Is there anybody that doesn't research dangerous tech as soon as it becomes available?

[CocoCincinnati]

At first, I was avoiding reseraching dangerous techs but the more I've played the less concerned I've gotten. You can pretty much bet you will have an end game crisis at some point no matter what you do, either the AI will research something or the scourge shows up even if nobody researched dangerous tech. I mean, if the end game crisis were tougher AND you could actually avoid them in a game, then yes I might avoid those techs but as long as a crisis is going to happen anyway, there's no reason to limit yourself.

 

[Hapchazzard]

At first, I was avoiding reseraching dangerous techs but the more I've played the less concerned I've gotten. You can pretty much bet you will have an end game crisis at some point, either the AI will research something or the scourge shows up even if nobody researched dangerous tech. I mean, if the end game crisis were tougher, AND you could actually avoid them in a game, then yes I might avoid those techs but as long as a crisis is going to happen anyway, there's no reason to limit yourself.

I completely agree with this. What's more, I'd argue that the Scourge is the toughest crisis of the current three, so you might actually want to trigger one of the other crises just to avoid the Scourge.

 

[CocoCincinnati]

I completely agree with this. What's more, I'd argue that the Scourge is the toughest crisis of the current three, so you might actually want to trigger one of the other crises just to avoid the Scourge.

It's funny you say that because in my current game, I jumped on the AI techs as soon as they came up. It's the earliest I've researched them and it's also the first time I've ever had to deal with the Scourge. It just started and it's consumed about half of my closest neighbor. I keep asking him for military access so I can help him out and he keeps turning me down.

 

[Kagemusha]

...

Eh, this late in the game, I'm not really sure what sort of good alternatives would there even be(except particle/tachyon lances, of course. Considering how powerful they are, I find it odd that they aren't classified as a rare technology).

...

Well, I only got sentient AI as red tech possibility, never the jump drive so far.
And the 10% research bonus isn't so big (under consideration of its risks) if you are leading in the galactic tech race anyway

It's funny you say that because in my current game, I jumped on the AI techs as soon as they came up. It's the earliest I've researched them and it's also the first time I've ever had to deal with the Scourge. It just started and it's consumed about half of my closest neighbor. I keep asking him for military access so I can help him out and he keeps turning me down.

Similar to my biggest neighbour with the scourge ... he kept getting devoured by the scourge, had no significant battlefleets anymore and nevertheless never agreed to military access so I could cross his terrain in order to help him fighting it. I had to wait till the scourge had consumed so much of his terrain, that they were in jump range from my border.
May have been better if I had been able to offer him an NAP beforehand, but unfortunately I was in an alliance and NAPs aren't available to offer in this case anymore

 

[General Karthos]

I've passed sentient AI up once or twice due to having other techs I more urgently wanted, but other than that, no. Then again I've never spawned near a KKeeper of Knowledge FE, my only two really long-term games so far only had Xenophile, Spiritualist and Xenophobe FEs.

I am almost 100 years into my game, and I still haven't encountered any FEs. Of course, none of my neighbors will grant me access to pass through them, and as they're all in a Federation, I'm busy conquering the ones in "my" portion of the Galaxy, rather than expanding into the Galaxy at large.

EDIT: So in other words, when dangerous techs become available, if they are the best (and being obsessed with my research speed, we all know at least one that will always be the best to my mind) I will research them. If I have better alternatives... I may go ahead and research those.

EDIT 2: And if the Unbidden or someone else shows up in the OTHER part of the Galaxy, I'm just going to ignore them. RP that we agreed that what I do in my half is my business, what they do in theirs is theirs.

 

[DBT85]

Interesting, I got the impression that dangerous tech is something you almost always take as soon as you can, considering it's rarity and it's really, really good bonuses(+10% research speed? POPs that get a +20% bonus to everything they do? Access to arguably the best combat computer/FTL tech in the game? Count me in!). Based on what I've seen so far, the AI uprising is really, really underwhelming even if it starts somewhere else and has time to pick up the pace before getting crushed by the player. The far worse thing IMO about the AI uprising is the fact that synths/droids/robots become practically disabled permanently after it starts, not the uprising itself.

To be fair, this is still my first play through. I lost 100 years after some weird save issue (rather annoying realy as I'd just been on a huge expansion which took me up against a FE which I was about 15k short of defeating at my first attempt)

I'm at around 2350 give or take a few years and I'm now left with the choice of attacking large alliances/federations or poking a FE.

