Notes on research

Research is one of the paths of colony development. It saves funds: a blueprint and a layout weigh almost nothing, so they are easy to move to another planet. The Laboratory has three jobs: take a blueprint or layout from a sample, copy one you already have, and develop the next version.

Researching a sample
A blueprint or layout can be obtained from the device itself or from its preserved form. Not everything can be researched: unknown technologies, hidden construction, or the Laboratory answers "Technologically infeasible". If that device's blueprint is already in the warehouse, the sample is not offered for research.

The sample is taken at once. Success chance comes from the Engineer skill: 0% with no skill, each level adds 8%, 80% at level 10. Laboratory level does not change the chance; it only shortens the time. On failure the part is lost and no blueprint is produced.

Copying
Copying always succeeds: one blueprint or layout is taken from the warehouse, and after the work there are two. Only items with a manufacturing time can be copied. The rest the Laboratory will not copy — such an item must be bought, found, or taken from a sample, if that is possible at all.

Development
You can develop only the next step of a chain, and only if the previous blueprint or layout is already in the warehouse. The old one is not consumed. Time is twice that of copying, and the result always succeeds. The resulting blueprint usually cannot be bought — it is obtained only in the Laboratory.

Development does not improve characteristics for free: the set of properties changes. A diffusion engine is developed into a slower but more economical ion engine. Extra weapons usually reduce free cargo space.