Direct answer
Use the percentage above each Military Academy category as a coverage indicator, then use the displayed power gain as a cost label, not a priority score. Evony’s Version 5.04.0 notes that category icons show total branch progress and that the interface displays how much power the current research adds (official update). Those numbers help you audit; they do not tell you which technology best serves your march.
A six-step research audit
1. Define the account role
Choose the main job for the next cycle: monster PvE, ranged attack, ground reinforcement, siege support, or defense. Avoid “increase power” as the objective.
2. Record branch progress
Write the visible percentage for every relevant branch. A low percentage flags unexplored depth, but may be intentional if the branch does not serve your build.
3. Trace prerequisites
Open the desired end technology and work backward. List prerequisite technologies, required Military Academy level, time, speedups, and any special materials shown in game.
4. Compare marginal benefit
For each candidate upgrade, ask: does it affect the troop type, battle context, and direction—attacking, defending, or reinforcing—that you actually use? Reject technically powerful upgrades with low practical uptime.
5. Separate power from performance
The official power-gain display tells you account power added by the research. It does not promise equal combat value. Compare effects and use battle reports to validate outcomes.
6. Queue a short path
Plan three to five connected technologies. Re-audit after completing the path rather than committing months of materials to an outdated assumption.
Decision framework: relevance per constraint
Rank candidates by role relevance, prerequisite depth, time/speedup cost, and scarce-material cost. A modest upgrade that unlocks two high-value successors can outrank a large power gain at the end of an irrelevant branch.
Practical example
A player sees 72% in one branch and 41% in another. Finishing the 72% branch looks tidy, but the missing 41% branch contains the next technology for the player’s primary troop type. The correct move is to map prerequisites and compare effect relevance—not to complete the prettier percentage.
For large city-and-research plans, calculate the exact in-game resource requirements before considering outside supply. The 500B Evony RSS Package is currently listed at $425 and contains 125B each of Food, Lumber, Stone, and Ore. That equal split is useful only if it matches the measured deficit; it does not provide research speedups, special research items, buffs, or guaranteed outcomes.
Common mistakes checklist
- [ ] Treating branch completion percentage as a recommendation.
- [ ] Selecting research only by displayed power.
- [ ] Ignoring prerequisites and special materials.
- [ ] Investing in a troop type not used in your active march.
- [ ] Starting a long path without a three-to-five-upgrade checkpoint.
- [ ] Assuming RSS replaces speedups or research-specific items.
FAQ
Does higher research power always mean more combat value?
No. Power is a summary metric; value depends on whether the effect applies in your real battle context.
What does category percentage measure?
Evony describes it as total progress achieved in that branch.
Should I complete one branch before another?
Only when its remaining technologies match your role and unlock useful successors.
How often should I audit?
After a major troop-focus change, Military Academy upgrade, or completed research path.