I have been trying for 3 weeks now to get a game working on Hard. Every time was a failure. I read another post about "keeping" the people at the research table. Don't let them wander.

edited: I found that the 4 people at the table were getting weakened quickly the more I pressed them for tech points.

I now press them for tech points for about 30 minutes or so, then let them be for another 30 minutes ... seems to keep their health in check.

Also, I found out that if they go to the "hut", the women reclaim their health faster. Don't tell the men that!
Well, that's all well and good, but "wandering, eating and getting water" are just as important. Running the game on normal. I let them work, eat, run, etc during that time and they rebuilt up their health.

So I guess there is a reason for the saying "all work and no play".

Totally agree. Especially in hard mode, the researchers seem to be prone to getting injured, If they keep getting re-injured befoe they get a chance to regain their health, you've got a weakened villager on your hand in no time. Sometimes you might actually have to put them on something less onerous like farming or medicine for a bit, or physically feed them till their health improves.

I unclick their current job when they are weakened and just let them do what they want to do. They seem to get their strength back, but sometimes it takes a while.

zippie