Cost of technology

[valergrad]

How CIV determines cost of technology in ROM AND?

If I remember correctly, in BTS cost was calculated one time at the beginning the game ( based on base value in XML, game speed, difficulty level and map size ) and never changed after it.

In ROM it looks like it is changing every move, sometimes - dramatically.
For example, I've started new game and cost of Hunting was 77 bakers, and Future Technology - 140340 bakers.
After first move it is 76 and 139028 bakers.
Then I stopped observation, but I remember that in the middle game, it was really increased at some moment and for example "future technology" started to be 450k ( and all other technology too started to cost several times more ).
But before the last move I've checked - and cost of "Future Technology" was 360k.

How does this work?

 

[Vokarya]

According to this: https://www.civfanatics.com/civ4/strategy/game-mechanics/technology-research-explained/ the tech costs fluctuate based on how many other civilizations you have met that know the tech.

There is another BUG Option "Realistic Timescale" that speeds up or slows down progress based on how far you have researched compared to the amount of time that has elapsed in-game. If you are too advanced for where you should be then your techs cost more. If you fall behind then your techs cost less.

 

[valergrad]

"According to this: https://www.civfanatics.com/civ4/strategy/game-mechanics/technology-research-explained/ the tech costs fluctuate based on how many other civilizations you have met that know the tech."

Let me disagree. I've read this article quite carefully many years ago, and I remember that bakers amount fluctuate based on how many other civs you've met that know the tech, but not the technology cost itself.
For example, if technology cost is 100, your science production 10, and modifier based on other civs that knows it - 1.2, than cost still will be 100, but you will get 12 bakers per turn ( not 10 bakers per turn, but 100/1.2=84 cost ).

But "Realistic Timescale" could be an answer, thank you. Trying to make it realistic looks like a good idea, but in my case after I've built Great Lighthouse, Coloss, Platon Academy, Great Library and Leonardo Workshop at one city, it stopped progress for all civs too dramatically. It was like "frozing" all researches in the world for some time.

 

[Vokarya]

Realistic Timescale is supposed to adjust each team's tech cost separately. If other civilizations are not finishing techs then something else is wrong.

 

[45°38'N-13°47'E]

Tech cost is calculated in different ways depending on game options and BUG options chosen. Each tech has an XML cost, but this cost gets modified by tech diffusion (if enabled), by Realistic Timescale, which works like Vokarya described, and by difficulty if you are using Flexible difficulty or Flexible AI. If you're using very slow gamespeeds, these changes might look huge accordingly but believe me, it works. I spent littetally months testing these techs costs with different options.

 

[valergrad]

"Realistic Timescale is supposed to adjust each team's tech cost separately. "

What?? Really? Does this means that only you get penalty for have huge science? This looks like totally unfair, isn't it? Why you will want then to build Leonardo Workshop/Great Library and have science slider at 100% if you get penalty for this??

 

[45°38'N-13°47'E]

"Realistic Timescale is supposed to adjust each team's tech cost separately. "

What?? Really? Does this means that only you get penalty for have huge science? This looks like totally unfair, isn't it? Why you will want then to build Leonardo Workshop/Great Library and have science slider at 100% if you get penalty for this??

It's an option, if you don't like it don't use it. It's meant to avoid a player ends up builiding tanks in 1200AD because that's unrealistic. It counters a steamroll effect because as civ4 is designed, once you get the lead you will hardly get knocked off from there.
As I said, if you don't like it, switch it off.

Edit: and you get a penalty only if you're far ahead than where you're supposed to be. If you're far behind, you get an advantage. So no point in your rant.