whatis filler tech, exactly?

[God Emperor]

he he he....

dumbluck, Nitram has got it straight. The AI research queue will always have Filler Tech 1 and Filler Tech 2 in it, up to level 50. Once the AI achieves level 50 in Filler Tech 1 and Filler Tech 2, it drops back to having four regular projects in it.
Regards,
GE

[Suicide Junkie]

So, instead of the AI spending 25% of its research on each of 4 major projects, it spends (50%-2pts), on the first two projects, and 4 points on the filler techs each turn, right?

[God Emperor]

Basically that's right - although the cost of the Filler tech's does rise from the strting cost of 1pt - by level 38 for example, it costs 722 points.....Not sure what the Last level 50 costs, cant be much though....

[dumbluck]

I guess this brain of mine isn't big enough to wrap around this one. But i'll give it one more shot: i'll try the "example" approach.

in this example, the ai is trying to research armor, shields, PD, and missles.

here is the research queue:

Chemestry
missles
filler tech 1
FT 2
armor 1
Military science
FT 1
FT 2
armor 2
PD 1
FT1
FT2

etc
etc
etc

Ok Turn one, 1000 research points:
chem 0%, missles 0%, FT 1 0%, FT 2 0%

Turn 2: FT 1 and FT 2 completed
chem 2%, missles 2%, ...
error: can't research armor w/out first researching chemistry.

ooooooooooo, why is the ground moving under my feet?????

[Nitram Draw]

I think the way it works is that the filler techs are alway chosen if another tech needs to be researched. So in your example the two filler techs would continue to be the next two techs chosen until one of the other "useful" techs were researched. Then the two filler techs and another "useful" tech would be chosen.
I think you can waste points this way but it does let the AI always concentrate on two techs at once.
At least that's the way I think it works.

[Suicide Junkie]

quote:

---

Ok Turn one, 1000 research points:
chem 0%, missles 0%, FT 1 0%, FT 2 0%

Turn 2: FT 1 and FT 2 completed
chem 2%, missles 2%, ...
error: can't research armor w/out first researching chemistry.

---

I'm thinking that it would be:
here is the research queue:

Chemistry (upto 1)
missles (upto 2)
filler tech 1 (upto 50)
FT 2 (upto 50)
armor 1 (upto 1)
Military science (upto 1)
FT 1 (upto 50)
FT 2 (upto 50)

So instead, it would go
Turn one, 1000 research points:
chem 0%, missles 0%, FT 1 lvl1 0%, FT 2 lvl1 0%

Turn 2: FT 1 and FT 2 completed
chem 2%, missles 2%, FT 1 lvl2 0%, FT 2 lvl2 0%
No error.

[God Emperor]

The AI does not divide research points - it applies them to the first item in the queue and then the next and then the next etc...

So in the example provided;

Chemistry I
Missile II
Filler Tech 1 I
Filler Tech 2 I
Armour I
Missile III

Missile II will not get started until the full 50k of research has occurred on Chemistry, likewise, Filler Tech 1 cannot be started until 30k of research has occurred on Missiles.

eg Once Chemistry I is researched, the AI's research queue will look like this;

Missile II (x pts researched)
Filler Tech 1 I (0 points researched)
Filler Tech 2 I (0 points researched)
Armour I (0 points researched)

Given that Filler Tech 1 I and Filler Tech 2 I only cost 1pt each to research, it is likely that they will be completed in the same turn as Missile II is achieved (unless there are no research points flowing over after Missile II is achieved - ie if you are researching 3000 pts a turn and Missile II requires 2998 pts, then the remaing 2 pts left over will of course be enough to complete both of the Filler Techs as well).

eg the AI's queue will then look like this;

Armour I (x pts researched)
Missile III (0 points researched)
Filler Tech 1 II (0 points researched)
Filler Tech 2 II (0 points researched)


Regards,
GE