Better Science Model

[Gogf]

I would like to be able to be researching multiple technologies at once, as is done in the real world, and choose how much fudning each technology gets out of the overall science budget.

 

[Trev]

Good in theory, would not work in practice as specialisation in learning would bring better techs, units, improvemnets earlier, so this is what people would do anyway even if they had other options

 

[Figaro]

In Alpha Centaurii you had the choice not to set precise research goals. This meant you could say 'I want to research military techs' and you would, but you wouldn't get to chose whether the new tech was a new weapon, or new armour, or whatever. Something similar could work in Civ4 - you would set the ammount of funding given to the military research wing, or the economoic one or whatever, and then get techs leaning towards where you put the funding.

 

[Trev]

The option of several threads of science with the option of favouring particular threads, adjustable on a turn by turn basis may have some merit

 

[Aussie_Lurker]

Yes, I think the key to making such a system work is by NOT allowing players (or AI's) to select specific techs, but simply to assign science resources (beakers) to streams of techs (like military, commercial, health & science, industrial and civic & cultural) The problem with the SMAC model was that it took the control issue to FAR in the other direction-allowing almost no control whatever in what techs you could get. I would prefer a 'middle of the road' strategy, which allows you to assign what % of your research budget goes into each stream and, therefore, effects how often you get a tech from that stream. However, as many techs would possibly come from multiple streams, then this will vary the rate of aquiring some techs in a stream over others. Another factor which would effect what tech you get, within a stream, would be such things as the strategic/luxury resources you possess (and how much) your civ chanracteristics, how many other civs-that you are in direct contact with-have the tech already, and whether or not you have learned of a specific techs existence. This would help to restrict 'bee-lining' and have a great mixture of determinism and randomness that would increase the replayability of the game!

Yours,
Aussie_Lurker.

 

[searcheagle]

Not allowing to player to pick techs might be more realistic and it would be more realistic. But having grown up with the current civ legacy, I WANT to be able to pick the techs i research. It affects my strategy because of what techs I have and i WANT this control.

More realistic, probably. Do i want it? NO

 

[Aussie_Lurker]

well Searcheagle, I have also grown up with the current civ legacy, and I have abused the systems in place just like everyone else. Do I like this fact? No, absolutely not-which is why I am a strong advocate for change. Beelining is a useful way to abuse the games simple tech research system, but that doesn't mean its good for gameplay. I personally say that the system I propose would aid both realism AND gameplay-for the very reasons I stated. Also, though, SOME degree of beelining will remain (unfortunately) as you could simply place almost ALL of your resources into a single stream-but I wouldn't consider that especially wise!

Yours,
Aussie_Lurker.

 

[sengfossil]

In general I agree with Aussie_Lurker.
Although I still want to deside the techs I research, there should be a way to research multiple streams. I would also like to see a way like in MOO2, where you had to make a decision what you research and what not! It allowed a lot of different way's playing the game and added a lot of strategy effects.

 

[Gogf]

@Aussie_Lurker: Great idea! That is brilliant!

 

[The Last Conformist]

I rather liked the SMAC blind research model.

The obvious fix to combat beelining in a "streams" model would be to include a "diminishing returns" effect, so that each extra beaker allocated to a given stream would get less of a benefit than the preceeding one.

 

[bkwrm79]

I like the SMAC model a lot. For one thing, you had the choice each game of turning Blind Research on or off - I usually leave it on, but every now and then I felt like playing with it off.

 

[Gogf]

The obvious fix to combat beelining in a "streams" model would be to include a "diminishing returns" effect, so that each extra beaker allocated to a given stream would get less of a benefit than the preceeding one.

Agreed.

Could someone explain the SMAC model to me, I've never played the game.