The Research System

Hi there! You want to research something in The Fallout Wasteland? Tired of bombarding the moderators with questions like "How long would it take to research this?"? Are you one who would like a more challenging way to research something than "research takes x amount of days"? Then look no further, for this is the dispatch for you!

Many thanks to Stellaris and Europa Universalis for inspiring this system. Both are fantastic Grand Strategy games by Paradox Interactive, all credit to them.

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The System

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This research system relies on a set of dice throws to further its progression. The dice will be used to determine progress in a research project. Players are strongly encouraged to role-play the results of the dice, particularly if there is a negative outcome.

RESEARCH COST, RESEARCH EARNED AND THE DICE
Each technology has a Research Cost depending on its level of complexity and its significance to your military power. Generally, it's easier to learn how to figure out farming than it is to figure out cold fusion, for example. Technology is unlocked by spending Research.

Research is generated on a weekly basis, using dice. Once a RL week (or every 7 days), the player will roll a 20-sided dice on Discord. The dice roll must meet a certain threshold to progress, with higher scores rewarding higher Research. The amount of Research generated is then applied to the Project. Once the amount of Research applied meets or exceeds the Research cost, the technology is considered invented/discovered. A natural 1 is always 0, irrelevant of bonuses. 500 can only be achieved with a natural 20, 20s achieved with Luck bonuses will only result in 250. Excess points at the end of a research cycle may be stored as tech documents and applied to the next research project. Roleplayers may not roll if no research project is active.

Dice Outcome -- Research Earned
-- 1-5 = 0 Research
-- 6-15 = 100 Research
-- 16-20 = 250 Research
-- Nat 20 = 500 Research

Technical Documentation
Most tech you'll find in the wasteland was developed in the continental United States before the war. Their work and technology was often divided amongst several different subcontractors scattered around the United States. Many of these subcontractors left Technical Documents behind, some of which may have even survived the war. These technical documents are a boon to any and all research efforts.

Technical documents are considered Salvage, and as such are discoverable only once per tile (excluding your starting tile, which cannot be scavenged). Up to a total of 20 technical documents may be discovered in a single tile (or location, if you're in a lore zone) worth 5 Research Points each. Up to 100 documents may be found in a City tile. How many you get is determined by a d20 dice roll (d100 for city tiles). Once they are discovered, they can be immediately applied to your current research project, or they may be held for another time. Quantities of technical documents stored must be recorded in a dispatch. Rolls for tech docs should happen the same day your map request is submitted, or at minimum within three days; after that the chance to roll is lost.

Alternatively, tech docs may be recovered from salvaged vehicles. Broken vehicles acquired as part of tile loot or looted from military museums may be scrapped to reverse-engineer its systems, with the vehicle being destroyed in the process. Vehicles are worth 5 tech docs each. This only applies to armored vehicles; Humvees, Jeeps, Technicals, etc. are not eligible for reverse-engineering. (on the flip side, all aircraft are eligible regardless of whether they are military or not)

Technologies
So what are the technologies you can research, you ask? Check out the Tech Tree for all the different Technologies available and their Research Costs!

Technologies from the Tech Tree may only be researched one at a time, you may not research multiple at a time. Technologies must be researched in sequence in a single category. You are not, however, required to have an even progression of tech between categories (i.e. you are allowed to max out one category before researching the others). While players are not required (though encouraged) to RP the process of research, they must roleplay the beginning of the research project.