AI War:Knowledge
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Knowledge is a resource that is gathered by Science Labs for a finite amount of 3000 per planet. Knowledge is used to unlock new ships and structures, or higher marks of known units. There is no maximum limit for stocking Knowledge, however the total amount of Knowledge available in a galaxy is finite.
Gathering
Knowledge can be gathered by science labs on player-controlled or neutral planets, but not from AI-controlled planets.
The Hacker is capable of Covert Knowledge Extraction on hostile planets, but this costs hacking points, which are also a limited resource.
The rate at which the knowledge is gathered depends on the level and quantity of Science Labs on a planet. Mark I Science Labs generate 2 knowledge per second, Mark II Labs generate 3, and Advanced Research Stations generate 6. Regardless of the rate of knowledge gathering, the maximum per system is always 3000.
In multiplayer games, each player has his own knowledge pile, and generates knowledge independently.
Capturing an Advanced Research Station immediately captures 500 bonus knowledge for all players. This is not counted toward the 3000 knowledge maximum for the captured planet.
The Spire Archive is another exception to the 3000-knowledge-per-planet rule. Upon capture, it will start gathering knowledge until one player reaches 9000 for the planet. Once the first player reaches 9000, it will self-destruct. Is it therefore not advisable to move additional knowledge gatherers to the planet with the Spire Archive, since reaching 9000 before your allies will rob them of the heightened cap.
Use
Knowledge is spent in the technology panel, which is displayed on Science Labs and Advanced Research Stations (hotkey "S" by default). This is analogous to the building panel displayed on space docks (hotkey "B"). In this panel, the player can unlock new units and structures with knowledge. Hovering over the unit displays the required amount of knowledge.
Grayed out buttons are unavailable because a prerequisite is missing -- usually lower Marks of the same unit type. Grayed out buttons with a check mark are already unlocked.
There is generally five tabs in the technology panel. The first is "I-III", which holds one column of two buttons, one column per ship model the player has; the lowest button unlocks the MkII version of the ship, and the higher button unlocks the MkIII version of the ship when the MkII version is already unlocked. The second tab is labbeled "STAR" and holds starship models: most of them have two buttons, like the I-III tab, but the Zenith and Spire starships have their MkI version locked from the begining, and the scout starship has a MkIV version available. The "ECON" tab holds economic structures, such as the Engineer drones and metal harvesters, alongside with the advanced Orbital Command Stations. The "SUP" tab holds support units; most of them are available from start and have no higher mark, however the Area and Widow Mine Fields aren't higher mark and don't need one another as prerequisite. The last tab, labeled "TUR", holds the turret techs: most of them are columns from mark II to IV, each having its lower level as prerequisite; however the Counter-* turrets are variants and not higher marks, and the Heavy Beam Cannon, Spider, Gravitational and Tachyon Beam turrets have their MkI locked from the beginning.
A sixth tab is available on planets containing an Advanced Research Station, showing three ship models that can be chosen from after a Research Redirection hack.
