whatis filler tech, exactly?

[Nitram Draw]

The filler tech are cheap, 2 points I think, so you don't waste very many points on them.

[dumbluck]

ok. now my head is really spinning!!! If the filler tech are really cheap, then they wouldn't do any good because they would only hold that place for one turn, right? then it would just go to the next project in the list!


oooooohhh, mommy, my head hurts!!!

[Nitram Draw]

I think that is the idea. It basically limits the AI to 2 useful projects that have all the points devoted to them.

[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?????