I ve heard this a few times. Is it true? If so by how much? Could someone please explain by an example? Thanks.

I ve heard this a few times. Is it true? If so by how much? Could someone please explain by an example? Thanks.

Beelining to what?

If you beeline to Writing, you can then get Libraries, which means more research and the potential for Science Specialists. Then, Alphabet gets you technology trading. Though, I'm not sure you would want to beeline too far up any one single tree, because the research costs get really steep. You do better to advance all your research trees more or less at the same time.

One thing to consider is that if an opposing civ knows a technology that you don't, when you meet him, you get a little bonus for researching from seeing him have it. So, theoretically, a number of human players could beeline different trees, thereby softening the cost of the techs they aren't beelining (because their neighbors beelined them).

Beelining actually increases research costs. It's cheaper (research wise) to learn a technology that is already known by others, than it is to be the first to research it.

Now, beelining often makes it possible to trade the technology that only you know, to other AI's for a wide variety of techs -- thus not having to research them yourself.

For example, you don't know Tech A, B, or C. But other AI civs do know them. You learn Tech D (which nobody else knows), then trade Tech D for Tech A with Civ 1, trade Tech D for Tech B with Civ 2, and Tech D for Tech C with Civ 3.

In essence, you've researched Tech D, but through tech trading have also learned Techs A, B, and C for no additional research costs.

But that's using Tech trading to avoid research costs. It's not an example of beelining to lower research costs.

Ok so I guess it was mis-phrased in other threads. Beelining does not lower research costs for any tech in line, but researching a tech already known by another AI will cost less than if you were to be the first to research it. Does anyone know the discount factor for that?

I hope these discount factors are specified somewhere as i do not have the manual.

I also noticed that there is no "minimum" number of turns to research a tech (in Civ3 it was 4 turns). So if you have a super economy you can reasearch tech in 1 - 2 turns. Can someone verify that? Thanks.

Beelining actually increases research costs. It's cheaper (research wise) to learn a technology that is already known by others, than it is to be the first to research it.


It's also cheaper to research a tech when you have multiple prerequisites. For example, you can research Animal Husbandry when you know Agriculture or Hunting. But if you know both, Animal Husbandry will be cheaper.

But often, the benefit of beelining outweighs the cost.

Don't know the factor, but it's in your best interest to meet as many civs as you can.

If you manage to get a tech that's a lot further up the line, you can sometimes trade for multiple techs. Say, you know AA, and can trade it to one civ for A, B, and C.

Be careful giving away technology, though. I like to hold on to much of it if I can, trading and selling only the less significant stuff. I like to hold Alphabet if I have it over others, cause that means that I have the monopoly on tech trade for a short while. Currency, for the same reason. Astronomy, cause I can travel the sea and others can't. Etc, etc.

I also noticed that there is no "minimum" number of turns to research a tech (in Civ3 it was 4 turns). So if you have a super economy you can reasearch tech in 1 - 2 turns. Can someone verify that? Thanks.

Yes, that's true. I've had a 2 turn research (on Marathon, even) before.

It was some early Era tech that I was able to skip because it wasn't on the tech path I was interested in.

this is new also for me anyone has an idea of how much is discounted the research of a technology already discovered by others?
And why it should be discounted a tch if you have prerequisites if every tech needs to have prerequisites to be researched?

this is new also for me anyone has an idea of how much is discounted the research of a technology already discovered by others?
And why it should be discounted a tch if you have prerequisites if every tech needs to have prerequisites to be researched?

Because some prerequisites are either/or, as my example with Animal Husbandry. If you look at the tech tree that came with the original Civ4 game, you'll see black lines that indicate required prereqs. But there also some lines in red, yellow, grey, etc... When you see a tech with two different colored lines pointing to it, it means you must have one or the other as a prerequisite. If you get both prereqs, you get a discount.

Its doesn't get "cheaper", you get a free :science:. The formula is here (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=146163) if you're good at math. If half the world knows the tech and you generate 100:science: per turn then you get an extra 15.

I know I'm not a great player (Noble win easily, Prince yet to), but it seems to me that beelining, cheaper or not, is immoral (IMO). It requires a foreknowledge of the tech tree that your Civ obviously does not have.

I will only conduct my research based on what is actually available, to suit the style of the current game and my immediate goal / requirements. No doubt this is one reason I struggle on prince.

Wow, great article on research. Very well organized.

So my next question is: Will beelining to a tech always include ALL the OPTIONAL techs preceding this tech?

i.e. Code of Laws requires Writing + (Priesthood or Currency)

When you beeline to COL, will all 3 prerequisits be researched first or just Writing + (either Priesthood or Currency)

Sorry i dont have the game in front of me to test this. Hope someone knows this can help. Thanks.

I know I'm not a great player (Noble win easily, Prince yet to), but it seems to me that beelining, cheaper or not, is immoral (IMO). It requires a foreknowledge of the tech tree that your Civ obviously does not have.

I will only conduct my research based on what is actually available, to suit the style of the current game and my immediate goal / requirements. No doubt this is one reason I struggle on prince.

I kind of agree with you on that. In some ways, I'd prefer a more SMAC like, "blind research" implementation. You could say that you want to research a 'military tech', but whether you end up getting Theology or Machinery (as an example) would be a matter of luck.

That being said, I think the AI's do a little beelining at times (at least, it seems that way). And it's rather rare that I do a 'perfect beeline'. I'll usually have some longer term research path to pursue, but will almost always have to shuffle in some other techs that may be more necessary at the moment. So while I may be trying to 'beeline' to Liberalism, I might pick up Machinery on the way to make sure my military can handle Medieval armies.

So my next question is: Will beelining to a tech always include ALL the OPTIONAL techs preceding this tech?

i.e. Code of Laws requires Writing + (Priesthood or Currency)

When you beeline to COL, will all 3 prerequisits be researched first or just Writing + (either Priesthood or Currency)


When beelining, you'll only grab the minimum prereq. So in your example above, if you were beelining to CoL, you'd learn Writing (you have to) and then either Priesthood or Currency.

Additionally, a beeline will also use the cheapest research route. So in your example, you'd go for the Priesthood prereq rather than the Currency one, because Mathematics and Currency both require lots of research, while Priesthood (and it's prereq's) are fairly cheap.

a beeline will also use the cheapest research route

That makes sense. Thanks for the clarification.