What is 'reasonable' return on research?

[Trajan]

If I understand,
You are trying to allow for:
Eureka!
Serindipty
Good hard plodding work

BINGO!

Basically, you would have a single non-complex matrix for the inital (Good hard plodding work) technological systems research set. If you encounter a "Eureka!" event (I dont know how the cause of that would work) you could jump to a new level of research in your current universe that has some significant multipliers applied to costs, but the payoffs would be equally significant.

Finally, there is the Serendipity event that would suddenly teach you about a whole new avenue of thought and could take your technological research to new levels, with new functions of cost applying to the technological advancements.

I am looking for a picture that would tell the story a little better. Basically I am talking about a three dimensional matrix of technological advancement.

Cheers!