Precursor Defenses Event

from GalCiv2 Forums
This event is not unique to the Beta (it existed in DA and DL)  but that's the game I'm playing so I'll ask my question here.  This event is one of the events that occurs where one is required to make an ethical choice that will determine his or her empire's alignment.  The event text reads in part as follows:  "On the moon of one of our worlds, colonists have uncovered some precursor defenses. . ."  The evil choice gives one "+3 Technology."  There is no other event in the game that I know of where one gets + a certain number of "technology."  I always choose it because it (appears) so much better than the other choices, but have never really noticed much of an effect.  What does that mean?  Is it a measly three research points?  Is it supposed to give you three free techs (if so it doesn't work as advertised)? 
6,353 views 13 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
No takers on this one, huh?
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Well...

I am not sure if it's the correct answer, but I always assumed the following:

+3 Tech problably has bearing on the "tech level" that is displayed during invasions.
During the endgame my techlevel tends to get OVER 9000!!! (poor attempt at lame internet joke, disregard it)
Well, near 200,000 actually, maybe even more. +3 Doesn't really seem to make a dent...
And for all I know, it might be planet specific, in which case it REALLY doesn't matter...

Since I thought up that little theory I tend to go for one of the other two options, as I usually want to go neutral in the end.
Ashes of the Singularity II
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Every time I have encountered a "+3" in this game it means "+3 %". The only exception seems to be things like speed, where +5 usually means +5 parsecs per week.

So I would guess that research on the world in question will have a +3% bonus. Or alternatively, your entire civ may get a 3% bonus. Easy way to check : next time that dilemma comes up, pick the +3 choice. Go to stats and graphs and check your technology % bonus. Remember the number, then load up a save file from before the dilemma and check up on your tech bonus number. If there is a 3 point difference (and if you haven't done anything else in between the two times that would change things) then it's safe to say it is a percentage.
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I'd say it would've been called +3 Research then, rather than +3 tech.
Ethical events are rather accurate in the mentioning of percentages and even more so in calling it "research" rather than tech.
Especially considering that the event specifically mentiones "defenses" makes me think I'm right with the "tech level on invasion" theory.

Problem is that this is pretty much impossible to find out. It's a random occurance that's going to be pretty tough to trigger (is there a cheat for this?). next to that, any research that you do adds to your tech level on invasion, so even if you did an invasion just before the event and then do another just after, chances are you've finished a new research by then that obscures the small +3 bonus (which is tiny, +3% would make a much bigger difference, but it'd still be rather small...).

I, of course, might be wrong, but the few times I got this event, I just always found the result of the evil choice (which does look most appealing) to be unnoticable (making it a lot less appealing unless going evil, or going neutral while on the good side of the scale).
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
What does the tech level on invasion do anyway? I thought that the factors were just soldering ability and the tactic used.
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I assume it's also factored in, invading enemies that are way ahead in tech does seem to cost me more soldiers, but to be honest I never did the math on it.
But for invasions soldiering just makes bigger difference than tech level...
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I've never been able to figure out what a lot of the events mean. Many of the population ones are written and structured in a way that would lead you to believe that the population cap of the planet will be affected, but it seems to actually be population growth. My assumption on the event in question is that it's a percentage bonus to the planet's research, like the Solar Slammers one. But I really have no evidence to back that up.
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I have no idea what +3 Tech does overall.

Good post. I'm curious as well.

Could a dev please provide an answer? (Assuming one is watching and not too busy working on not-MoM) :)

Cheers,

Scanner28
Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Thanks for all of the responses and posts. I too would like to hear a Dev weigh in on this one.
Reply #10 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
As I hadn't played a game in at least a month and a half and couldn't remember, I fired up a new one.

Lo and behold, this was the first event I got. (I was as surprised as you are.)

I checked my stats before (at game start, and they hadn't changed) and after, and I remembered correctly-the +Tech is a civilization-wide Research bonus. The reason it isn't specified as a +Research is because those are the ones that are planet-specific.
Reply #11 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
You may be right, but I believe I've seen other events that actually state they confer a "civilization-wide research bonus." It probably doesn't matter and could be as arcane as this event never being edited from an earlier draft, but why not refer to this one in that more direct way if that is what it is doing?
Reply #12 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Darn you Sole Soul, are you abolutely sure? (Cause you appear to have left room for doubt :P)
An overall 3% research bonus is usually quite worth it, so if it's really that, it is the most interesting ethical choice...
Reply #13 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
HighWater, I'm positive.

As a note, it's not a hard 3%, it's a random value, up to I believe 10% (which is what I got), but I don't remember the lower limit.

It's most likely worthwhile early in the game, but later on, a 3 or even 5% additional research bonus (due to the fact that bonuses are cumulative, rather than multiplicative) is, IMHO, useless.

Mac, I don't know.