My Lands: Black Gem Hunting

Hello all and especially to admin,

I have this idea for a repeatable science...the more I think about it, the more the idea expands.

So, initially, my idea was just to have a single new science option very similar to the "City Expansion" science that is repeatable and adds +1 cell size to the selected city.
The science might be called "Studies" and require 250,000 science points. Upon completion, the science is charged and can be consumed to create the player's choice of:
+Exp Potion
+Mana Potion
+Scroll
The level of each could be random.

The idea is to give players a use and incentive to have strong science per hour even when they have researched nearly the whole technology tree.
However, I said that there was more to my idea...
I began to think of what other benefits the labs could provide for an established player while maintaining the incentive to destroy an enemy's labs (and the need to protect your own). I thought of Heroes of Might and Magic and my first thought was stables. In Heroes, the stables provide extra movement until the end of the week, and are refreshed once you visit that city again.
I then looked at the black gem powerups in My Lands and noticed these could be translated to this idea with labs. If you think about it, this is very similar to how Clan Castle's already work where banners can be setup to boost the clan, but points need to be accrued to maintain these powerups.

My expanded idea involves using science to give players personal power-ups that are temporary and require labs in order to be maintained at a consistent rate. They are repeatable and consumable (think just like City Expansion or Transfer of Capital sciences), they could not stack up multiple times but only once. These would NOT require black gems to consume.
I also understand that these should not totally undermine the black gem power-ups, so they would be balanced in a way that both are useful. I did not want to just copy and paste the black gem power-ups, but that is actually another idea to offer those either via black gems or science.
Here are some of my initial ideas:
Stables - 2,000,000 science points: -10% Hero's squad mission duration for 7 days
Tutors - 500,000 science points: Hero in garrison of capital gains 50 experience per hour for 1 day
Cartography - 1,250,000 science points: -5% explorer mission duration for 3 days
Economics - 500,000 science points: +25% resource production for 3 days
Holy Day - 1,000,000 science points: +100 max favor for 1 day
Academy - 2,000,000 science points: -10% training time for military units for 5 days

Comments and feedback totally welcome, just some ideas I had, the numbers not really rationalized at all and I only considered them as end game researches. I didn't consider them much for smaller players or even the points required at a level where you could get multiple consistently.

Would this be something you'd use? What are your thoughts and ideas?

Those are good ideas. Some effects you cant get elsewhere and those that exists already have fair %.
Xp gain is nice to boost heros that supposed to stay at home but bit over 1k is a bit less since big players who can afford science have better gear. I get 2k per ruin...
There are already buildings that give potions and scroll, i wouldnt add another source.
Also what is the use of favor?

everyone with what hurst him
slaves, slaves, slaves! I need slaves!
so, I propose to add on the list a science who give slaves or who increase growth population per hour
something like ,,celebration" scroll, for a reasonable points of science, 100k-200k

interesting idea Hexxus, would be nice if admin considers it

ontariomoderate wrote:[...]Also what is the use of favor?

Favor is the name of the Temple points (I think)

mermaid wrote:everyone with what hurst him
slaves, slaves, slaves! I need slaves!
so, I propose to add on the list a science who give slaves or who increase growth population per hour
something like ,,celebration" scroll, for a reasonable points of science, 100k-200k

You should checkout the new Scientist Commander hero!

I had one more idea about slaves since you mention it, though perhaps controversial...

I always wondered about Slaves being something that could be put on the market to be bought and sold. If they were I think many would indulge and it would be a big source of trade. There's also a taboo about human trafficking, so I can understand that.
To keep it thematic, I think if any player puts slaves onto the market or buys slaves from the market then they become Renegade (for 7 days or whatever).

Price ranges would be high (thinking 50-100 area), but also there would have to be something to deal with the ability for players to "store" slaves inside of their market and withdraw them for their own use later...can't think of anything off the top of my head.

We could combine both ideas: a science that invites a slave trader for 1 day at activation. One can buy at a market for fixed price and slaves are "generated" instantly just like exchange tab. Without trade between players theres no storing problem and science would keep it away from all-day gameplay (doing smt bad less often makes it less bad, does it?).