So, in trying to figure out how to FIX research, we gotta figure out whats wrong with it.
The bits ive seen: Xenos hate it because they have very little to no counterplay and it tends to be poorly balanced
Marines hate it because GAMBLING.
Is there anything in more detail?
I wouldn’t say the gambling bit is too much of an issue for Marines. Since it keeps Research for the most part “fresh” instead of rushing the meta combo of stims. The despoiler is also currently a good way to counterplay against stims. If something could be changed, honestly OT could be merged with Research and give Research one or two more researchers along with expanding Research to add an OT area. Since OT at the end of the day is just chemistry.
I have nearly zero hours logged in research, and I don’t hate the department or the people, but I do hate the lack of documentation of outcomes. The ambiguity invites misunderstanding and hinders clear understanding or effective oversight. I think that’s the only thing I’m critical of the department for. If the community only knows the department for making stims, and now white flame, of course, they’re going to either push for or against those two things (obligatory greeno mention). They’re the most observable and easily understood products (so far as most people can tell) that come from the department. I do personally believe that the RNG aspects of the research department are unhealthy, or at least much harder to control for than a system with multiple deterministic outcomes, but I say that as an OT player, and while in a vacuum, I believe that the OT system is able to be salvaged, (ignoring the unlimited ethonal booze machine, or other chems if they are adequately supplied from other departments, because you have a limited amount within the workshop and no chemical despensor) a good chunk of people seem to really dislike the OT department in a similar manner. OT is like the dumber cousin of research. Every device has listed limitations available to be viewed on the wiki, and you don’t have custom fuels, as much as people (understandably) seem to get confused about. You can make Sticky-Napalm, Napalm, High-combustion (if you are gifted the required CLF3 from a different department’s chem dispenser), but what I’m trying to say is that this crap has fixed, observable values. I’ve asked for the research on explosive chemicals to be added to the list on the wiki (and they were, and I thank the wiki heroes) because, for the longest time, they were not, and I’ll be honest, they’re just an entirely better version of OT in every way short of being able to print from the device lathe themselves (they can make better fuel canisters with biomatter though.) Just like Ponds, I’ve said that you could just merge the two departments, you’d likely see a single department forced to split its attention and resources rather than having both Spec steroids, stims/medical gear, greenos, and so on. I like building whatever the hell I feel like as the current OT, so I’d likely never play something that had me roll contracts (or do botony, unless it was to feed bombs, cause thats what I used to think it was good for lmao)
I’m drifting, but stop making things because it’s demanded from a random marine, and do whatever you want in your lab because you’re 100% feeding the memes.
and fuckin uuuh
As a rifleman I hate research because they insist on being xenoagents through their shitty revival stims to buff cap numbers on the xeno side.
As a medic I hate them because they almost never use the networking function on the smartfridge.
As an IO I hate then because my entire fucking team died to put vials on their table just so some dipshit can blow up the smartfridge trying to automate an EXP4 chem on the turing machine
As a doctor I hate them because stims make me obsolete
As a CMO I hate them because wrangling them is as hard as wrangling cats with ADHD.
As a QM I hate them because they get mad at me when I’m waiting for CIC to be done huffing paint thinner so they can send the squad pads I got full of stims OR I hate them because they committed to making flamer fuel without thinking if I’d even be able to afford it. Actually as QM I just hate everyone, period.
As a CIC officer I hate them because when they do something only 10% of the time it saves the round. Most of the other times it involves the need for a police raid on research because they made greenos without authorization for the morbillionth time.
And as a researcher I fucking hate research because how fucking nerfed, unsatisfying and hard it is now.
You need at least 2 modern day equivalents of Tyrone to reliably get something passable done.
wdym gambling
there is literally no difference for marines if theres no research or has research every round. Its just a bonus if they make stims, corrupted, white flame, ceramics.
even the most fuckup research is a “bonus” since they drag xeno bodies to research for points
I love research as a marine and researcher. Idk where this hate comes from on marines side lol.
The only thing I hate is how short the rounds are, and how even if you pop off and make something good marines can just fold and it doesn’t matter.
Last time I dealt with research as QM they sent like, and I shit you not, 40 backpacks worth of stims. I ran out of backpacks in one vendor, clogged the chute so I couldn’t get OT grenades, then were getting pissed at me for not sending them fast enough.
And we still lost the round. Honestly, hating everyone as QM is a valid mood.