analysis of score

[johncross21]

The civ score seems to be made of various calculations - one of which is technology expressed as a fraction

What does it means ?

Does it tell you anything useful ?

 

[Cam_H]

Civ4 scoring explained by Dianthus appears to be accepted as the widely recognised explanation. There's a link to the full thread from within the post.

Paul57's post in What determines the victory score?? might otherwise be what you're after if you were also curious about that final victory score.

 

[johncross21]

thanks

I've looked at that page now but still not clear

what is the "max tech" score (is it the best players score or the score I might have achieved if I had focused on research)

presumably if it relates to techs revealed, whether traded or researched - it does not tell you much about your current levels of research compared to other civs ?

 

[JoeBlade]

Actually score isn't indicative of much anything and of very little consequence to the game IMO.

A civ with a given score could be a tiny but highly advanced empire, or it could be less-than-mediocre in both departments while having built many wonders. Various wildly differing combinations can yield the exact same score, hence why it tells you so very little.

It doesn't even tell you which civ is closer to victory. I've lost games where I was close to domination but failed to stop a another civ significantly lower in score from launching a space ship. Inversely, I've won culture victories while being more or less at the bottom of the scoreboard.

For valuable information you'd be better off in the victory conditions and demographics screens.

 

[Cam_H]

With regard to johncross21's question(s) in post #3;

Aeson has dug up the explanations earlier in the same thread, so for instance "SCORE_LAND_FACTOR" is explained as "Score you get if you have all the land on the current map", so it would seem that it is a comparitive rating against what's available on the map you're playing.

 

[johncross21]

cheers - now crystal

 

[Cam_H]

No problem.

I'm guessing from Dianthus' example that you get a small proportional addition on the technology score for each Future Tech, so it is possible to go over 100% in the 'Technology' criterion.

 

[Dan Quale]

Score in itself, is the sum of an empire's current non-millitary accomplishments. While the number doesn't mean much in itself, by looking at the other charts you can find out quite a lot about that civilization by its relative score. For example, (a generalization that has always held true for me but could be incorrect) any civ under 900 pts by 1000 AD playing monarch-immortal has been heavily beat on, and really is no threat for a long time, due to lack of cities, and quite possibly is someones vassal.
If an Ai is low in tech, yet running away in score, chances are they have conquered much of the land around them, and have several stacks of doom waiting for the unwary.
A far more accurate chart to look at before going to war is the power chart. On high difficulties emporer and above it will be scewed by your relatively low population, but still a power graph 2-3 times greater than your own will spell almost certain defeat in a fullscale war.