@TG:
It really puts into perspective the average cost of unlocking a tech vs. the average turn of unlocking.
Interestingly, you can compare unlocking a tech to purchasing and IC or aircraft carrier.
Good way to put it. You could also choose to go cheaper if you don’t mind waiting, or more expensive if you need a breakthrough ASAP. As mentioned by wodan46, buying researchers up front and letting them work from turn to turn is quite effective. But if you don’t have the IPCs to spare up front, you can increase the researcher pool over time. I like how this system is more flexible and more interesting than the old “buy the dice and roll them” approach.
@Unknown:
It might also be interesting to see how things change if you buy 1 additional token per turn until you get a breakthrough. So, for instance, you get 1 roll on the first turn, 2 rolls on the second, 3 rolls on the third, etc. until you get something.
That’s what’s happening with the Anniv. Ed. charts above, which is why their payoffs are so much faster than the 2nd Edition ones. The 1 or 2 “Rolls” per turn are actual rolls for 2nd Ed., but are Researcher tokens for Anniv. Ed. which accumulate. Sorry for the confusion; I’ve edited the headings to make that clear.
@wodan46:
How about you give the figures for buying 1, 2, or 3 Researchers on turn 1, then not buying any more until you get the tech.
Here that is, stopping after getting the one tech breakthrough:
One Researcher bought on turn 1 (and no others)
1 *****************
2 **************
3 ************
4 **********
5 ********
6 *******
7 ******
8 *****
9 ****
10 ***
11 ***
12 **
13 **
14 **
15 *
16 *
17 *
18 *
19 *
20 *
Avg turn = 6.0
Avg cost = 5.0
Two Researchers bought on turn 1 (and no others)
1 *******************************
2 *********************
3 ***************
4 **********
5 *******
6 *****
7 ***
8 **
9 **
10 *
11 *
12 *
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Avg turn = 3.3
Avg cost = 10.0
Three Researchers bought on turn 1 (and no others)
1 ******************************************
2 ************************
3 **************
4 ********
5 *****
6 ***
7 **
8 *
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Avg turn = 2.4
Avg cost = 15.0