This, I'm not exactly thrilled and in love with research but it's nowhere near as bad as the item sink that three was. Honestly I feel like it's more or less how many aspects their are with so little use. I feel like the aspects should be introduced when their used for something that absolutely needs this very specific aspect, and for it to make sense.
It also is what ruins the flow it could have. Look at some of the let's plays where someone tries to scan what's around. They can scan a majority of the simpler natural blocks... You can scan blocks that are rather complex from time to time. or would seem to be complex in my mind. "I can scan an alien totem before I can scan a grass block..." One of Joehills experiences with Thaumcraft four and I completely agree with it. It just seems silly I can understand ancient work before I can understand a block that the earth is made of.
I understand laying foundation, but how often do mod authors continue forth with new idea's. Not just reworks, but completely new items and idea's for the blocks. To actually implement and have them in place? So many idea's can be scrapped, yet so many aspects that were meant for those scrapped idea's will remain. I feel like this is what's really biting the research in the butt this time, aspects that may not be used, or will sit collecting dust on the shelf until half a year later.
it's like the concept of hidden research... It sounds like a brilliant idea, to trade for ancient pieces of work that could lead to something amazing. But it's still the same golem accessories...
Thaumcraft four made allot of excellent changes to the pace of thaumcraft. It is no longer a mod that's end game to start, but toy level tools and armor. You can choose, and manipulate you're way to getting what you want, when you want it. Learning how to craft the item merely takes paper and ink like research should stick with, well and the special tool to research it...
Actually that gives me an idea.. another tool to the trade...maybe a re-purpose of the deconstructor. Something that let's you put in complex items and blocks with aspects you can't understand and you have get one half of the aspect it's made of, and then a clue to point you to the second aspect. Just so you don't have to fiddle around with combining them in the table willy nilly. Something to make it knowledge based not luck based.