Researching Tech from Recovered Artifacts

[KenAlcock]

Game Scenario
I played a single player skirmish where I raided an AI base, destroyed a couple buildings and recovered some artifacts with a small strike force. The AI had researched some branch of the technology tree to a higher level than I had. So when I next went into my Research Screen I saw something listed like Some-Technology-Mk3 alongside of Some-Technology-Mk2. I'm fairly industrious and opportunistic, so I tried researching Some-Technology-Mk3, which was a prerequisite for some other technology I wanted. The game let research it and leap frog over researching Some-Technology-Mk2. However, Some-Technology-Mk2 still remained listed in my Research Screen as being available to research.


Q1: In the scenario above, does a player actually get full credit for researching Some-Technology-Mk2 as well as for Some-Technology-Mk3 when leapfrogging research like this? I mean in terms of any damage/speed/building/accuracy/etc. modifiers to whatever technology that the Some-Technology research is designed to enhance, as well as in terms to being a prerequisite for researching some other technology.

If the answer to Q1 is yes, then the Research Screen should no longer display Some-Technology-Mk2, and the player should get a two-for-one deal here.

Q2: Should a player get credit for researching Some-Technology-Mk2 when he recovers an artifact and researches Some-Technology-Mk3?

If the answer to Q2 is no, then the Research Screen should not display Some-Technology-Mk3, until the player has also researched Some-Technology-Mk2.


Possible Views on This Issue

Personally, I'm quite divided on what the answer to this question should be.

Part of me believes a player has earned at least some head start in researching the given technology by taking the risk to make a raid on an enemy (who presumably has some technology more advanced the he does) and recovering an artifact from him. After all, isn't this what is taking place in the campaign? However, the campaign is more of a controlled environment when it comes to what technology is recoverable through artifacts, and in what order they can be recovered. In the skirmish and multiplayer games, each AI or player can go very different directions in research, which can lead to the game scenario I described above.

Part of me believes that if your researchers can figure out how to make a Tech-Mark3, then they should be able to figure out how to make a Tech-Mark2 or a Tech-Mark1, which should be a downgrade to a Tech-Mark3.

Part of me worries that allowing such leapfrogging could make the game more Spam Rush tactic friendly than it already is. If a Spam Rusher attacks a Research Hound with hoards of cheap machine gun units, he will could easily get the blue prints to heavy tanks with hover propulsion with only four things to research (the Heavy Cannon, hover propulsion, whatever body, and the factory module required to build them).

So I'm interested to see what the devs say actually happens behind the scenes, and what other players think should happen.

[Zarel]

Q1: In the scenario above, does a player actually get full credit for researching Some-Technology-Mk2 as well as for Some-Technology-Mk3 when leapfrogging research like this? I mean in terms of any damage/speed/building/accuracy/etc. modifiers to whatever technology that the Some-Technology research is designed to enhance, as well as in terms to being a prerequisite for researching some other technology.

Research upgrades are "up to" upgrades.

In other words:

"Hardened MG Bullets" raises the MG damage bonus to 1.25x, if it's currently lower.
"APFSDS MG Bullets" raises the MG damage bonus to 1.5x, if it's currently lower.

So if you've researched APFSDS MG Bullets, then Hardened MG Bullets will have no direct effect. You might still want to research it to get at other technologies it unlocks, though.

If the answer to Q1 is yes, then the Research Screen should no longer display Some-Technology-Mk2, and the player should get a two-for-one deal here.

I've been thinking about doing something like that. But it's rather difficult.

Q2: Should a player get credit for researching Some-Technology-Mk2 when he recovers an artifact and researches Some-Technology-Mk3?

Yes. Like I said, I'll do it eventually, but it's on my long-term list, i.e. don't expect it to be done this year.