Where is the extra research coming from?

[mizushimo]

I started a new game with Japan after the DLC was released. Does anyone else notice that research points accumulate much faster now? I seem to get some every time a scan detects anomalies, not just when a milestone is completed. I couldn't find anything about this in the patch notes (only that completing milestones will net you research points). Is this a bug or a feature? I've blasted my way up the tech tree even though japan has low sponsor research and I didn't get colonists until sol 14.

 

[Promethian]

Try looking at Japan's sponsor specific bonuses.

 

[mizushimo]

oh, ok, I didn't notice that at the time. I wonder if Japan is too OP for a hard mode sponsor.

 

[SillySMS]

Its difficulty is maybe a bit over-rated. Even having totally blundered into choosing "Long Ride" without accounting for Japan having only one starting rocket, I'm at Sol 40 with a pretty solid colony of 101 colonists... though two things really helped.

1) Cargo pods
2) Due to an event, I got a second rocket. Despite the "sabotage", I'm pretty thoroughly ahead for that little exchange.

 

[Promethian]

I agree Japan is definitely the easiest of the hard sponsors. Starting out, when the game is most difficult, they get the cheaper rovers and scanning research. Rovers are a huge chunk of your space and cash budget at that stage so halving them is very liberating.