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Tech Research

The importance of the Research Menu can appear smaller based on the fact that there are only two menu options, set the current research and review the past research, but a practical examination of the Research Menu can only illustrate that it is the Yin to Engineering's Yang, being the two most significant elements to advancing the game.

In simple terms each nugget of information that is obtained through your victories against the enemy is processed by the Scientists and turned into tech that can then be created by the Engineers.

The Scientific Research is headed by Dr. Vahlen, who is the Chief Scientist assigned to XCOM, and the leader of the team that is unlocking the secrets of the Aliens. Her intense interest in reverse-engineering the Alien tech is only matched by her intense interest in reverse-engineering the Aliens themselves! And if a few must die to make that happen, well, that is the price they pay for being Aliens, right?

In simple terms the three areas of responsibility that Dr. Vahlen sees as her domain consist of Research, Autopsies, and Interrogations.

Research

After each mission the Squad returns to the base with artifacts, bits of tech, and machines that have been forcefully taken from the enemy. Each of these items has the potential to generate a line of research for the Scientists, and when it does, that area of research is added to the pending list from which the player might then choose, based upon whatever the priority is for the player and the strategy that they are following for the present game.

A number of factors come into play in determining the length of time and effort that will be required to complete that research - including materials, staff, and time - but all of this is fluid, based upon the number of Laboratories the player has built and the number of Scientists that they have recruited. That being the case, no two games are likely to run at the same pace.

If rapid discovery of the tech has value to you as you play the game, you are going to want to focus upon building up the Science-side of the base, which means building Laboratories and recruiting Scientists.

Autopsies

The purpose of the Alien Autopsies is not simply to learn how they tick - though that is part of it - but also to help figure out the best ways to kill or immobilize them! In fact the direct result of these studies leads to the ARC Thrower, which is absolutely necessary to capture of a live specimen no matter the type.

Interestingly and while this fact is not promoted in the dialogues, it is clear that the Autopsy results also helped to define the Containment Facilities that you end up constructing as well.

In some cases direct tech progress is actually made as a result of the Autopsy that is performed on specific Alien types, so even in death there is clear value.

Interrogations

We have to admit that here is the area in which Dr. Vahlen truly shines, as she is able to draw out of the brains of the Aliens the very images of their thoughts in the process if interrogating them!

The benefits that are gained from this process can be a bit difficult to understand early on, but as the interrogations expand to different types of Aliens, the direct benefits of what is learned will help to reveal a hidden talent in some of your recruits that, once it is better understood, becomes a significant weapon to oppose the Alien invaders. Cannot really say more than that without giving away a huge element of the story and dishing out a massive spoiler...