I think it's a case of 'If the enemy doesn't have it, you can't research it'.
I've never taken control of the whole field before... It prevents the computer from throwing cannon fodder at you.
Yeah, the unit stat editing is odd. I was playing the final Toss mission and I manged to edit the Photon cannons on the fly, with often hilarious results, but using the keys on the Colossi did nothing... until the next time I ran into them, when they were raping me from, literally, the other end of the map. I checked, I somehow managed to up their range to 18,000. But it didn't take effect until the mission after I'd ordered the change.
Also the stats change seems to be exponential, doubling or halving damage/range/speed with each button press.
[Edited by AdmiralThrawn, 8/22/2010 4:19:48 PM]
I've noticed this as well. The doubling effect I don't mind; once you reach, like, 300, you can pretty much hit one end of any map from the other end.
However, the issue of things not taking affect is VERY annoying. The stat editing is fun to use if you're breezing through a campaign (posted not long ago that the patch broke my saves, started a new camp and getting to where I was is a pain without these cheats) they help out a LOT. If they don't apply right there and then, save the game and reload it. The codes will take affect. Annoying, yes, but it's a work-around.
There is also a bad side-effect of these codes; during the challenge missions, I found that the objectives/units/etc would cease functioning...prime example, the missions where you have the 'toss, surrounded by three spawning areas, where every X amount of time baddies will spawn. I gave my archons range enough to never have to move, as well as a machine-gun attack speed, and they were killing the guys as soon as they spawned. However, once I reached the required number of kills, the mission never ended. From what I gathered, killing them so quickly kind of set the timer back, or something like that, and the final objective (last as long as you can or w/e) never triggered. I even let my guys die, and the mission still continued.
Also, word of advice...and take this as me being paranoid, but don't EVER save a game (or let it autosave lol) with cheats turned on unless you know EXACTLY which ones you have on! That's apparently how I ruined my first camp, and am having to now do it all over again. ><
Sorry for the wall'o'text!