Which technology bonus is most powerful?

Apolex · Sep 19, 2008

Which of the tech bonuses (from researching it first) do you think is most powerful, if you consider the stage of the game that you get it. I didn't post all of them, because I screened out the less powerful ones (free legion, free pikeman, etc.). If you wanted to vote for one that wasn't on the poll, tell us what it is and why.

It depends on your playing style of course, but for me the most powerful is Irrigation (+1 population in every city). I have usually ICS-ed enough cities by that point that it gives me an enormous boost.

Weakest? I'd say Globalization (500 gold). 500 gold, are you serious? I just spent 3400 science points (highest of any tech) racing to get this first, and all I get is this lousy 500 gp? No thanks. By that stage in the game, I can switch one or two cities to gold and get twice that in 1 turn!

Sea Lion · Sep 19, 2008

Irrigation +1 pop is always useful. I find myself rushing masonry and getting the free wall at the moment. In a multiplayer game it can be really useful. Generally, for me, I don't have enough gold cities so Corporation is very helpful.

Kadazzle · Sep 19, 2008

For early game: I find that Irrigation or Monarchy/Invention are really great. If you can get irrigation first, your science/gold and production will increase because of the extra pop, helping you race towards new techs.

Monarchy/Invention because depending on the GP and depending on what difficulty, in my opinion this could make the game. Getting a thinker will help you flip a new city to your civ; very helpful.

Late Game: Mass Media. The added population in the late game after you've built your empire will help your newly conquered lands (hopefully you've conquered someone) become more modernized, and make your island cities and gold city producte more gold/science, to help you race for better techs.

RDespair · Sep 19, 2008

I'm going to have to go with Currency. Free gold (in the form of a Caravan), a free market (which results in much gold now and the future), and a third benefit in that reaching 250 gold gets you Banking. Gold is just so much more important in Civilization Revolution than it is in previous Civ games and Currency is basically the start of your economy.

Apolex · Sep 20, 2008

Good point about currency. Money dominates this game if you know how to grow it.

That reminds me of a question I've always wondered about: how does the game determine which city gets the market...is it random? Or does it go to the capital or highest gold city each time? Same goes for any of the bonuses where you get a free X (unit, workshop, whatever), is it random?

RDespair · Sep 20, 2008

I'm not sure about the other bonuses, but for the free marketplace, I'm pretty sure it goes to the highest gold producing city. It's pretty easy to put it where you want by simply having only one city producing gold right before you finish the Currency technology.

Kadazzle · Sep 20, 2008

Yeah, it goes to the city with the most trade squares/points, so basically the city that's producing the most gold.

vinstafresh · Sep 20, 2008

Industrialization (and Corporation) for me. 5 gpt + 50% bonus for democracy and a marketplace (and bank) can get up to 30 gpt per city while focussing on science! If you have like 8 cities, you get 250 gpt and be fully focussed on science. Double that amount when you get to both first.

Irrigation is one I'll always try to get and Railroad with +2 production is massive too!

Hertsh · Sep 21, 2008

For me it is clearly Irrigation since it is quite early in the game and a +1 pop then is sometime 20-33% more than it was, i.e. huge bonus. Generally, I believe that the early game bonuses are better than later.

Kadazzle · Sep 21, 2008

See, great Humanitarians can do exactly the same thing as irrigation; plus they help you out in a Cultural Victory. That's why I'd rather rush Monarchy/Invention because it helps me get closer to victory, and if it's a Humanitarian, it does exactly the same thing as irrigation. (If you use it for the pop bonus it doesn't count towards cultural victory, though)

Hertsh · Sep 21, 2008

You have a point Kadazzle, but you never know who the GP will be so it is hard to put = between GP and +1 pop. GPs are always good, but you are not sure who you will get. But yes, Monarchy and Invention are both up there on the top spot.

Apolex · Sep 22, 2008

I like to get spies early (either from writing, or huts) because they can be used to steal an early GP too. If the Americans are nearby, I go get their starting GP right away. If there is a strong cultural civ nearby, I wait a few turns until they pop one and then steal it. Early GPs are definitely game changers. That's why I love seeing the Americans nearby. It's like you get to steal their civilization bonus for yourself.

eddiexflatts · Sep 22, 2008

I prefer communism, the 33% off factory's later in game can make them more affordable to smaller cities, and once completed these cities can build things MILES faster.
But that just might be me and the way I play. But every body has there own opinion right.