On a different play through I'll probably choose some of those options when they appear.

 

[kazper]

I completely agree with this. What's more, I'd argue that the Scourge is the toughest crisis of the current three, so you might actually want to trigger one of the other crises just to avoid the Scourge.

Have the Scourge been significantly buffed in 1.1? In 1.0.3 they were laughably easy due to total reliance in missiles. Bring enough PD and you were close to invulnerable. In one game I took out every Scourge fleet with a single 22k fleet

 

[MarsVA]

Yeah, I ignore dangerous techs all the time if there is a tech I need more in the cards.

 

[Brownbeard]

I have yet to see a late game crisis. I either win before or lose interest due to lag on larger maps.

 

[bobthedog]

YWell, the MTTH for the Unbidden if you have PSI jump drives is 20 years, so you still have around 10 years left. Or is it if you have both jump drive technologies?

MTTH if you have no jump drives = 2000 years.
MTTH if you have one type of jump = 200 years.
MTTH if you have both types of jump = 20 years.
-20% (400, 40, 4 years respectively) if you had the Wanderlust event chain.

So if you want to trigger the Unbidden intentionally, play as Spiritualist and use wormholes, then get all psionic and wormhole techs whenever they appear. After that, you get a (very small) chance to get each jump tech at every draw.

 

[Hapchazzard]

Well, I only got sentient AI as red tech possibility, never the jump drive so far.
And the 10% research bonus isn't so big (under consideration of its risks) if you are leading in the galactic tech race anyway

Eh, it's not really risky unless you choose to start building synths a lot and/or have a Keeper of Knowledge near you(but even then, just outlaw AI - they'll be happy with you and you get the +10% research speed).

It's funny you say that because in my current game, I jumped on the AI techs as soon as they came up. It's the earliest I've researched them and it's also the first time I've ever had to deal with the Scourge. It just started and it's consumed about half of my closest neighbor. I keep asking him for military access so I can help him out and he keeps turning me down.

Similar to my biggest neighbour with the scourge ... he kept getting devoured by the scourge, had no significant battlefleets anymore and nevertheless never agreed to military access so I could cross his terrain in order to help him fighting it. I had to wait till the scourge had consumed so much of his terrain, that they were in jump range from my border.
May have been better if I had been able to offer him an NAP beforehand, but unfortunately I was in an alliance and NAPs aren't available to offer in this case anymore

I have a feeling that annoyances such as these will be resolved with the future patch(1.2 is it?) where all borders are open by default unless the empire in question specifically blocked you from them.

And if the Unbidden or someone else shows up in the OTHER part of the Galaxy, I'm just going to ignore them. RP that we agreed that what I do in my half is my business, what they do in theirs is theirs.

That seems like a good way to make the Unbidden actually challenging - having them invade you directly initially will just make them very easy. I heard if you give them time to snowball, not only will they really snowball, but several new portals will open as well, making them a proper threat.

I'm at around 2350 give or take a few years and I'm now left with the choice of attacking large alliances/federations or poking a FE.

Go for the FE, if you ask me. Trust me, after you take over their planets, you'll never have to care about your energy and mineral income again, considering the FE's ancient complexes that manufacture >10 energy/minerals each. In my current game, where I've taken down two fallen empires, I have a monthly income of around 400 credits and 1000 minerals, despite having a fleet of 40 high-tech battleships and 60 cruisers and the social welfare programs edict.

Have the Scourge been significantly buffed in 1.1? In 1.0.3 they were laughably easy due to total reliance in missiles. Bring enough PD and you were close to invulnerable. In one game I took out every Scourge fleet with a single 22k fleet

Not really sure, only had them in a previous game where they spawned on the other side of the galaxy in 2330-something. Around two decades later(I think), they've already engulfed several mid-sized countries and are (apparently successfully) invading a large federation. I didn't fight them directly yet, so I don't know how strong they are exactly.

Yeah, I ignore dangerous techs all the time if there is a tech I need more in the cards.

I guess this is another major reason then. Several other people have mentioned this too, though it never personally happened to me to have a dilemma between dangerous tech and something else.

I have yet to see a late game crisis. I either win before or lose interest due to lag on larger maps.

Unfortunate . I used to have horrendous end-month lag before Clarke(in 2370 it would sometimes take upwards of 20 seconds for the month to pass). Clarke completely eliminated this problem for me, and I am now in 2430 and still only get the occasional slowdown during a massive battle.

