Bulbing?

[Rowzdower]

I've seen this term used a lot around here. From the context its used in I gather that it has something to do with great people? But what does it mean exactly

 

[RD-BH]

Using a great scientist to discover a new technology.

 

[Monthar]

It's called bulbing because you click the light bulb icon on the GS's list of commands. It's been called this for in previous versions of Civ for the same reason. Of course in Civ 4, all great people could bulb tech related to their area of expertise. You just couldn't choose which tech you got from doing so. Instead you'd get the next available one from their list. I kind of wish Civ 5 would go back to that method of bulbing, so all GP would be much more useful.

 

[M_Sparkle]

Would be nice of everyone could bulb but... a lot less techs in ciV compared to cIV, though I certainly wouldn't complain if thry decided to expand the tech tree to accommodate it

 

[Monthar]

The size of the tech tree is just fine for allowing all GP to bulb if it followed the same rules Civ 4 had. That is, most techs could only be bulbed by the GP related to that tech, such as only GS could bulb education, only GA could bulb Acoustics, only GE could bulb Engineering and only GM could bulb Banking. Then we could also bring back the GP for bulbing Theology and other such techs. Some techs could be bulbed by all of them.

However, don't let us pick which tech to take when we bulb. Instead have it pick the next one on a predetermined list. So if you bee line the top of the tech tree, pop a GS and use it to bulb, you might end up with The Wheel, Mathematics or Physics from the bottom of the tree, depending on how far you've unlocked down there.

For those who haven't played Civ 4, see this strategy article in the Civ 4 forums for a better idea of what I'm talking about. Great People Tech Preferences

 

[M_Sparkle]

It really is not big enough, I was playing siam as a occ on standard speed prince getting a GP everyone 10 to 15 max turns... without everyone able to bulb I was in industrial by turn 118. If I coulda used my GPs to bulb I woulda been mid modern era by turn 100. It would just unbalanced the game for those who can pump out GP and wide empires would suffer

 

[northernlights]

It really is not big enough, I was playing siam as a occ on standard speed prince getting a GP everyone 10 to 15 max turns... without everyone able to bulb I was in industrial by turn 118. If I coulda used my GPs to bulb I woulda been mid modern era by turn 100. It would just unbalanced the game for those who can pump out GP and wide empires would suffer

Then it's time to try this game on a slightly harder mode than Prince.

 

[M_Sparkle]

Then it's time to try this game on a slightly harder mode than Prince.

Yh I know lol, just fun to play prince sometimes just to be a wonder horder lol

 

[Jaaboo]

I think it's a beaker icon in this game now, which would probably explain the confusion. It was definitely a bulb in Civ4, which is where the term comes from.