I can see that as being potentially frustrating for players. When something says it gives you X% bonus to research but actually it doesn't, it will cause confusion.

on the other hand, you can alter the exponent number via technology or race trait to customize the scalability of the empire's research.

ouput research = raw research ^ modifier

This would limit strategy for small empires. I think communication, morale, and finances would be a better solution. I think changing teriform where you could teriform all tiles would be a better idea. Letting you build more buildings on fewer planets. Maybe a more flat rate population increase where there is the same population increase no matter how many planets you have. Instead of growth increasing building affecting the planet it would affect the whole civilization limiting on how many could be built. Still like the idea of gathering resources for building. This would slow down building, and limit how much you could build regardless of how many planets you have especially if the resources require starbases. I just realised that population capping is what causes the population difference between tall and wide empires.

I have no problem with larger empires having inherent financial and industrial advantages as that matches quite well with historical precedent....it is the science issue that matters the most -- small empires should have no issue at all maintaining tech parity with larger ones...

One element of reality that is rarely incorporated in games is that technology diffuses between cultures and civilizations, and that simply is not reflected at all in the game....nations that are behind in technology should have an easier time researching technology (ie lower tech costs) because of diffusion...while this is not directly tied to tall vs. wide, it would in effect ensure that any strategy that yields lower amounts of research points would have an easier time maintaining technological parity.....

I never even thought of that, but your right it would be more difficult to be the first to invent something. Every one else's tech points should be less.

Ok, I see your point. In my games, tech brokering does help even out some tech, but you are right, the lesser factions (and minor factions) often still end up way behind the 'average' tech level maintained by trading.

Yes, very good point. How about this: if a civilization you have contacted has the technology, it should be easier to research. After all, it is much easier to copy someone else than break new ground yourself (the basis of China's rapid advance in military technology... smart

I apologize, I was thinking in terms of the topic that brought me here, vertical strategies. In that case, we want to have a way for small empires to be competitive, but it isn't necessarily just about tech snowballing.

In almost all games I've ever played with tech brokering allowed -- aside from being a royal PITA as a player to keep on top of tech trades -- it tends to stratify the civs into layers,  and these layers tend to separate.   Civ4 recognized this and had a VERY handy overview so that you could,  with one F-key,  check the status of all other civs vis a vis tech trade opportunities.

e.g.  4 civs around the same tech end up brokering/sharing/buying tech from each other to the point where they can be considered one single entity researching 4 times as fast.    The next layer down consists of another 4 civs who got a little behind,  had nothing to trade and couldn't afford to buy their way up where the top 4 were concnerned,  so they form a bloc a little further down the tree.  In the meantime though they're probably getting their behinds whupped by the top 4 so their lack of progress up the tree is magnified.

Anyway this is kind of OT as far as tech snowballing goes - I've made some other suggestions in the "tall vs wide" thread that would help with the snowballing somewhat.