Your Research is supported by the centres of Research throughout your Empire, and each Research structure (such as a Library) contributes to your Research goals.
Libraries are where you conduct Research which enables one to discover new technologies in the earlier ages of the game. It is automatically researched at the start of the game. It can be upgraded to a University in the Renaissance Age. As your libraries increase, your research topics are not affected, but researched quicker (except Library Upgrade topics, which specifically require an upgraded library).
Researching[]
Each Research topic has prerequisite topics, as well as an effort and gold cost. The Gold cost is fixed and does not normally change. The Effort determines the time the Research will take, and is affected by factors such as the number and level of your Empire's Research structures.
Things that affect research speed:
- level of each library
- number of libraries in your empire (including Plato's Academy and Wonders - it is unknown how they integrate into the updated system)
Mechanics[]
It is believed that research follows the following mechanism:
- Every research building (library, university) produces a certain number of "research points" per unit of time. This number of research poits is proportional to the level of the research structure (so a library level 6 produces twice as many research points as a library level 3 for example). Note, Prometheus Upgrades are roughly equal to the next age's structure in speed, and so only one should be produced until a level 2 library is available and should not be upgraded.
- Every research requires a certain number of research points to be finished.
- When researching, the research points produced by all the research structures in every settlement all go towards the thing to be researched. This continues to accumulate research points until it has the right amount, at which point the research finishes.
- The timer predicts the time it should take if no research structure is modified during that time. If a research structure is modified, previously accumulated research points are kept, but the speed the next ones come in is going to be different.
- When not researching, or when cancelling a research, all research points are lost.
Trivia[]
The original library had a level limit of 10, upgrading to the University. This may still occur in the Industrial Age.
Costs[]
| Level | Cost | 
| ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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|
|
|
| ||
| 1 (Ancient) | 120 | 140 | 110 | - | - | - | - | 0:00:34 |
| 2 (Ancient) | 500 | 1500 | 1500 | - | - | - | - | 0:27:16 |
| 3 (Ancient) | 1000 | 3000 | 3000 | - | - | - | - | 2:43:38 |
| 1 (Classical) | 2880 | 11,520 | 11,520 | 5760 | - | - | - | 2:00:00 |
| 2 (Classical) | 5760 | 23,040 | 23,040 | 23,040 | - | - | - | 8:00:00 |
| 3 (Classical) | 5760 | 23,040 | 23,040 | 23,040 | - | - | - | 12:00:00 |
| 4 (Classical) | 2880 | 11,520 | 11,520 | 11,520 | - | - | - | 3:30:00 |
| 1 (Feudal) | 8160 | 32,640 | 32,640 | 32,640 | - | - | - | 4:00:00 |
| 2 (Feudal) | 16,320 | 65,280 | 65,280 | 65,280 | - | - | - | 8:00:00 |
| 3 (Feudal) | 16,320 | 65,280 | 65,280 | 65,280 | - | - | - | 12:00:00 |
| 4 (Feudal) | 8160 | 32,640 | 32,640 | 32,640 | - | - | - | 4:00:00 |
| 1 (Renaissance) | 16,560 | 66,240 | 66,240 | 66,240 | - | - | - | 4:00:00 |
| 2 (Renaissance) | 16,560 | 66,240 | 66,240 | 66,240 | - | - | - | 8:00:00 |
| 3 (Renaissance) | 24,840 | 99,360 | 99,360 | 99,360 | - | - | - | 12:00:00 |
| 4 (Renaissance) | 24,840 | 99,360 | 99,360 | 99,360 | - | - | - | 24:00:00 |
| 5 (Renaissance) | 16,560 | 66,240 | 66,240 | 66,240 | - | - | - | 4:00:00 |
| 1 (Imperial) | 28,800 | - | 115,200 | 115,200 | 115,200 | - | - | 4:00:00 |
| 2 (Imperial) | 28,800 | - | 115,200 | 115,200 | 115,200 | - | - | 8:00:00 |
| 3 (Imperial) | 43,200 | - | 172,800 | 172,800 | 172,800 | - | - | 12:00:00 |
| 4 (Imperial) | 43,200 | - | 172,800 | 172,800 | 172,800 | - | - | 24:00:00 |
| 5 (Imperial) | 28,800 | - | 115,200 | 115,200 | 115,200 | - | - | 4:00:00 |
| 6 (Imperial) | 28,800 | - | 115,200 | 115,200 | 115,200 | - | - | 4:00:00 |
| 1 (Industrial) | 57,600 | - | - | 230,400 | 230,400 | 230,400 | - | 4:00:00 |
| 2 (Industrial) | 57,600 | - | - | 230,400 | 230,400 | 230,400 | - | 8:00:00 |
| 3 (Industrial) | 86,400 | - | - | 345,600 | 345,600 | 345,600 | - | 12:00:00 |
| 4 (Industrial) | 86,400 | - | - | 345,600 | 345,600 | 345,600 | - | 24:00:00 |
| 5 (Industrial) | 57,600 | - | - | 230,400 | 230,400 | 230,400 | - | 4:00:00 |
Effects[]
| Level | Requirements | |
|---|---|---|
|
| |
| 1 (Ancient) | - | Library |
| 2 (Ancient) | - | - |
| 3 (Ancient) | - | Writing |
| 1 (Classical) | City Centre 1 (Classical) | - |
| 2 (Classical) | - | Philosophy |
| 3 (Classical) | - | - |
| 1 (Feudal) | City Centre 1 (Feudal) | - |
| 2 (Feudal) | - | Mathematics |
| 3 (Feudal) | - | - |
| 4 (Feudal) | Prometheus Society | - |
| 1 (Renaissance) | City Centre 1 (Renaissance) | - |
| 2 (Renaissance) | - | - |
| 3 (Renaissance) | - | Scientific Method |
| 4 (Renaissance) | - | - |
| 5 (Renaissance) | Prometheus Society | - |
| 1 (Imperial) | City Centre 1 (Imperial) | - |
| 2 (Imperial) | - | - |
| 3 (Imperial) | - | Scientific Education |
| 4 (Imperial) | - | - |
| 5 (Imperial) | - | - |
| 6 (Imperial) | Prometheus Society | - |
Gallery[]
| Resource |
Quarry • Logging Camp • Farm • Iron Mine • Fishery • Coal Pit • Oil Well • Aluminium Plant |
| Primary |
Village Centre City Centre • Parade Ground • Library Research Lab • Market • Lodging |
| Service |
Storehouse Warehouse • Customs house • Museum • Blacksmith Gunsmith |
| Military |
Barracks • Stable Vehicle Bay • Armoury • Watchtower Aerodrome |
| Resource Enhancers |
Factory • Sawmill • Mason • Processing Plant • Tax Office• Foundry • Coke Furnace |