Call Me Crazy

I came up with a great way to encourage research division and also simulate breakthroughs.

Simply, the research costs would be randomized each turn, anywhere from 1% to 100% of normal (with a strong bias towards higher values)

Thus, if you were to spend enough points to complete 1 project, you would get it guaranteed.
However, if you were to divide those points among 5 projects at 20% each, you would have a decent chance of at least one of those projects finishing early because the random cost dipped below your accumulated spending on it.

Your focus areas still get gains faster, but dividing your points gets you gains overall.

The randomization formula could be something like:
This Turn's Cost := %BaseCost% * (1 - random(0,1) ^ 2)
- Thusly, the cost is above 75% of normal half the time, and above 44% of normal 3/4 of the time, and so on.

That sounds interesting. It could be called teh "free-thinkers" effect or soemthing like that -- i. e. the government might only pay for research in one place, but back-yard and garage tinkerers are probably poking around in all directions at once.

There are 10 types of people in the world:

Those that understand binary, and those that don't.

Civ 3/4 had something called golden ages, where you would get increased production and income for a time, but at first they considered making it a dark age that would decrease those same things. I suggest that, instead of random up to requested levels, every tech currently being researched has a small chance of getting a bonus to its research.
This would encourage diversified spending, methinks.

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With all these people, you would expect one of them to carry an iguana around...