Idle research

[Pathfinder]

It is very unrealistic for researches to do Nothing. Therefore, there should be some kind of research always possible to choose. Something similar was in Master of Orion, when there was no research anymore, player could choose "future tech" which gave next level of miniaturizations for each complete level of that tech. Just a though. I know, researchers are making income when idle, but still, it is unrealistic.

Edited December 9, 2023 by Pathfinder

[Avaren]

Researchers research stuff that is automatically sold for some cash on the side when not doing other stuff, same as the engineers.

[Pathfinder]

That much I know. However, I point it out, because, being unaware if content has ended (due to early access), I started think about how it should look like.

[Conductiv]

never had idle researchers unless I was well past the current content cutoff point, but even then, should this ever occur, what should this repeatable research actually do?

[Pathfinder]

Lower down weight of equipment by 5% of each iteration? Increase shred of armour in similar way? Increase damage dealt in similar way? In every place, there could be such repeatable tech. It could be even incrementally more expensive for each new level. You name it. Possibilities exists. About reaching no tech content, well, I've hit that wall, as I employed 3 labs full of researchers, and it happened that for about 2-3 weeks (before I've got alien electronics research topic), my researchers were idle.

[Komandos]

If researchers are idle, then researchers can be "rented out" for various government projects and earn money from it.

From another point of view: this innovation can lead the player to cognitive dissonance: - after all, we know well that government research takes years and decades, but not several days or even hours (with a large number of scientists).