Research
Research is a decisive factor in the contest of Man versus Alien. X-COM forces start out badly outclassed by their alien foes, but as they master alien technology, the battle swings to the Humans' favor.
Through research, X-COM forces gain access to vastly improved weapons technology, armour, base facilities, interception and transport craft, and a variety of other useful technologies. Researching captive live aliens provides information about the aliens' methods and traits, and is ultimately the only path toward winning the game.
This topic is subdivided into: