[Suggestion] [QoL] Research points spent indicator

[bublebree]

Hello,

I have a simple suggestion to User Interface: to show number of points researched for each topic in "current research" tab. For each researcher that spent a day reserching a point would be added. This could be a number either in separate column or as part of "progress" column.

It would show absolute amount of "research" done for given topic. This is no new information, any player can count it, he just needs to remember how many days he had that many researches assigned to the topic. This just gets difficult when having several bases, each with several reseach topics and remembering it all. Just for reference I play XPiratez mods and it has shitload of research topics :-) I think benefits are obvious, it helps improve research efficiency.

I dont know how difficult this would be to implement, but given that game already tracks this information, I hope this is just making interface change.
I couldnt find if this was already suggested.

BR,
Bublebree

[Finnik]

It's not me who decides would it be live or not, but I personally disagree. When playing XCF (it has a lot of research too) I never needed that info - you have progress, and it is very clear to me. I would not like any more info here, this is not a production, where the player knows how long should it take to make things. In my mod, I even disable the tech tree to hide the needed amount of effort needed.

[tarkalak]

If you want that much information, you can just open the savefile and go to the research part. It is all shown there.

[hairybert]

I think the suggestion makes a lot of sense. It's elementary base administration stuff: "Secretary, please tell me how many research days we have invested on Laser Weapons so far."

I'm playing XCom Files, now trying an Ironman run. I keep track of that information on a piece of paper to make sure that (1) I don't waste too much researcher days (by reducing the number of assigned scientists when half of the average research days for that tech are reached) and (2) important techs won't be delayed too much.

I would not like any more info here, this is not a production, where the player knows how long should it take to make things.

I think you got something wrong. The total research time needed is randomized, and the player does not know the exact amount of days his researchers will need. The suggestion under discussion changes nothing about that. It's only about the automation of something you can also do manually: Counting the days your researchers already spent on the tech.

If you want that much information, you can just open the savefile and go to the research part. It is all shown there.

Seriously? This is not a sensible approach IMO. You will have a hard time not to peek at the next line in the save file, showing you the total cost of the tech. This is a random number which is not disclosed to the player in the game.

[Meridian]

I think the suggestion makes a lot of sense.

I don't think it makes a lot of sense.

It's elementary base administration stuff: "Secretary, please tell me how many research days we have invested on Laser Weapons so far."

Yes, agreed.

I keep track of that information on a piece of paper to make sure that (1) I don't waste too much researcher days (by reducing the number of assigned scientists when half of the average research days for that tech are reached) and (2) important techs won't be delayed too much.

That is cheating.
The player is NOT supposed to know the "average research days".

And yes, I have accepted a PR, which shows a visual form of "average research days" in the Tech Tree Viewer when people caught me off-guard in a weak moment... I am ashamed of it, but I can't take it back.
But I'll do my best to not make the same mistake again.

[Vakrug]

And yes, I have accepted a PR, which shows a visual form of "average research days" in the Tech Tree Viewer when people caught me off-guard in a weak moment... I am ashamed of it, but I can't take it back.
But I'll do my best to not make the same mistake again.

Very interesting... Does "sort by duration" was part of that PR? Now I can understand why you don't want to swap currently useless "research progress" column with something meaningful.
Overall I am happy that this change was implemented. Without "average research days" game would be much more miserable.