Yup, it'd basically be coding a new exploit into the game. You'd definitely have to disable it for metaverse, and ought to provide the option to disable it at all times. I for one would never touch the thing, giving me a galaxy-changing power that the AI doesn't have isn't an appealing idea at all.

edit: okay I see a bunch of people already pointed this out... I'm going to read other posts before replying in the future... oh well I'll leave my response below anyways.

I completely disagree. If you could just change the speed of research at any point in the game you could just play with super slow tech and the slider on 100% production then as soon as you needed to research something just put research on 100% and set tech rate to super fast for a few turns. The AI is at a severe disadvantage because it doesn't know to do this and is wasting a bunch of resources on research while the tech rate is set to super slow.

Even if you programmed the AI to take advantage of tech rate shifts, the player is still the one calling the shots and can choose to up the tech rate when it's an inconvenient time for the AI, like in the middle of a huge war.

I personally think this setting would be a huge unfair advantage to the player.

If you are still listening oh master of the GalCiv universe, I think what would be even better is an in game difficulty slider.  I wish for this in every game.  It would go a long way toward addressing the two fundamental problems facing turn based strategy games: the insanely competitive colony rush, which is invariably a losing battle on higher difficulties, and the "I know I will win, but how long long is it going to take?" syndrome.

We could start the game at a moderate difficulty, then if we survive the Torian/Drengin colony tidal wave, we could up the difficulty to have some really competitive wars.  Another nice feature would be to be able to trigger events, which of course would have a similar effect of either pulling our tail from the fire or salvaging a game that is effectively over.

Why the need to change research speed mid-game? Being able to at the start of the game is fine (allows you to set the pacing of the game), but to be able to change it at will whenever you want during a game? It's so abusable and also I can't see it adding that much value, hence I'm a bit bemused why it's felt to be needed - why not just not bother with it and include something else instead? At the very least if it was included, make it an optional mechanic with a control, such as having a vote each year (as with all the other votes, only this one would be an additional one each year, i.e. wouldn't just be a possible issue to come up for a vote). That way you could gain the control legitimately, if you had sufficient culture, and could then decide whether to boost or decrease speed.

In terms of changing things during the game, I'd probably rather a difficulty slider than a research slider, since difficulty, as mentioned by someone else already, allows you to adjust to different parts of the game better, such as making the colony phase easier, but the post-colony phase tougher. Meanwhile it wouldn't be as psychologically abusable, since you'd be acknowledging what you were doing directly - moving a slider from hard to easy means you're making it easier. Moving the research speed up or down doesn't have such a direct link (even if it achieves a similar result).

I think the ability to change the research rate, or any of the rules mid-game...well...doesn't make sense.   I wouldn't use it.  But then again, I don't do Metaverse, either. 

What I would really like to see is ships' auto-explore and auto-survey not be so stupid.   Just a little work on the AI would go a long way there, and it would affect the computer opponents more than it would the human (just because there's more of them).  If you've got 9 survey ships out, your surveyor shouldn't go after that anomaly across the galaxy just because another of your ships is already going after that one anomaly 4 squares away.

One user said the more options we have the better, and I specifically agree for sandbox, non- metaverse games. Another one hoped that the ability to change research rates mid game shouldn't be implemented for Metaverse games, and I agree too. In fact, Metaverse games should have tighter options ( and only one default research rate we can't change mid game ) to the contrary of the offline sandbox mode.

Im just wondering... Is there a final date for when 2.0 is ready for download? Ive been waiting and waiting and waiting... and the seconds seems like days..   Everyd day after work the first thing i do is to check if its any news on the 2.0, and almost every day i go to bed crying..

Please oh please tell me a date, or a date-range for when it will be ready.. I love stardock and if i could, i would marry Brad    (dont tell my wife that, she wouldnt understand)...

I think it might be an idea for there to be an 'Adaptive Research Rate' setting.  If all the current players are researching something that will take a while to complete, the rate of research increases (adapts) temporarily so that the next twenty turns or so aren't spent clicking Turn.  When something with a shorter research time is picked, the research rate elongates back to normal.

Bear in mind though, you'll still have to fund all this research.  It could very well leave you with a week-on-week deficit that needs filling.

I'd just like to add my two cents to the pot-I'm against a player-changeable research speed after the game has commenced.

That said, I'm all for even MORE research speeds, both fast and slow, if they're doable.

And you'll note I said player-changeable...if it were somehow random (or well pseudo-random but anyway) and went both up and down during the course of the game, this would be something I would be interested in.  I'm not sure if this could or would fall under mega events or not, but it seems like the best place to put it.  I'll leave it to you guys to come up with a storyline/universe reasoning for it.

Im wondering this along with DivineWrath, Frogboy! I know your really really busy but this would be the coolest thing ever! And in truth, I have to agree with Spartan as well

Quoting Spartan, reply 22

Good stuff to be sure! The Frogboy speaks and it is so... 

 Fear the power of Frogboy!

I'd agree that setting tech speed is abusable.  By maximizing research when you are able to most benifit from it and then slowing it to retard other civilizations development, it creates a potential exploit for the player.  And for those who say "it's a single player game, who cares if there's exploits?", I think it does matter, and not just for metaverse.  I don't want to have to ignore strategic options because they would give me an unfair advantage over the AI, it makes my gameplay feel hobbled.  It's just fundamemtally annoying to have to choose between borderline cheating and giving up an advantage, it makes it feel like I'm not trying to win.

Make it a cheat code if it really must be in, disable it for Metaverse games.

More particularly because a survey ship that's 6 squares away from that anomaly across the galaxy has a course set for the anomaly 4 steps away from the ships that's, like, *RIGHT THERE*. Hey Captain Rainman, I know starfleet command told you to to go halfway across the galaxy like, three months ago, but  would you, like, *look* at that starship graveyard that's sitting off your starboard bow? Yeah - that one, the one *RIGHT THERE* - oh for pities sake, yes, I will have HQ cut you some new orders.

And I wanna be able to set surveyors to *IGNORE* *WORMHOLES*.

I hate wormholes. They have no tactical or strategic use except to cripple you in the early game because your surveyship is halfway across the galaxy and slowly coming back with the crew in stasis while everyone else on the board is grabbing 1,000 credits here and there and picking up 25% research bonuses. The only good use of a wormholes is bypassing it and letting the competing surveyor that is grabbing anomalies before you get to them grab it and let *him* get transported across the universe into the middle of the Drengin Empire.

Okay - that part is kinda fun, but still - {G}.

Jonnan