PAX AUTOCRATICACompendium

Research and policy

Research is a points-per-day pool, and the tree does not separate "useful buildings" from "how you rule". Policies sit in the same graph as blueprints.

Last verified · Game build 0.184.0.196275

Research points per day

Research is not a queue of timers — it is a rate. Your research buildings generate a points-per-day figure from the citizens assigned to them, and each node states a required point total. The observed build showed 6,446 points/day against a node requiring 1,523 points, resolving in about a minute of real time.

Observed rate
6,446/dayfrom the assigned research staff
Observed node cost
1,523 points
Research buildings seen
Command Center · Victory Squareplus specialised centres
Per-citizen stat
Research Speedshown per hour on their card
The research tree with node icons, connecting lines, and a detail panel showing points per day and time remaining
The tree, with points/day and required points in the right-hand panel. Official screenshot © Multiverse

The practical consequence: research speed is a staffing decision. A citizen with 42/H Research Speed and one with 4/H are not interchangeable on the Command Center.

Policies are research nodes

Victory Square is where the doctrine research lives. Two confirmed policies:

PolicyWhereWhat it gates
High-Pressure LaborVictory SquareAppears as a directive objective in the early game — “Complete the High-Pressure Labor policy research at Victory Square”.
Mandatory ReproductionVictory SquarePrerequisite for the Reproductive Allocation Facility blueprint.

And the building that policy unlocks, with its stated limits:

Reproductive Allocation Facility
TypePlanetary Architecture Blueprint — Base Building
Build Limit1
Reproduction Slots2
PrerequisiteUnlock Mandatory Reproduction at Victory Square

What to research first

There is no published tree layout, so this is structural advice rather than a build order:

  1. Anything that unblocks a chain you already run. A second refinery tier beats a new industry.
  2. Weapon Research Center capacity, because the game explicitly wants you running several in parallel.
  3. The policy matching your doctrine — a fear colony wants the labour and control nodes; a comfort colony wants the quality-of-life ones.
  4. Space Shipyard line, since it is what extends your expedition reach.

Frequently asked

How does research work in Pax Autocratica?

Assigned citizens generate research points per day. Each node has a required point total, and the UI shows the time remaining until it completes.

Where do I unlock policies?

Victory Square. Observed policy research includes High-Pressure Labor and Mandatory Reproduction.

How do I increase research speed?

Assign citizens with high Research Speed to research buildings, and build more of them. Research Speed is a per-citizen hourly rate like every other job.

Read next

Sources