Research Ahead of Time

Basically what is the best way to min-max research speed?

• Never research with the ahead of time penalty.
• Change trade law to Free Trade(−10% research time).

• Prioritize research of the Engineering technology tree:

  1. 1936 - Electronic Mechanical Engineering (-2% research time)
  2. 1936 - Mechanical Computing (-3% research time)
  3. 1938 - Computing Machine (-3% research time)
  4. 1940 - Improved Computing Machine (-5% research time)
  5. 1940 - Atomic Research (-2% research time)
  6. 1942 - Advanced Computing Machine (-5% research time)

• Pick designers, concerns and theorists giving bonus for what you are researching now (or about to begin).

• Pick National Focus giving research bonus or increasing research slots.
• License military technology for units that you wish to research (with Death or Dishonor on).
• Boost the research of doctrines and some Naval techs using Army XP / Air XP / Navy XP.
• If your country is part of a technology sharing group (with Together for Victory on) pick technologies researched by other nations.
• Pick the Technology Sharing focus (with Together for Victory on) if no other focus can help with research.

Or just start work on it and ignore the penalty?

You ignore the penalty for things that take a long time to develop or you need them when the war starts:

• Atomic bomb.
• Naval technology research tree (capital ships take a long time to build with Man the Guns on).

One min maxing technique would be: The saved up time can be used at any time, so it is recommended to use it at the end of research as the penalty goes dow with time.

1. Start a research on line 1.
2. Now it is 30+ days away from it's traget and you have a research line 2 which just got free.
3. Keep line 2 free from 30 days - maximum stored bonus.
4. Select research line 1 and pick any other tech you want to research.
5. Select research line 2 (with stored bonus) and pick the original technology - the bonus will be substracted from research time.

Also if you have dynamic research bonuses like from allies or focus modifiers, you can do the same trick, but put the research back to the line 1 and save time. Some bonus are applied only when you start the start the research on the line and static to the time.

In general best way to min-max research is to use focuses, allies, blueprints, spies and pick what you need at the right time (no need to research something you cannot produce yet as you dont have IC).