (Alien Rank)|Engineer]]: [[#Alien ships|Alien ships]]
| |
| − | *Alien [[Leader (Alien Rank)|Leader]] (or Commander): [[Alien Research#The Martian Solution|The Martian Solution]]
| |
| − | *Alien [[Commander (Alien Rank)|Commander]]: [[Alien Research#Cydonia or Bust|Cydonia or Bust]]
| |
| − | *Sectoid Leader or Commander, or any Ethereal: [[Psionic Laboratory]]
| |
| − | | |
| − | Researching a live alien will produce a "live alien" entry and can sometimes produce other [[UFOpaedia]] entries or even unlock new research topics, as detailed above. The first live alien of any type you study will unlock the [[Alien Research#Alien Origins|Alien Origins]] topic. Researching an alien will often produce no new UFOpaedia entries, if everything that could be learned from that alien type has already been discovered.
| |
| − | | |
| − | Most of the UFOpaedia entries generated by studying live aliens are of no intrinsic value, although sometimes they will provide insight into in-game alien behavior or characteristics. Sometimes the information provided is misleading. If nothing else, though, they are fun to read.
| |
| − | | |
| − | Each [[#Alien species|alien species]] (including autopsies), [[#Alien missions|alien mission]], or [[#Alien ships|alien ship]] entry added to the UFOpaedia will earn the player 50 points.
| |
| − | | |
| − | === Alien Types ===
| |
| − | | |
| − | There are 29 different alien race/rank combos in the game:
| |
| − | | |
| − | *Sectoid Soldier, Medic, Navigator, Engineer, Leader, or Commander
| |
| − | *Snakeman Soldier, Navigator, Engineer, Leader, or Commander
| |
| − | *Ethereal Soldier, Leader, or Commander
| |
| − | *Muton Soldier, Navigator, or Engineer
| |
| − | *Floater Soldier, Medic, Navigator, Engineer, Leader, or Commander
| |
| − | *Celatid Terrorist
| |
| − | *Silacoid Terrorist
| |
| − | *Chryssalid Terrorist
| |
| − | *Reaper Terrorist
| |
| − | *Sectopod Terrorist
| |
| − | *Cyberdisc Terrorist
| |
| − | | |
| − | One does not need to capture all of the alien-rank combinations to produce every possible UFOpaedia entry in the game. Enough Medics, Navigators, and Engineers of any sort will eventually fill out your UFOpaedia completely (although you must study at least one Leader and Commander, as [[#The Minimum Three|detailed above]]).
| |
| − | | |
| − | === Alien Missions ===
| |
| − | | |
| − | These UFOpaedia entries will be generated by researching alien Navigators. Captured Navigators may give information on mission types other than the type they were engaged in when captured.
| |
| − | | |
| − | *[[Alien Missions#Alien Research|Alien Research]]
| |
| − | *[[Alien Missions#Alien Harvest|Alien Harvest]]
| |
| − | *[[Alien Missions#Alien Abduction|Alien Abduction]]
| |
| − | *[[Alien Missions#Alien Infiltration|Alien Infiltration]]
| |
| − | *[[Alien Missions#Alien Base|Alien Base]]
| |
| − | *[[Alien Missions#Alien Terror|Alien Terror]]
| |
| − | *[[Alien Missions#Alien Retaliation|Alien Retaliation]]
| |
| − | *[[Alien Missions#Alien Supply|Alien Supply]]
| |
| − | | |
| − | === Alien Ships ===
| |
| − | | |
| − | These UFOpaedia entries will be generated by researching alien Engineers. They do not unlock any technologies, but they do give detailed information about the performance characteristics of each ship, which can help players tailor their [[UFO_Interception|interception]] strategies. Captured Engineers may give information on ship types other than the type they were found on.
| |
| − | | |
| − | *[[Small Scout]]
| |
| − | *[[Medium Scout]]
| |
| − | *[[Large Scout]]
| |
| − | *[[Abductor]]
| |
| − | *[[Harvester]]
| |
| − | *[[Supply ship|Supply Ship]]
| |
| − | *[[Terror ship|Terror Ship]]
| |
| − | *[[Battleship]]
| |
| − | | |
| − | === Alien Species ===
| |
| − | | |
| − | Studying any captive alien will produce a "live alien" [[UFOpaedia]] entry on that species, unless that entry already exists. Researching an alien corpse will produce an "Alien Autopsy" UFOpaedia entry on its species.
