Set GS to unlock 25% less tech for every previous era that is not complete. The era of the tech matters. So if you unlock a tech where all previous eras are complete, you will get the full 100%, but only 75% of a tech if you try and unlock it and it's in the next era (since the original era I just mentioned is not complete). Then require GS's to enter RA's with those same reductions, but for the era the civ is in at the start of the RA. You will get 2X what the GS would have given at the start of the RA upon completion. So you can move to the next era after you start an RA without penalty. And it also gives an incentive for filling in previous era techs. RA's this way makes sense in that the combined effort of both civ's GS's are really what you're getting.
Low tech civs won't have tons of GS laying around. But if they have one, they'll be able to jump ahead quickly. For advanced civs, they'll have to pick bulbing late game or using RA's. And they won't be able to just have money for RA's. Their civs actually have to be geared toward science. Also, you can lose the full potential of your GS if you use it in an RA and you haven't filled in the previous techs.
This would also make the terrain improvement more valuable. In fact, I'd let each of these allow one RA each, but with only 1X GS tech upon completion (1X would then have era reductions applied). Could also have a bonus for every science terrain improvement you have when bulbing or RA when using a separate GS... so as to remove any era reductions down to a min of 0%. These synergies make sense. A civ that has a history of science should be more geared toward scientific discoveries than a civ that only has a couple GS's later in the game brought about just because their pop is high.
For unlocking techs and RA's with GS, I'd also put in increasing penalties for techs found in the industrial, modern and future eras.
Low tech civs won't have tons of GS laying around. But if they have one, they'll be able to jump ahead quickly. For advanced civs, they'll have to pick bulbing late game or using RA's. And they won't be able to just have money for RA's. Their civs actually have to be geared toward science. Also, you can lose the full potential of your GS if you use it in an RA and you haven't filled in the previous techs.
This would also make the terrain improvement more valuable. In fact, I'd let each of these allow one RA each, but with only 1X GS tech upon completion (1X would then have era reductions applied). Could also have a bonus for every science terrain improvement you have when bulbing or RA when using a separate GS... so as to remove any era reductions down to a min of 0%. These synergies make sense. A civ that has a history of science should be more geared toward scientific discoveries than a civ that only has a couple GS's later in the game brought about just because their pop is high.
For unlocking techs and RA's with GS, I'd also put in increasing penalties for techs found in the industrial, modern and future eras.
