Make R&D able to get items earlier.

[SomeoneOutTher3]

So far,I have never seen R&D supply the various other departments in the game with items earlier than 2 hours in, except mining, but that is because they usually get mining gear earlier than everything else. Let's face it: Bluespace beakers, incision management systems, laser scalpels, etc are cool and all, but the round is almost over, or the items in question are not useful, by the time R&D gets the resources/ technology to produce whatever items other departments might like. Chemistry wants a beaker that can hold 300 units of chemicals and allow medicine to be produced even faster? Too bad, you have to wait for miners to haul in diamonds. And by the time that happens, bluespace beakers are no longer needed. The same applies for the surgical tools that the protolathe can make: Either they are never made throughout the course of the round, or are made when nobody is interested in them anymore. I think this takes away from the interdepartmental cooperation that was meant to be encouraged. I suggest that R&D should be able to get certain items, such as bags of holding and such(But not guns), earlier in the game, when other departments might still be interested in them. For instance: Make the incision management system more affordable early on, and remove the need for diamonds to make bluespace beakers. This will actually allow R&D to interact with Medical to some degree, rather than paying them a visit near the end of the round, giving the chemist a single beaker that nobody is interested in anymore.

[Faris]

I think it's fine as it is, if you focus ten minute of your time, you can raise all categories to be quite high before you even need minerals. Add the fact a good miner team can get you a shipment by the 30 minute mark, you'll be golden.

But I think you're argument here is essentially about mining not providing the minerals you require to go deep so to speak? I think it's intentional and a good thing, departmental cooperation is a core concept here, there's actually this saying "Should an organ fail, the body will fail", so I think we should keep it as it is, no reason to make things easier as it is.

[Zundy]

Many, many times have I asked departments if they'd like advanced gear to be met with a wall of silence. Many, many times have I asked if departments would like me to upgrade their machinery only to be met with either silence or dismissive suspicion. Any good R&D has advanced equipment 10-15 mins in, need dem miners though bruh.