It's 1886.
We're researching Nuclear Fission, and the current cost per new tech is 2850 beakers.
We currently are at 40% science, producing a new technology every 3 turns. If we wanted, we could bump science to 60% and get 2 turns/tech, with no unrest and still a healthy surplus, taxwise.
some numbers:
@40% - 1143 beakers/turn
@50% - 1413 beakers/turn -
almost 2 turns/tech
@60% - 1720 beakers/turn - 2 turns/tech
None of our larger cities can grow much, or at all, at the current 30% lux - no sewers in some, no food surplus in others (i.e. CAPITOL), and not that many celebrating to begin with.
If we want tech at 2 turns per, we can either turn science up (with not much effect on happiness, really), or deliver a lot of Freight. We only have 3 Freight in production. If we increased science to 50%, we wouldn't need much Freight to get to Nuclear Fission in 2 turns. At 60%, and a lot of Freight, we might even get to 1 tech/turn.
The Japanese and Chinese have Guerrilla Warfare. To save time, if we are forced to take an off-path tech, we might want to choose GW and then steal it, allowing us to change our research focus back to something worthwhile. (Assuming, of course, that the citizens don't ask for GW.
If they do, we should steal it. If not, hold off on stealing it until we have to research it.)
)
