How "Random" free Tech advances are determined for scientific civilizations

[Brian007]

I can't seem to find an answer anywhere on the google... Can anyone who knows what they're talking about let me (us) know? Why do sometimes I get Monotheism (most of the times) but sometimes it's engineering or feudalism? (Or most times rocketry or ecology but rarely fission or computers?) Is it completely random or are there certain factors that play a role?

 

[Lord Emsworth]

I can't seem to find an answer anywhere on the google... Can anyone who knows what they're talking about let me (us) know? Why do sometimes I get Monotheism (most of the times) but sometimes it's engineering or feudalism? (Or most times rocketry or ecology but rarely fission or computers?) Is it completely random or are there certain factors that play a role?

It is random, as far as I know. And in C3C it is evenly distributed. In C3/PTW it is random too, but you have an incredibly high chance of drawing Monotheism and Nationalism.

 

[darski]

It is random, as far as I know. And in C3C it is evenly distributed. In C3/PTW it is random too, but you have an incredibly high chance of drawing Monotheism and Nationalism.

When I first played (in vanilla) I would often use Persia so I got the freebies. Funny thing is that I was convinced that it was set in stone that you get Monotheism as that was all I ever got (for all applicable civs) in every game. I do see a difference with C3C.

 

[Lord Emsworth]

When I first played (in vanilla) I would often use Persia so I got the freebies. Funny thing is that I was convinced that it was set in stone that you get Monotheism as that was all I ever got (for all applicable civs) in every game. I do see a difference with C3C.

It is rare and I am not surprised if you hadn't seen it happen Vanilla. I have played a lot of sci games too, and many of them with Persia. I can remember one game where I even managed to get a second tier tech: Communism, after all the AI had drawn Nationalism.

 

[PaperBeetle]

I think when trading for AI new era techs in advance of getting your own SCI free tech, you'd pretty much never want to buy in Nationalism; it opens two second tier techs that you don't want, while excluding only one tech (i.e. itself). Thus it only increases the probability that you draw a useless tech, irrespective of whether you have been able to acquire any other first tier techs.

 

[Lord Emsworth]

I think when trading for AI new era techs in advance of getting your own SCI free tech, you'd pretty much never want to buy in Nationalism; it opens two second tier techs that you don't want, while excluding only one tech (i.e. itself). Thus it only increases the probability that you draw a useless tech, irrespective of whether you have been able to acquire any other first tier techs.

Well, not in C3/PTW. If you don't buy Nationalism, you will get it as your freebie. If you buy it, you'll get mostly Steam Power. OK, there are rare exceptions.

But for C3C it is good not to trade for Nationalism, you are right.

 

[Elephantium]

It's hard to trade for Nationalism because it's so darn expensive!

 

[del62]

Was there a version under vanilla where you could choose your tech, I seem to remember that you could under an upgrade but I may be mistaken.

 

[PaperBeetle]

Well, not in C3/PTW. If you don't buy Nationalism, you will get it as your freebie. If you buy it, you'll get mostly Steam Power. OK, there are rare exceptions.

But for C3C it is good not to trade for Nationalism, you are right.

Surely in PtW, you can't trade for any new era techs because the Big Picture option in the New Era splash only takes you to the graphs, not to the advisors. By the time you get to call anyone up, you've been awarded your free tech.

 

[Elephantium]

Was there a version under vanilla where you could choose your tech, I seem to remember that you could under an upgrade but I may be mistaken.

Congrats on hitting a thousand-and-one posts, del62!

 

[Lord Emsworth]

Surely in PtW, you can't trade for any new era techs because the Big Picture option in the New Era splash only takes you to the graphs, not to the advisors. By the time you get to call anyone up, you've been awarded your free tech.

I don't know about PTW, but in Vanilla you would not use the New Ear Splash. You would go to the 'Big Picture' from the dialog window that asks for research guidance. Works well enough. The only thing is you have to complete the last tech of an age while you have set research to it. Normally that means you have to research it, although goody huts work too.

 

[PaperBeetle]

If you're sure, then it's probably just my memory that's at fault; I've been playing 20k back to back for months now, riding the Glib into the medieval, and then for later eras not wanting to gift anyone forward.

 

[Lanzelot]

I as well couldn't quite remember how this works, so I reviewed DaveMcW's old article about it (and the discussion thread attached to it), and according to DaveMcW you can jump into the F4 screen from the new era/big picture popup in Civ3 Vanilla and in C3C, but you can't in PtW! Dave especially emphasized this fact in one of the posts further down in the thread. As he is usually a very meticulous researcher, I guess we can trust him on this point.

 

[Richie0]

i do remember once getting chivalry as a free tech in C3C

i traded with scientific civs for feudalism and monotheism, thought i'd get engineering, ended up getting chivarly

nowadays, i hate the AI too much to do that sort of trade. i want sun tzus, it is essential, since i will war eventually. plus, knights aren't essential