MKElderGod · Sep 22, 2008

RDespair said:
I'm not sure about the other bonuses, but for the free marketplace, I'm pretty sure it goes to the highest gold producing city. It's pretty easy to put it where you want by simply having only one city producing gold right before you finish the Currency technology.

false goes to the city with most gold potential

MKElderGod · Sep 22, 2008

I voted currency, seems obvious

Chinese American · Sep 26, 2008

vinstafresh said:
Industrialization (and Corporation) for me. 5 gpt + 50% bonus for democracy and a marketplace (and bank) can get up to 30 gpt per city while focussing on science! If you have like 8 cities, you get 250 gpt and be fully focussed on science. Double that amount when you get to both first.

I second that. The industrial and modern ages are when all the bonuses come together and accumulate to greatest effect. After you have researched currency and bank, after you get the civilization trait +50% gold production, after you have finished building Trade Fair. With all the bonuses in place, a simple 5 gold turns into 50 for each city (100 if you get both Industry and Corp). Double it for all cities if you have Internet. Double if that city has Trade Fair. Again, you get all this before you specialize any city in gold.

Industrialization also lets you build Factory. So with the extra gold, one of your cities could be the first to rush a factory and then you jump ahead in production also.

dk1421 · Sep 26, 2008

I like a few of them, so it was hard to pick.

First of all, a free spy means I can steal goodies early on - and continuing to steal stuff as I make them.

I do like Masonry for the Free Wall when I'm playing higher up because the AI is constantly at me and walls are expensive and take too long to make.

Civ Rev is the first off all Sid's Civ games where I actually keep playing beyond medievel. Usually I've won by then or get bored. Now - I LOVE combustion!!!! Tanks rule!

Smirk · Sep 28, 2008

I choose Literacy, its not much but its usually pretty early. That coupled with many early cities is the surest path to better units and easy conquest.

Most of this stuff doesn't matter much because there aren't many isolated paths you'd take just for the bonus. I definately lean towards the science, gold and production bonuses tho. They are bound only by your city count, while GP are only benefiting one city, and would benefit a more developed city.

Two great techs that I rarely get the bonus for are Irrigation and Navigation, I end up with Egypt and Spain a lot so both are usually taken.

Yakarobed · Oct 2, 2008

Like most everyone else, I like to get several of the first bonuses. I voted for railroad because no matter what win type you are trying for extra production is great. :goodjob:

My next favorite is probably writing for the free spy and early chance to steal great people.

This past game of the week had lots of opportunities to steal great people. Montazuma never built a spy and I ended up with his great general. :lol:

Michelasso · Oct 6, 2008

To decide the best bonus is very hard. I voted for invention. A free great person is always good. But so are many other bonuses. What I know is that I am sure about the most useless one:

Networking: 1/2 of cost of Universities. That is a joke. If I reached networking it's because I already had Universities in all the cities that needed it. And even if I missed some, I have money to rush all new ones.

Which technology bonus is most powerful?

Which of the tech bonuses (from researching it first) do you think is most powerful?

Atomic Theory (+2 science in every city)

Code of Laws (Free Trading Post)

Communism (-33% cost of factories)

Construction (Free Workshop)

The Corporation (+5 gold in every city)

Currency (Free caravan and market)

Electronics (+2 trade in every city)

Engineering (+1 production in every city)

Industrialization (+5 gold in every city)

Invention (Free great person)

Irrigation (+1 population in every city)

Literacy (+1 science in every city)

Masonry (Free wall)

Mass Media (+1 population in every city)

Monarcy (Free great person)

Networking (Reduced university cost)

Nuclear Power (+2 production in every city)

Printing Press (+1 culture in every city)

Railroad (+2 production in every city)

Religion (+1 culture in every city)

Space Flight (Entire map is revealed)

University (+1 science in every city)

Writing (Free spy)

Chieftain

Chieftain

Emperor

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Emperor

Prince

Prince

Emperor

Prince

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Chieftain

Warlord

Warlord

Hamtastic Knight

Chieftain

King

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