Choosing your free tech

[capnvonbaron]

Unfortunately, I have either forgotten how to, or never figured out if, one may select which tech they want once advancing into the next age. I would swear up-and-down that I've ended up getting something besides monotheism, nationalism, or rocketry for my free tech before, but its been a long time.

So.... help?

 

[Tone]

I know that you cannot choose it. I do believe that in vanilla there is a small chance of getting one of the other techs but the ones that you mention have a very high chance. (Conquests is not so biased towards those techs.)

 

[capnvonbaron]

Figures.

At least the AI will pay out the nose for Nationalism

 

[puwen]

If other tribes already got some of the starting techs you can avoid them by going into the big picture, and trade for those techs on the inturn. In that way you can chose which tech you will not get. If you got lots of gold to spend you can even get second or 3:rd line techs. Seen a post here before with someone who got Gunpowder as their free tech.

 

[Bartleby]

You can only get Gunpowder if you're scientific and you researched Philosophy as the last ancient ace tech, though; you also need to trade for the first-tier techs and pick Invention as your philo-freebie. You still might end up with Chivalry or Theology instead.

 

[Kulko]

You can only get Gunpowder if you're scientific and you researched Philosophy as the last ancient ace tech, though; you also need to trade for the first-tier techs and pick Invention as your philo-freebie. You still might end up with Chivalry or Theology instead.

And on top off all this you would have to get all Philo before all AIs.

So basically you would have to get all required AA techs before anybody got Philo. Maybe ist possible on Chieftain, but I wouldn't play for it.

 

[capnvonbaron]

And on top off all this you would have to get all Philo before all AIs.

So basically you would have to get all required AA techs before anybody got Philo. Maybe ist possible on Chieftain, but I wouldn't play for it.

No no... he's saying when the screen that pops up and says "We have entered a new age...", click on "What's the big picture?" and go to the diplo screen. You can then buy all the first-tier techs from the AI (assuming the AI already has the first tier techs, and if you have the money or other tradeables to afford them) and your free tech will come from the next tier.

Possible, yes. Plausible... well, I'd say very very situationally dependent, but useful maybe if you're trapped on an island and don't meet anyone until a galley (or worse, caravel) makes it your way.

 

[NickyH]

Maybe I misunderstand, but in order to trade for the first-tier techs from the middle ages, the AI needs to have them, and for that to work, you can't get a free tech from Philosophy by being the first to learn it. The AI won't know any middle ages techs without having philosophy first.

 

[capnvonbaron]

I wasn't asking about the philo free tech. I was asking about the scentific trait free tech.

 

[Snarkhunter]

Maybe I misunderstand, but in order to trade for the first-tier techs from the middle ages, the AI needs to have them, and for that to work, you can't get a free tech from Philosophy by being the first to learn it. The AI won't know any middle ages techs without having philosophy first.

Ummm, could you gift them everything they need to get to the Mids in the middle of the same turn, before you get there? I mean, would the order of events allow that to happen? that's about the only way I can see you getting an advanced tech out of philo. Even then, I guess, you'd have to trade for their free techs, assuming they were scientific civs. . . . It seems like an awfully complicated slingshot

kk

 

[ecuwins]

If you yourself are scientific and you make it to the MA before other scientific civs. Then you gift them to the new age and trade for their free techs.

I have no idea what this take philosophy as the last required tech before MA talk is about. Maybe I am missing something?

 

[Lord Emsworth]

The Philosophy freeby in C3C.

If you self research Phil as the last non-optional tech of the AA you will first get the ususal dialog window that tells you that you researched a new tech. This permits you to go "Big Picture" and play the "tech-trick," i.e. gift up other sci civs and trade for their sci freebies. After you have aquired those freebies you will first get your own sci freebie, and after that the Phil freebie. (Not sure about the order of these two though) That way you can theoretically get Gunpowder as your free Phil tech.

 

[Mathias]

It isn't that complicated. You can get Gunpowder as your scientific freebie if some AI has Invention before you reach the middle ages...

 

[Calis]

Is this allowed for HOF games??

 

[Spoonwood]

The "what's the big picture" trick is allowed for HOF games.

 

[Bowsling]

how do you open the diplo screen from the "Big Picture" screen?

 

[capnvonbaron]

how do you open the diplo screen from the "Big Picture" screen?

Click "Whats the big picture?". Then press F4, or click on the Foreign advisor. Also... and someone correct me if I'm wrong... I think you can contact other civs from the military advisor screen

 

[Bowsling]

oh, okay, thx

 

[The Professor]

Also... and someone correct me if I'm wrong... I think you can contact other civs from the military advisor screen

You can contact other civ's from the trade advisor screen. I'm not aware of a way to contact other civ's from the military advisor screen.