[Balance vs AI] Research Victory Too Easy for AIs?

Research Victory is too easy as it is. Should be connected to "having researched all" instead.

Simple solution here, don't enable research victory when playing against AIs you know you can't out-research. No sense trying to argue balance when discussing AI's specifically designed not to be balanced.

Obviously I disagree, or I wouldn't have made the thread.

Research victory should require players to acquire artifacts.

When it is enable it guarantees 2-5 artifacts in game via planetary exploration.

Opponents must hold a different amount of artifact planets depending upon the game size.

These artifacts are required for different stages of research completion, Just like how titans are built with their research.

I like this idea. Right now it's possible to slow down a player gunning for a research victory by taking out research labs, but with a reasonable number of planets it's easy to overbuild on those... artifacts on the other hand mean you need to hold specific planets AND everyone knows where the artifacts are...

Repossession on the ALT might make it a bit /too/ easy to deny, but I think this approach has potential.

Thats not a 'research victory' though... That's more like that wonder victory others have discussed.

Not that it's a bad idea... I would very much be up for something of that nature.

As for what options there are right now.... turn down the victory speed.

Why the AI is going so fast on the research victory isnt due to a bonus to research speed (i dont think they have that), but more due to the fact that they have loads of cash to waste. And then it can go down 4 trees at once queuing things.

Well, my issue was the actual speed they complete the research at, not so much being able to start the research "too early". It's supposed to take 900+ seconds but they were doing it in ~450 or so. The thing is in AI matches it always seems to be the AI farthest from me that starts the research and I just can't get forces in to their empire to disrupt them in time.

I really like the victory condition in principle for SP, since it means the player has to drop everything and tackle one empire or another... kind of like a "super mission". It provides a challenge, but with the research speed bonus for the harder AIs it just goes too fast. I could turn down the AI, but then it's just not any fun at other stages of the game...

I haven't played a game with the research victory yet.  Does it give all other players a warning when someone starts the research like it does when people start on titans? If not then it should, so that everyone else knows it's time to start busting labs.

Yeah you have some icons on the right side panel of the screen. You see a percentage going from 0 to 100. Also you got some 2500 seconds to do stop the AI by destroying their research stations. (Not entirely sure about how many seconds)

BTW. Do you get a message when AI/people start building their TItans? I thought it was only when they had built it?

Its supposed too tell you when they start building one I think.

Right now though it only tells you when they finish building one though

Hope its in the works.