Linking similar technologies in modded tech tree

[Alpha Centauri Bear]

This is a frequently debatable question whether technology names and their connection in a tree should make sense. First of all, they are futuristic buzzwords nobody knows what is it about. Completely unlike the predecessor civilizations. Compare "Magnetism" and "N-Space Compression". What does latter do in scope of the game? Further, even if, even if we manage to meaningfully interpret their names they still don't have direct connection to goodies they trigger in a game like units, facilities, SPs, abilities, etc. How the hell you are supposed to associate "Non-linear Mathematics" with new weapon? For me it sound more like new scientific facility. Whatever.

Leaving technology names meaning aside we see that their only game related feature is their color corresponding to their most prevalent value. Unfortunately, it is not possible to retrieve all technology values in game. Technologies with 9000 and 2111 values would be painted red although first one is most likely to be researched with power priorities. Whereas second one could also be researched with any other priorities. Even this color is pretty difficult to tie to complete set of revealed features. Sometimes, there are many of them. Sometimes, the very nature of the feature in not simply classified. For example, recycling tanks gives one of each resources. Should it be classified green because of nutrients, or yellow because of mineral and energy, of maybe somewhat blue too due to raw energy is also distributed to labs?

I guess, this is my question is to those using blind research.

• How do you envision research priorities should help you?
• How do you want to split technologies (or game features) across values? Do you like how it is done in vanilla or want to reshuffle it somehow? If yes, how exactly?

[Alpha Centauri Bear]

Here how I probably answer about potential research direction priorities changes.
1. I want to attack someone = weapon, morale facilities, morale abilities, morale SE, support SE, police SE, probes, probe SE.
2. I want to strengthen my defense = armor, defense facilities, morale facilities, morale abilities, defense multiplier abilities.
3. I want to start to explore at the beginning = foil chassis, rover chassis.
4. I want to improve terraforming = terraforming technologies, forest technologies.
5. I want my bases grow beyond limit = habitation complex, habitation dome.
6. I want to reduce ecological damage = ecological damage control facilities.
7. I want to quell drones = all drone quelling facilities.
8. Barring the above I want to boost my economical growth in all areas (that is the default) = all multiplier facilities, all resource facilities.

I probably never want to research specifically labs multiplying facilities. This is too narrow and too useless. Both labs and economy multiplying facilities result in more or less the same by adjusting slider. That is why blue category never made sense to me.

[Alpha Centauri Bear]

Now analyzing all the above I'll try to separate more or less independent faction development paths. Then see if this can be linked to research priorities.

Research speed (labs allocation) and energy reserves growth (economy allocation) go hand to hand. It is not possible to separate them as they are converted to each other with a move of a slider. Even economy and labs multiplier facilities work to similar effect. Usual setup is to crank research as much as possible leaving just a bare minimum for economical support. Let's say you are producing 6 economy and 6 labs. Also let's assume for the moment we don't incur penalties for uneven allocation. Then building network lab yields us additional 3 labs. Whereas building energy bank allow us to reduce economy allocation to 4 thus keeping economy total at 6. Extra 2 energy are allocated to labs. We see that economy multiplier facilities contribute to labs at reduced effectiveness. Even if they have not exactly same effect they are still heavily dependent and resources can be pumped between them easily.
In other words, emphasis on acquiring energy reserves and speeding up research can be done without fiddling with research priorities. Therefore, separate Discover and Build priorities is kinda difficult and artificial. Still it can be done with some care.

Terraforming is the source of raw yield increase. It directly contributes to player production power. I don't see how it could be different from Build/Discover. It is a foundation of it!
Same way population growth is the source of raw yield increase. While terraforming focuses on per square yield, larger population lets you work more squares.
Drone quelling facilities and technologies = extra workers = raw yield increase.
Ecological damage control facilities and projects - they are logical part of mineral production limit increase. Sure one can crank minerals disregarding ecodamage but this is not logical. In other words, I cannot imagine one setting research priority to boost economy only while explicitly ignoring ecodamage at the same time.

What's left are some relatively independent faction development paths. They are still dependent in global game strategical view. Meaning you need to excel at them all to some extent to win. However, they are independent in a way how player wants to focus their development at certain point in time.

(partially copying from previous post)
1. Conquer: weapon, native units, morale facilities, morale abilities, MORALE SE, SUPPORT SE, police SE, probes, PROBE SE, PLANET SE.
2. Defend: armor/weapon, defense facilities, morale facilities, morale abilities, defense multiplier abilities, MORALE SE, probes, PROBE SE.
3. Explore: foil chassis, rover chassis.
4. Produce: terraforming, forest production facilities, production multiplier facilities, population growth facilities, drone quelling, population limit facilities, ecodamage control facilities, trade technology, number of votes for governor elections, SE: ECONOMY, EFFICIENCY, POLICE, GROWTH, INDUSTRY, RESEARCH.

Even though conquer and defend share a lot of things, they are logically different paths in player's mind.
Conquer assumes letting your units outside of borders, capturing new bases, huge economical impact, revolting bases, a lot of drones in both own and captured bases, directing big part of production to units building, including large variation of unit types: air, sea, land, natives, probes, artillery, etc.
Whereas defend is done as part of normal economical growth without much impact of your economy. You can continue growing your empire, increasing mineral and labs/economy production at the highest rate possible. Strengthening defense requires one time investments only in border bases. You stop improving as soon as you are satisfied with defense solidity and don't spend more production on it until next technological breakthrough for armor/weapon.

Explore focus is required only at the game beginning. Once you acquired these technologies you don't need to research anything new to continue exploring. Both these techs are level 1 and most likely everybody will research them quite soon anyway.

I didn't separate Discover focus yet. For me it is part of Produce focus. However, if one prefer, they can be carefully separated. They still be dependent to some extent but still may outline distinct player priorities: research vs. mineral production.

That leaves green priority out. I don't even know what to put on it as all terraforming and ecodamage is essentially part of production. Maybe native units? It is kind of conquer related but in distinct way. I may imagine player decide to push for either conventional units or native or both. So they can pick any mix of these two. Makes sense for faction having positive/negative PLANET or for factions preparing attack against those with positive/negative PLANET rating. We can also put anything fungus related to this category even though some fungus bonuses (like yield) are not directly related to native units but some are (movement, attack/defense bonuses, etc.).

Suggested split

Red: everything what conventional units conquer oriented faction would want to research. Spartans, Believers.
Primary focus: weapons, morale, drones, police, probes, base and unit subversion, PROBE SE, SUPPORT SE, POLICE SE.
Secondary focus: armor, terraforming, mineral production.

Blue: everything what research dominance oriented faction would want to research. University.
Primary focus: labs multiplier and any other ways to acquire technology directly (projects, spying), probes, PROBE SE, RESEARCH SE, EFFIC SE (for reducing allocation penalties).
Secondary focus: armor, defense, terraforming, raw energy yield, economy multiplier.

Yellow: everything what production dominance oriented faction would want to research. Morganites, Hive, Drones.
Primary focus: terraforming, minerals multiplier, drones, population growth, trade pacts, trade technologies, trade initiatives, ECONOMY SE, EFFIC SE (for sheer economy growth), SUPPORT SE, POLICE SE, GROWTH SE, INDUSTRY SE.
Secondary focus: armor, defense, economy multiplier.

Green: everything what PLANET/native oriented faction/player would want to research. Gaians, Cultists.
Primary focus: native units, lifecycle boosing facilities, fungus movement, fungus combat bonuses, etc., PLANET SE.
Secondary focus: armor, defense, terraforming, production bonuses related to PLANET rating.