split research tree

[skullmaker]

I would like to see a split research tree one for military and the other for city improvements. this could give shorter research times and allow you to work towards being a bully or a geek

[TerraHero]

why do u wanna do that?

techs make civil stuff posible + military, iff u wanna split that up u get chaos. And techs that aren't right anymore.

[sealman]

I agree with the Hero.

[Furius]

I agree with Sealman and LandHero.

[Mr. Dictator]

i agree with Sealman and Hero...oh and you to Furius.

[Jeff_ATARI]

Originally posted by skullmaker
I would like to see a split research tree one for military and the other for city improvements. this could give shorter research times and allow you to work towards being a bully or a geek

I agree with all of you too.

I can't say we're doing exactly what you request, skullmaker, but I will say that many of the tech trees for the Conquests do force some choices. Myself I still haven't figured out which way to go in the Mesopotamian conquest -- irrigation and mining seem so important to get your civ going, but it's important to get a military tech advantage so you don't get steamrolled by opponents...! So there's a case right there where the tech tree is diverse enough that you need to balance the desire for protection/military might with the desire to grow and improve your cities.

Best,
Jeff Foley
Atari

[Mr. Dictator]

but do you think split techs will ever be introduced to CIV?

[Xen]

well, at least this shows that it can be implemented in scenarios- and thus it can be modded into the game- a good thing for all those who want it....

[alpha wolf 64]

I've been thinking of seperating the tech tree into 4 branches: improvements, defensive units, offensive units, sea/air units. That way you could concentrate on one thing that was important to you. I'm just not sure whether the AI would follow a branch or simply alway go after the cheapest.

[Furius]

But that isn't the way things really work, many technologies are all of those branches, it would just seem too artificial for me.

[alpha wolf 64]

Originally posted by Furius
But that isn't the way things really work, many technologies are all of those branches, it would just seem too artificial for me.

In reality, I'd agree with you. And in the game there will be some cross over, but even in vanilla C3/PTW there is seperation in the modern age between air/MA/MI. I think long term objectives is more realistic than just always going for the cheapest tech. I think the current tech tree gives the player a huge advantage because we can already beeline straight towards a specific tech, whereas the AI doesn't seem to have a long range goal other than to get them all, in the fastest overall time which can leave them open to a blitz by a player that goes straight to the cav and tanks.

[Furius]

I doubt the AI would work it correctly, and anyway, to change the game completely s the AI can work it better, that seems unneccessary. Personally, I think you're too good at this game so the new "Sid" level might make things a little more difficult for you (Me, I'm satisfied with Warlord).

[TerraHero]

AI juz wouldn't take it. And besides, iff we go and split all this stuff up, some techs will become half used, like construction for defence or for Civic perpose. U would have too add tons of longshot techs.

And iff u do, this game we start too look more like AoE, i like AoE, but i like Civ coz it's NOT like AoE.

[EddyG17]

it would look like raise of nations sort of...

[nini1972]

IMO, different scientific branches aren't realistic.... Yes, it's true for scientist [and philosophers as well] that radar followed radio invention, but in the world history long term discoveries wasn't a technical matter, indeed military discoveries was technical improvements during war times, mostly in modern times [development of flight, for example]

bye all

[EddyG17]

what about different versions, you discover flight you get bombers, another civ discover flight and get fighters

[Furius]

Why would that happe? if one can build fighters bombers would presumably follow rather easily and definetly vise versa.

[EddyG17]

i don't know, maybe that was a bad example, was if you discover tanks and you get light-tanks, you discover tanks again and you get mid-tanks, and again and get heavy-tanks. and so on with ever tech that apllies, that way tons of new units could be introduce to the game ( i personally don't care about units, but it is an idea)

[TerraHero]

juz an upgradee tech?

but what would make those heavier tanks?

i would say, something like radio or rockets. And not be rediscovering the same thing twice

[Pembroke]

How about making the tech tree open-ended?

For example, the attack land unit tech development line stops at Modern Armor available with Synthetic Fibers. Suppose you could flag certain techs to be allowed to be researched multiple times. This would show up in the research choices as techs labeled "Synthetic Fibers 2", "Synthetic Fibers 3", etc. This would be totally automated once flagged. You didn't have to create any new techs. The game would just increase the numbering.

If a unit was tied to a multi-researchable tech each discovery of the more advanced version would add 1 point to the attack factor (if flagged as an attack unit) and/or 1 point to the defense factor (if flagged as a defensive unit). Similarly the unit would also get a "version number":

Synthetic Fibers    => Modern Armor   : 24.16.3
Synthetic Fibers 2  => Modern Armor 2 : 25.16.3
Synthetic Fibers 3  => Modern Armor 3 : 26.16.3
...
Synthetic Fibers 10 => Modern Armor 10 : 33.16.3

And analoguous for the other modern units: Mech Infantry, Radar Artillery, etc. Personally I think Roman numerals would be better here, e.g. Modern Armor IX etc. but that's just esthetics.

Of course, if you wanted to call your Modern Armor 10 unit as the Bolo Tank then you could just go ahead and press SHIFT+R.

EDIT: It just occurred to me you could take this idea a bit further. There would be a text file (or a section in some existing text config) where you could add unit names for the various future levels. Those units coming with the basic game would be just:

#FUTURE_Modern_Armor
2 Modern Armor II
3 Modern Armor III
4 Modern Armor IV
...
30 Modern Armor XXX

And if you got beyond the name range the game would just default to the basic name with the version number added. But now you could easily mod the names to something you want:

#FUTURE_Modern_Armor
2 AI Tank
3 Robo Tank
4 Bolo Landcruiser
...
10 Battle Machine