An idea to reduce the bloat of the Engineering Research branch

[Affinitytank]

Suggesting: 2 Technologies each in Society and Physics that provide a bonus % of Physics and Society research production into Engineering. Engineering can have Techs that give a flat % bonus to Physics and Society.

I am currently Imagining, for example (Names and Values subject to proper balancing):

Physics: Precision matter alignment and Improved Precision matter alignment that gives +5 and +10% of Physics output into bonus engineering (does not take away from physics research)

Society: Bio-organic-metallic production and improved bio-organic-metallic production for +5% and +10% of society tech output into engineering (also does not take away)

Engineering: High temperature Superconductors for +5% bonus physics production and Fluid Catalysts for +5% Society production.

All in all: The intention is to make engineering research to make it less bloated by boosting it; the bloat especially noticeable for engineering repeatables.

 

[Stupid_Dragon]

Sounds like a bandaid solution to be honest. You can achieve the same by simply changing researcher's yields to 1/1/1.2.

Also, perhaps a controversal opinion, but Engineering isn't bloated. Engineering is the most well designed tech tree that is full of meaningful things.

It is physics and society that are bloated. Physics have a lot of low impact A-slot module tech and covert ops things and Society is bloated with blocker tech and to lesser extent naval cap boosts. The fact that they still have less total science points compared to engineering just adds insults to injury.

 

[Affinitytank]

Fair, I shall continue to wonder on ways to solve the problem of crowded (useful) engineering techs

 

[Kabian]

Sounds like a bandaid solution to be honest. You can achieve the same by simply changing researcher's yields to 1/1/1.2.

Also, perhaps a controversal opinion, but Engineering isn't bloated. Engineering is the most well designed tech tree that is full of meaningful things.

It is physics and society that are bloated. Physics have a lot of low impact A-slot module tech and covert ops things and Society is bloated with blocker tech and to lesser extent naval cap boosts. The fact that they still have less total science points compared to engineering just adds insults to injury.

Consolidate all blocker techs into "wet blockers, arid blockers and continental blockers".
Consolidate cover ops, or just make cover ops actually impactful.

Buff colony development techs (a tech that gives you 1-2 months faster colonization is not really worth)
Buff edict funds techs (20 edict funds is only good at the very start of the game"

Use the fred up space to put more interesting, relevant techs.

Anyway i dont know why we need 9 TECHS just on blockers

 

[Stupid_Dragon]

Use the fred up space to put more interesting, relevant techs.

That's the root of the problem. They try. Covert tech with Nemesis, Hyper Relays with Overlord, and likely Stealth will be a physics tech in First Contact. Frankly I can't even say off the top of my head what would I wanted to add to physics. Maybe some field-based weapon with unique effect, maybe something that converts hacking advantage into actual combat benefit, maybe personel shields for invasion/defense armies, maybe some FTL communication tech (it's currently assumed to be baseline). Still not sure if enough to make it look as thick as Engineering.

 

[Cosmic Fishering Fleet]

Repeatables are their own problem. When all techs are repeatables, we have what, 7 research alternatives? I have 6 repeatable Society techs, one of which is not releavant for me (beause of me being a ME), 4 Physics techs, from which I usually pick only one or two. Engineering? Eight, not counting techs that are capped on lvl5. Sometimes I think that Engineering needs a research that adds another Lead Engineer (with their own queue) in the research tab.