| |
| − | | |
| − | Researching alien Medics can produce "live alien" and Autopsy entries on species other than their own. (However, if the entry on live [[Ethereal]]s is produced in this manner it will not unlock the [[Psionic Laboratory]] research topic -- you must still study a psionic alien directly.)
| |
| − | | |
| − | There are 11 different alien species in the game, and 11 different Live and Autopsy entries can be generated. (Zombies can be thought of as a 12th alien species, although neither a corpse nor live specimen can ever be collected, and a UFOpaedia entry can never be generated on them.)
| |
| − | | |
| − | The two robotic units (Sectopods and Cyberdiscs) cannot be captured alive or studied directly. To generate a live alien UFOpaedia entry on them, you must research alien Medics of any other species.
| |
| − | | |
| − | *[[Sectoid]]
| |
| − | *[[Snakeman]]
| |
| − | *[[Ethereal]]
| |
| − | *[[Muton]]
| |
| − | *[[Floater]]
| |
| − | *[[Celatid]]
| |
| − | *[[Silacoid]]
| |
| − | *[[Chryssalid]]
| |
| − | *[[Reaper]]
| |
| − | *[[Sectopod]]
| |
| − | *[[Cyberdisc]]
| |
| − | | |
| − | == Research Time ==
| |
| − | | |
| − | The following is a list of all research topics in the game. Values taken from [[RESEARCH.DAT]].
| |
| − | | |
| − | === Sorted alphabetically ===
| |
| − | | |
| − | {| {{StdCenterTable}} width="50%"
| |
| − | |- {{StdDescTable_Heading}}
| |
| − | ! Man Days !! One Lab !! Research Project
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |400 || 8 ||align="left"| Alien Alloys
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |180 || 3.6 ||align="left"| Alien Corpses (each -- 11 different types)
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |150 || 3 ||align="left"| Alien Entertainment
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |150 || 3 ||align="left"| Alien Food
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |200 || 4 ||align="left"| Alien Grenade
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |300 || 6 ||align="left"| Alien Origins
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |150 || 3 ||align="left"| Alien Reproduction*
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |150 || 3 ||align="left"| Alien Surgery
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |300 || 6 ||align="left"| Blaster Bomb
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |900 || 18 ||align="left"| Blaster Launcher
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |600 || 12 ||align="left"| Cydonia or Bust
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |450 || 9 ||align="left"| Elerium-115
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |150 || 3 ||align="left"| Examination Room
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |330 || 6.6 ||align="left"| Flying Suit
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |800 || 16 ||align="left"| Fusion Defenses
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |880 || 17.6||align="left"| Fusion Missile (Fusion Ball & Launcher)
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |930 || 18.6||align="left"| Grav Shield
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |460 || 9.2 ||align="left"| Heavy Laser
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |800 || 16 ||align="left"| Heavy Plasma
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |400 || 8 ||align="left"| Heavy Plasma Clip
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |670 || 13.4||align="left"| Hyper-Wave Decoder
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |420 || 8.4 ||align="left"| Laser Cannon
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |510 || 10.2||align="left"| Laser Defenses
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |100 || 2 ||align="left"| Laser Pistol
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |300 || 6 ||align="left"| Laser Rifle
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |50 || 1 ||align="left"| Laser Weapons
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |192 || 3.84||align="left"| Live Aliens (except Terrorists and Sectoid Commander) (22 types)
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |190 || 3.8 ||align="left"| Live Sectoid Commander (go figure)
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |170 || 3.4 ||align="left"| Live Terrorists (4 types -- Reaper, Chryssalid, Silacoid, Celatid)
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |210 || 4.2 ||align="left"| Medi-Kit
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |600 || 12 ||align="left"| Mind Probe
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |360 || 7.2 ||align="left"| Mind Shield
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |180 || 3.6 ||align="left"| Motion Scanner
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |600 || 12 ||align="left"| New Fighter Craft (Firestorm)
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |700 || 14 ||align="left"| New Fighter-Transporter (Lightning)
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |180 || 3.6 ||align="left"| Personal Armor
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |660 || 13.2||align="left"| Plasma Beam
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |620 || 12.4||align="left"| Plasma Defenses
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |600 || 12 ||align="left"| Plasma Pistol
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |400 || 8 ||align="left"| Plasma Pistol Clip
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |700 || 14 ||align="left"| Plasma Rifle
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |400 || 8 ||align="left"| Plasma Rifle Clip
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |205 || 4.1 ||align="left"| Power Suit
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |500 || 10 ||align="left"| Psi-Amp
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |420 || 8.4 ||align="left"| Psi-Lab
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |550 || 11 ||align="left"| Small Launcher
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |180 || 3.6 ||align="left"| Stun Bomb
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |500 || 10 ||align="left"| The Martian Solution
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |450 || 9 ||align="left"| UFO Construction
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |450 || 9 ||align="left"| UFO Navigation
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |450 || 9 ||align="left"| UFO Power Source
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |900 || 18 ||align="left"| Ultimate Craft (Avenger)
| |
| − | |}
| |
| − | | |
| − | <nowiki>*</nowiki> Alien Reproduction is not ordinarily researchable unless you use an editor to add one your General Stores.
