Aug 24th 2014, 10:11:18
If you have 10000 tech points, the Commie bonus means it is calculated *as though* you have 12000 tech points. That is, you will buy 20% less tech points for the same tech% as other countries of the same acreage.
However, if you think about it, this is a somewhat weak bonus. When you sell your military units, you lose 10% to market commission, and when you buy tech with that money, you lose another 10% to commission. Needing to buy 20% less tech points simply negates that disadvantage, for the portion of units and money you spend on tech points.
It is still a positive bonus compared to standard governments with 6% commission, it is just not a bonus which people think it is for. Playing a Commie Techer is one of the worst ways you can play as a techer, because you lose 20% of everything you produce when you sell tech to buy other things (food, military, oil, etc).
Commies must play the Indy strat because it gives a 35% production bonus to military units, which is the only bonus on that government that can overcome the commission disadvantage.