Miscellaneous: Research

[Vermicelli]

I would chalk it up to the Random Number Generator for fails/successes versus skill gains. RNG is a harsh mistress. I personally pumped my research skill up with my 5 invest-able skill points gained each level. What else are you going to put the skill points into as an INT caster? You can practice exotic languages with another person if that is your thing, rather than putting a ton of points into any one of them. As long as you invest one skill point into a language, you can spam it to another player in /g chat and they can gain up to one more skill level than you possess. Both of you zone, and they spam /g chat in the language back to you; you gain up to one more skill level than they possess. Repeat until both of you are grandmaster.

Azia/beza combines are way too much effort for the return, to be sure. Good in principle, bad in practice. I know it costs some kinda platinum to train your skills after a period, but would you rather have a molehill of plat or a mountain of unused skill points?

I realize this wasn't a research advice post, but I still maintain your problem was the Random Number Generator being unkind.