| |
| − | | |
| − | === Sorted By Days Needed ===
| |
| − | {| {{StdCenterTable}} width="50%"
| |
| − | |- {{StdDescTable_Heading}}
| |
| − | !Man Days !! One Lab!! Research Project
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |50 || 1 ||align="left"| Laser Weapons
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |100 || 2 ||align="left"| Laser Pistol
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |150 || 3 ||align="left"| Alien Entertainment
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |150 || 3 ||align="left"| Alien Food
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |150 || 3 ||align="left"| Alien Reproduction
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |150 || 3 ||align="left"| Alien Surgery
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |150 || 3 ||align="left"| Examination Room
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |170 || 3.4 ||align="left"| Live Terrorists (4 types -- Reaper, Chryssalid, Silacoid, Celatid)
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |180 || 3.6 ||align="left"| Alien Corpses (each -- 11 different types)
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |180 || 3.6 ||align="left"| Motion Scanner
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |180 || 3.6 ||align="left"| Personal Armor
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |180 || 3.6 ||align="left"| Stun Bomb
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |190 || 3.8 ||align="left"| Live Sectoid Commander (go figure)
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |192 || 3.84||align="left"| Live Aliens (except Terrorists and Sectoid Commander) (22 types)
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |200 || 4 ||align="left"| Alien Grenade
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |205 || 4.1 ||align="left"| Power Suit
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |210 || 4.2 ||align="left"| Medi-Kit
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |300 || 6 ||align="left"| Alien Origins
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |300 || 6 ||align="left"| Blaster Bomb
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |300 || 6 ||align="left"| Laser Rifle
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |330 || 6.6 ||align="left"| Flying Suit
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |360 || 7.2 ||align="left"| Mind Shield
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |400 || 8 ||align="left"| Alien Alloys
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |400 || 8 ||align="left"| Heavy Plasma Clip
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |400 || 8 ||align="left"| Plasma Pistol Clip
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |400 || 8 ||align="left"| Plasma Rifle Clip
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |420 || 8.4 ||align="left"| Laser Cannon
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |420 || 8.4 ||align="left"| Psi-Lab
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |450 || 9 ||align="left"| Elerium-115
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |450 || 9 ||align="left"| UFO Construction
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |450 || 9 ||align="left"| UFO Navigation
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |450 || 9 ||align="left"| UFO Power Source
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |460 || 9.2 ||align="left"| Heavy Laser
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |500 || 10 ||align="left"| Psi-Amp
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |500 || 10 ||align="left"| The Martian Solution
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |510 || 10.2||align="left"| Laser Defenses
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |550 || 11 ||align="left"| Small Launcher
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |600 || 12 ||align="left"| Cydonia or Bust
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |600 || 12 ||align="left"| Mind Probe
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |600 || 12 ||align="left"| New Fighter Craft (Firestorm)
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |600 || 12 ||align="left"| Plasma Pistol
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |620 || 12.4||align="left"| Plasma Defenses
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |660 || 13.2||align="left"| Craft Plasma Beam
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |670 || 13.4||align="left"| Hyper-Wave Decoder
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |700 || 14 ||align="left"| New Fighter-Transporter (Lightning)
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |700 || 14 ||align="left"| Plasma Rifle
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |800 || 16 ||align="left"| Fusion Defenses
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |800 || 16 ||align="left"| Heavy Plasma
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |880 || 17.6||align="left"| Fusion Missile (Fusion Ball & Launcher)
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |900 || 18 ||align="left"| Blaster Launcher
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |900 || 18 ||align="left"| Ultimate Craft (Avenger)
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| − | |-
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| − | |930 || 18.6||align="left"| Grav Shield
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| − | |}
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| − | === Research Time Notes ===
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| − | | |
| − | *'''One Lab''' is the number of Days divided by 50. This shows how quickly one lab full of 50 scientists needs to complete the Project, on average. Two labs full of scientists would need half this time on average, etc.
