Losing Research Points?
 

I'm playing a normal, unmodded game right now, and have gotten up to about 17000 research points. However, each turn I make seems to lower this number, and I don't know why...I'm not losing any planets or colonies, and I don't understand what would cause this. Any suggestions?

Re: Losing Research Points?
 

If the happiness of your colonies falls, so will your research production, because greater happiness = greater production of everything, including research. Off the top of my head, that's all I can think of. Could you give us some idea of how many points you are losing per turn, and for how many turns this has been happening?

Re: Losing Research Points?
 

Hmm...you know thats more then likley it. Nothing has really happened latley, so happiness is probrably falling. Thanks for the info. This is only my 1st game, so i'm still learning everything. Thanks!

Re: Losing Research Points?
 

The most important thing is to grab as many colonies as you can as fast as you can.

Re: Losing Research Points?
 

JohnnyR said:
"Hmm...you know thats more then likley it. Nothing has really happened latley, so happiness is probrably falling. Thanks for the info."

Just a heads up, your rationalization is a little bit backward. If nothing is happening, happiness would likely increase not decrease.

Now, if you're losing space combat, or you've taken the neutral happiness type, or you've conquered other races, then that'll explain gradual happiness loss. But "nothing" isn't one of sources of unhappiness.

Did you scrap a spaceport? You need that to get intel and research points, as well as resources.

Re: Losing Research Points?
 

Nothing *is* a source of unhappiness (or, more specifically, of going back to neutral happiness): if nothing happens, you will slide back to Neutral happiness, unless you have a *very* high level of Happiness (150%? 200%?).

If you have a UPC, your happiness will not slide, regardless of how low it is (45% happiness and an UPC III is enough to keep a stable happiness, and even slightly increase it).

Re: Losing Research Points?
 

Without police troops, UPC's, substantial military presence, etc., and without anything significant happening, happiness gradually changes towards indifferent. Since colonies start out at happy and the initial colonization rush gives empire-wide happiness boosts, most of his planets have likely been at happy or jubilant for a while but are now sliding back to indifferent. To prevent this from happening, build a few troops on every planet.

Re: Losing Research Points?
 

By the way, UPC = Urban Pacification Center

To build those, you need to research Psychology, then Applied Political Science.

Re: Losing Research Points?
 

Wow. I never noticed anything like that. I'm figuring the population bonus built up for me faster than the happiness loss, I guess. Even if I don't have troops/UPC. Bizarre. Unless JohnnyR is checking each turn for absolute numbers. Now, I do check resources most turns, especially early in the game. But I'm just trying to stay in the black with ships I intend to build, not absolute resource generation.