Different Starting Technologies

[disintegration]

I was wondering if the free technologies sometimes given at the game startup is affected by wich civ you are currently playing? For example I seem to remember getting Horseback Riding quite frequently while starting games playing the Mongols. Have I dreamt this up or is this a fact? If it is indeed a fact; is there any chart displaying the possible (or most likely) technologies given to specific civs at startup?

Thanks!

 

[Ali Ardavan]

This has been extensively researched and your hunch is correct. Certain civs get certain techs more often than others. I do not remember all the details, but two points have stuck in my mind:
1. A militaristic (versus civilized) civ is more likely to get military techs
2. Wonder enabling techs go to the historic builders of those wonders more often than others. For example, since Babylonians were the ones who built Hanging Gardens they are more likely to get Pottery at the beginning than others. Similarly with Chinese and Masonry (Great Wall).
I am sure you can find the original research if you search hard enough for it.

 

[disintegration]

Thank you! I've searched quite a bit but came up with nothing on the web, that's why I tried this forum. I guess I just have to start up a couple of games and do the research myself.

I'm mainly searching for a civ that has a great chance of getting Alphabet as a free starting tech. I'm guessing Chinese, Babylonian... Maybe Indians...

Thanks again for answering!

 

[Prof. Garfield]

Here's the link to the thread with that information.

 

[disintegration]

Thanks for the link! Exactly what I was looking for!

While trying to research this myself I got 6 free techs once, and thought "this oughta be a bug", but I see they've covered that in the thread as well.