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| − | *This single check per day also means they will take a minimum of one day, except in special circumstances. Decimals are still shown for the '''One Lab''' column, however, so you can project to multiple labs and/or see where time is lost or gained by truncation (read on).
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| − | *The numbers shown in the tables are '''averages'''. In actuality, the time may differ by +- 50%. Laser Weapons may take anything from 25 to 75 man days, on average it's 50.
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| − | * Projects only progress and check completion '''at midnight''', so what scientists are doing – whether traveling between bases, on different projects or sitting in the coffee room unassigned – during the entire rest of the day is irrelevant. All that matters is what (if any) projects they are on at midnight.
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| − | * Each midnight, the game subtracts the number of man days according to how many men you have assigned to that project; the project is done when the counter reaches zero. If a project will require 31 man days and you have 10 scientists assigned, it will take four days to complete. By then you have spent (10 Scientists * 4 days = 40 man days) and effectively wasted nine. On the last day, you could withdraw nine scientists from the project; or you could have started it with only eight to begin with and still have researched it in four days. However, as there is no way of knowing how much time a project will really need, it's inevitable that a few man days will be wasted on every project.
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| − | * The efficiency increases as the number of scientists on a project decreases. If you run several projects in parallel, you'll waste fewer man days overall. In the extreme case, you'd assign only one scientist on every project and would be sure that not a single man day will be lost; however, it would also take months or even years to get anything done. You decide.
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| − | * Actually, all that matters is the last day; so you could at first assign many scientists and, once you feel that the project approaches conclusion, remove most of them. But without cheating, there's no way of telling.
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| − | | |
| − | ==Research Progress==
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| − | | |
| − | The Progress part of the current Research screen will give you an idea of how things are going, but you will have to know how to read the information it is giving you.
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| − | <br>
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| − | <br>
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| − | <big>'''Unknown Progress'''</big>
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| − | | |
| − | The first part of understanding the progress report is knowing why a project has an Unknown progress. This happens whenever a project has more than 2/3rds of its '''average''' research time left. Examples:
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| − | | |
| − | * Laser Weapons average 50 Man Days (MDs), so if you have 34 or more MDs left then it will be listed as Unknown
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| − | * Psi Amps average 500 MDs, so if you have 334 or more MDs left then it will be listed as Unknown
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| − | | |
| − | Clearly this indicates an immediate fact that can be helpful (especially if you want to do some cheating), that if you create a project and assign even just one scientist to it and don't get Unknown, then you just got a good roll for the time required (more accurately, in the top 16.7% of possible results, or 1 in 6 projects). Let's walk through an example:
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| − | * Say a project has an '''average''' time of 120 MDs. Thus, it's roll can actually be 60 to 180 MDs.
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| − | * If you get the best possible roll - 60 MDs - the project is at 50% ''relative to the '''average''' time'' of 120 MDs. 50% is greater than a third, so it will not be at Unknown.
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| − | * The break-even point for a 120-average-MDs project would be a roll of 80 MDs. At 80, the algorithm thinks, "ok, 80 more MDs are needed; 120-80='''40''' MDs are gone, which is one third of 120 MDs. So it's not Unknown status any more."
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| − | * This range of 60 to 80 MDs is only one-sixth of the possible rolls for a 120 day project (60 to 180 MDs). Thus, you have to get in the top sixth of rolls to not see Unknown.