MTTH if you have no jump drives = 2000 years.
MTTH if you have one type of jump = 200 years.
MTTH if you have both types of jump = 20 years.
-20% (400, 40, 4 years respectively) if you had the Wanderlust event chain.

So if you want to trigger the Unbidden intentionally, play as Spiritualist and use wormholes, then get all psionic and wormhole techs whenever they appear. After that, you get a (very small) chance to get each jump tech at every draw.

Is there any benefit to having both types of jump drive?

 

[Ornlu Wolfjarl]

Interesting, I got the impression that dangerous tech is something you almost always take as soon as you can, considering it's rarity and it's really, really good bonuses(+10% research speed? POPs that get a +20% bonus to everything they do? Access to arguably the best combat computer/FTL tech in the game? Count me in!)

In my materialistic technocracy, I've gotten the red AI tech to appear in the first 10 years, and then it seems like every 5 research cycles the game puts it up for me. In my mind's eye, the technocratic council is split on whether they want to develop AI or not, and subsequently the rest of the empire is also split on this issue. Finding the remnants of a movie called the Matrix on the Tomb World Sol III has made them quite wary of the potential dangers of AI.

 

[Janzani]

It depends how I am doing in a game. If I feel safe I will go for the dangerous techs. On the game I am playing now sentient AI popped and my neighbours were the fallen empire that protects dangerous technology. I took the sentient AI and made an embassy in the fallen empire. Problem solved! I had jump drives pop up really early as well but at the time my fleet power was only 20k so I did not research it.

 

[DBT85]

Go for the FE, if you ask me. Trust me, after you take over their planets, you'll never have to care about your energy and mineral income again, considering the FE's ancient complexes that manufacture >10 energy/minerals each. In my current game, where I've taken down two fallen empires, I have a monthly income of around 400 credits and 1000 minerals, despite having a fleet of 40 high-tech battleships and 60 cruisers and the social welfare programs edict.

Yeah, I'm building ships up, just not decided yet which way to go!

 

[Brownbeard]

Unfortunate . I used to have horrendous end-month lag before Clarke(in 2370 it would sometimes take upwards of 20 seconds for the month to pass). Clarke completely eliminated this problem for me, and I am now in 2430 and still only get the occasional slowdown during a massive battle.

Not quite sure what causes it, but kills the game for me, although I played only two games on Clarke, first was in a 600 system galaxy, which I won when the lag was getting noticable and completely abandoned a few decades later. Second was ina 150 system galaxy, which I had won before I really got into it.

Think I will go for 400 next, four achievements left to do, the three end game and that massive battle one which is probably broken.

 

[Magnificent Genius]

Eh, I take them if it makes sense at the time. Otherwise, no.

 

[EvilTom]

What is the easy way to prevent the AI rebellion?

I have all the techs for it and have synth leaders etc and full rights. I'm in 2320 and bordered next to a FE who hates AI (but I have an embassy with them and they haven't' threatened me yet).

 

[Magnificent Genius]

What is the easy way to prevent the AI rebellion?

I have all the techs for it and have synth leaders etc and full rights. I'm in 2320 and bordered next to a FE who hates AI (but I have an embassy with them and they haven't' threatened me yet).

Get Jump Drives and trigger the Unbidden. But note that the MTTH for AI rebellion is longer if synths have full rights(I think).

 

[Biologist]

What is the easy way to prevent the AI rebellion?

I have all the techs for it and have synth leaders etc and full rights. I'm in 2320 and bordered next to a FE who hates AI (but I have an embassy with them and they haven't' threatened me yet).

In my experience, the AI will eventually deliver an ultimatum, where they want you to guarantee AI rights. If you accept, you can never enslave or disassemble AIs again (although I think FEs can still force you to ban them), but the AIs in your territory will never rebel.

 

[balmung60]

In my experience, the AI will eventually deliver an ultimatum, where they want you to guarantee AI rights. If you accept, you can never enslave or disassemble AIs again (although I think FEs can still force you to ban them), but the AIs in your territory will never rebel.

If you accept the AI Accords, you can never enact the servitude (mandatory slavery) or outlawed (mandatory disassembly) AI policies, but if your other policies allow you to purge or enslave POPs, then you can disassemble or enslave AI POPs as well.