I agree, it's totally possible to still optimize the research levels (excepting the +-10 RP that you can't hit exactly). I can't remember off the top of my head, but it's something like, if you move the top slider down, the one below it goes up ... or something.
And sorry, by "all the time", I mean a couple times in the midgame almost every game, because I'm always neglecting a couple paths.