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| − | <br>
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| − | <big>'''Known Progress'''</big>
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| − | | |
| − | Okay, so eventually your project gets out of Unknown status due to the industrious sweat of your scientists and the progress of time (or alternately a bit of reloading of saves). Now we get back an actual progress rating of Poor, Average, Good or Excellent, and we need to understand what they mean.
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| | | | |
| − | Actual Progress ratings are related again to the average project durations for the item being researched, but this time as we know it is related to the number of scientists on the project. So simply divide the number of assigned scientists by average project research time and convert to a percentage:
| + | Some good short-term options to consider include: |
| | | | |
| − | Scientists assigned / Average ManDays required * 100 = Progress Rating
| + | * Buying an [[Alien Containment]] |
| | + | * Raise your scientist numbers to 50 |
| | | | |
| − | {| {{StdDescTable}} width="25%"
| + | Buying an '''alien containment''' allows the capture and interrogation of aliens. While interrogations as a whole serve mainly as a means to provide more background information to the plot of the game, a few ranks such as the Navigator or a [[Sectoid]] Leader provide some high level research. If found early, are very useful to have and can set the tone of the rest of the game. |
| − | | {{StdDescTable Heading}} | Named Rating
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| − | | {{StdDescTable Heading}} | Progress Rating
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| − | |-
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| − | | Excellent || 26+
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| − | |-
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| − | | Good || 14 to <26
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| − | |-
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| − | | Average || 8 to <14
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| − | |-
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| − | | Poor || >0 to <8
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| − | |-
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| − | | None || 0
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| − | |}
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| | | | |
| − | Note the progress rating is equivalent to the percentage progress you would make if you happen to roll exactly average when starting a project, so an average Excellent project will be at most 4 days to complete (26%*4), but you have to factor in the random element - i.e., that you actually have a target of somewhere between 50% and 150%, so the range if you are just inside Excellent is 2-6 days, for example.
| + | '''Raising your number of hired scientists to 50''' allows you to fill all vacant spaces in the first lab. Keep in mind that the lab is rented, so any unused workspace will mean you are not getting the most out of your monthly investment. |
| | | | |
| − | So to show against our previous examples, once they are not unknown:
| + | Long term options you want to consider: |
| | | | |
| − | *Laser Weapons have an average project time of 50, so 0 gives None, 1 to 3 gives Poor, 4 to 6 gives Average, 7 to 12 gives Good, and 13 or more gives Excellent | + | * Building additional living quarters |
| − | *Psi Amps have an average project time of 500, so 0 gives None, 1 to 39 gives Poor, 40 to 69 gives Average, 70 to 129 gives Good, and 130 or more gives Excellent | + | * Building additional laboratories |
| | + | * Hiring additional scientists (50 per living quarter and lab) |
| | | | |
| − | Note that the actual time left is not included in this calculation, so once it is out of unknown the progress seen on screen will only change if you change the number of scientists assigned.
| + | All three points work hand in hand to increase the number of scientists at your disposal, allowing you to work through the research topics at a faster pace. |
| | | | |
| − | We can also deduce the range of maximum times left from the ratings as well, although unknown and poor have too high a range to be meaningful really (although you can divide the values shown by the number of scientists you have assigned, and reduce it proportionality if you have a project shorter than Grav Shield).
| + | '''Caution:''' Be aware that research facilities and staff are expensive to obtain and maintain. Over-exerting your limited finances to build a massive research facility right from the beginning may prove to be much more detrimental than beneficial to the cause. You may want to only plan your expansion at this stage. |
| | | | |
| − | {| {{StdDescTable}} width="25%"
| + | ---- |
| − | | {{StdDescTable Heading}} | Named Rating
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| − | | {{StdDescTable Heading}} | Days Left
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| − | |-
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| − | | Excellent || 1 to 3
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| − | |-
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| − | | Good || 1 to 5
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| − | |-
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| − | | Average || 1 to 9
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| − | |-
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| − | | Poor || 1 to 620
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| − | |-
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| − | | Unknown || 1 to 1395
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| − | |-
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| − | | None || Infinite
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| − | |}
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| | | | |
| − | Notes: For Unknown 1395 is the worst roll on Grav Shield, and you might only have 1 man doing it, but on the other end for Laser Weapons you could have 34 Man Days left, but easily have that many scientists on it to complete it next midnight. For Poor it covers from a large range like Unknown, but you must have completed 2/3rds of it, so again for the highest average project time Grav Shield we get 930*(2/3), or 620. For long projects like Grav Shield you can be rated poor while having up to 74 scientists assigned due to their average time to complete being so high.
