Hello @neomorphius2207! 👋🏼 I'll start in reverse order. There is no time too early in the game to benefit from receiving a Congress buff. As long as your server has progressed to the point of unity and cooperation to share the buffs without rules or restrictions, use as often as needed. Keep in mind that if you are always requesting back-to-back buffs that may look bad especially if you don't contribute much to the progress of the server community -- people will notice the excessive requests. Whether that matters depends on the dynamics of your server community. Just a consideration. Maximizing the buff is straight forward. Be ready to perform the activity the buff will benefit immediately upon assignment. Many servers implement a time-based system which could be as low as 5 minutes before reassignment. This means you need to be ready. For example, if you are going to use the Secretary of Science buff and you have research already in progress, you need to be prepared to speed up that research to finish it immediately upon assignment to then start the next research with the benefit of the buff. If you further plan to complete multiple research items then be ready to speed up those you started after assignment to then start the next set; concluding your buff assignment picking the longest running research to start before your buff assignment would expire. The only exception is the Secretary of Interior (RSS buff) which does not take any action to benefit from. Another way to maximize the buffs is to interchangeably use the Secretary of Dvelopment and Secretary of Science buffs if the queue for the one you want is longer than you are willing or able to wait. Development gives 50% construction buff and 25% research. Science buff gives 50% research and 25% construction. If the development buff queue is very long and you want to progress builds for VS or Arms Race, it may be beneficial to take the open Secretary of Science buff even though it is less of a benefit. I'll leave you with this one thought. The buffs are almost all activity time reduction / savings. While this is very helpful, the fact remains many of the activities still take considerable time and time is something you have plenty of in this game requiring patience only. What they don't help you with is the cost (RSS) of the activity. The RSS cost is what takes work or money to be able to acquire for the activity. It is best to always be building and researching regardless of whether you receive a buff before starting or not. Let these activities progress while you sleep or enjoy family time. I hope this helps.
How do I maximize the buffs when I get one? Also, when should I use these buff? Early, middle or late game?
Hello @neomorphius2207! 👋🏼 I'll start in reverse order.
There is no time too early in the game to benefit from receiving a Congress buff. As long as your server has progressed to the point of unity and cooperation to share the buffs without rules or restrictions, use as often as needed. Keep in mind that if you are always requesting back-to-back buffs that may look bad especially if you don't contribute much to the progress of the server community -- people will notice the excessive requests. Whether that matters depends on the dynamics of your server community. Just a consideration.
Maximizing the buff is straight forward. Be ready to perform the activity the buff will benefit immediately upon assignment. Many servers implement a time-based system which could be as low as 5 minutes before reassignment. This means you need to be ready.
For example, if you are going to use the Secretary of Science buff and you have research already in progress, you need to be prepared to speed up that research to finish it immediately upon assignment to then start the next research with the benefit of the buff. If you further plan to complete multiple research items then be ready to speed up those you started after assignment to then start the next set; concluding your buff assignment picking the longest running research to start before your buff assignment would expire.
The only exception is the Secretary of Interior (RSS buff) which does not take any action to benefit from.
Another way to maximize the buffs is to interchangeably use the Secretary of Dvelopment and Secretary of Science buffs if the queue for the one you want is longer than you are willing or able to wait. Development gives 50% construction buff and 25% research. Science buff gives 50% research and 25% construction. If the development buff queue is very long and you want to progress builds for VS or Arms Race, it may be beneficial to take the open Secretary of Science buff even though it is less of a benefit.
I'll leave you with this one thought. The buffs are almost all activity time reduction / savings. While this is very helpful, the fact remains many of the activities still take considerable time and time is something you have plenty of in this game requiring patience only. What they don't help you with is the cost (RSS) of the activity. The RSS cost is what takes work or money to be able to acquire for the activity. It is best to always be building and researching regardless of whether you receive a buff before starting or not. Let these activities progress while you sleep or enjoy family time.
I hope this helps.