| + | A comfortable medium for beginners and perhaps any level of player is to work with 100 scientists. It strikes a good balance of speed and the maintenance cost is not too hefty. Veteran players familiar with what technologies they are after can easily get away with 50 or even lesser scientists. |
| | | | |
| − | Of course really the only important thing here is that we are not seeing Unknown, at that point you know that you only have 2/3rds or less left, so at that point you can work it out more accurately just by: 66.7%/Progress Rating = Max Days left (round all fractions up). If you just started the project (or have never assigned anyone to it) you also know it is at least 50%, so 50%/Progress Rating = Min Days left at that point.
| + | Scientists quantities of 150, 200 and 250 are best considered later once you have more reliable means of income. |
| | | | |
| − | == Total Research Time ==
| |
| | | | |
| − | The total time needed to research all technologies is 21,215 days, plus another 576 to research [[#The Minimum Three|The Minimum Three]], plus another 6,500 or so to add every alien [[#Alien species|species]], [[#Alien ships|ship type]], and [[#Alien missions|mission type]] entry to the [[UFOpaedia]] (about 28,300 days total).
| + | == Research Basics: Beyond == |
| | | | |
| − | This can be compared against the total time needed for 1 Scientist, 50 Scientists (1 lab), 100 (2 labs), and so on. Numbers were composed by taking the average of the integer-truncated min and max for each project, then summing these together for all projects:
| + | After your first mission, you will start to obtain new topics in the labs depending on the artefacts and aliens that you are able to bring home from the battles. This opens up a world of better technology that you can access right away. Many of these technologies will also form the foundation of even higher tier technologies that you will need in due course. |
| | | | |
| − | '''Note: the following figures are based on an earlier (incomplete) list of research topics. The specific numbers are no longer correct, although the "efficiency" figures are likely to be similar.''' | + | Due to the open nature of this game, and the various playing methods that players will adopt, there's no one true path on how to proceed from here. Pick what technologies fancy you the most, or go for the ones with the most immediate benefits. Make up your own system of how research must progress, or just start picking topics at random. It's entirely up to you. |
| | | | |
| − | ''Scientists
| |
| − | <u>1</u> <u>50</u> <u>100</u> <u>150</u> <u>200</u> <u>250</u> <u>300</u> <u>350</u> <u>400</u> <u>450</u> <u>500</u>
| |
| − | Days 20215 391 190 125 94 75 67 58 56 52 49
| |
| − | Months 663 12.82 6.23 4.10 3.08 2.46 2.20 1.89 1.84 1.69 1.61
| |
| − | Efficiency -- +3% +6% +8% +8% +8% +1% +0% -10% -13% -17%
| |
| | | | |
| − | "Months" are considered to be 30.5 days long.
| + | == See Also == |
| | | | |
| − | '''Efficiency''' shows how much time is gained or lost versus a pure case with absolutely no integer truncation or 1-day minima (see Notes). As can be seen, it is maximal around 3-5 labs, then starts dropping and keeps dropping.
| + | For more advanced information on research, refer to: |
| | | | |
| − | Note that going from 3 labs to 4 only saves you about a month -- which is about how long it takes to set up the lab! In practice, 2-3 labs are quite sufficient to acquire all alien technologies in a reasonable time frame.
| + | *[[Research Basics]] |
| | + | *[[Research Popular Sequences and Tips|Popular Sequences and Tips]] |
| | + | *[[Research Trees]] |
| | + | *[[Live Alien Research|Researching Live Aliens]] |
| | + | *[[Research Technical Details|Technical Details]] |
| | | | |
| | + | {{Research Navbar}} |
| | | | |
| − | [[Category:Data tables]] | + | [[Category:Research (EU)]] |
| | + | [[Category:Enemy Unknown/UFO Defense]] |
X-COM: Enemy Unknown/UFO Defense