Isaac Newton

[sherlock2040]

Recently a new CivIII gamer, but I spent a lot of my childhood playing CivII.

Whilst playing today, something random happened that made me go "WTF?" and then wonder "Why?".

I seem to have Isaac Newton as a playable piece, firstly... why? and secondly what can I use him for?

I've uploaded two images, one of these charming little chappie and the other is the larger screen shot.

Newton - http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q27/sherlock2040/newton.jpg
Large screen shot - http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q27/sherlock2040/wtf.jpg

Thanks in advance!

EDIT: Thank you

 

[Aabraxan]

Welcome to CFC.

He's a Scientific Great Leader, alias an "SGL." There's a chance of getting one whenever you're the first to reach a tech. You can use him to rush a Great Wonder. There's a button for starting a Scientific Golden Age, but those are broken.

 

[gmaharriet]

Isaac Newton is an English SGL (Scientific Great Leader). SGL's are generated by being the first civ to research a tech. The odds of getting an SGL are 3% for most civs, 5% for scientific civs.

SGLs can be used to rush any Great Wonder in a single turn. For example, you are currently building Battlefield Medicine. If you put Newton in the city building that Great Wonder, a button will appear near the bottom of your screen that says something like, "Hurry improvement". SGL's can also be used to rush Small Wonders or even ordinary improvements, but they are usually too valuable to waste on smaller items.

There is one well-documented bug in the game regarding SGLs. Besides the button that allows you to rush a wonder, there is a second button that "appears" to give you a "scientific age". DO NOT try that, because it's broken and doesn't work, therefore completely wasting your leader.

Edit: x-post with Aabraxan

Also be aware that, so long as you hang onto an SGL, you will be unable to generate an MGL (Military Great Leader). It is possible to generate additional SGLs, but not MGLs until your other leaders have been used for something.

 

[TheOverseer714]

What you have there is an SGL (Scientific Great Leader). Quite rare and extremely valuable. What he can do is hurry any project, including wonders. Which wonder depends on the era you are in and what your play style is. the Pyramids, Sun Tzu's, Smith's, Theory of Evolution and the Internet are on the short list. Other good ones can include Leonardo's, Temple of Artemis, JS Bach's, and The UN. Do not do the Scientific Golden Age thing, that is broken, a well-known and well-documented bug in the program.

Wow, a triple simultaneous cross-post, also a rare event!

 

[civverguy]

Use him to rush Battlefield Medicine or whatever wonder you can build.

 

[ecuwins]

Yes, and a nifty playable piece it is. AKA, the free great wonder. Do keep in mind that the AI can have these appear as well -- this is why some people don't like them. At higher levels where you stay behind in tech I totally understand disabling this feature.

 

[ThinkTank]

BTW, Battlefield Medicine is a small wonder, so there is no real need to rush it. I would save the SGL for a Great Wonder.

 

[Marsden]

Are there any great wonders that you can utilize?

If the theory of evolution is still open, that could be good. Smiths Trading is a good one also. Universal sufferage is not worth it. Hoover Dam is good but you aren't up to that yet. Try to use him on something good. Don't waste him on something small.

 

[Tasslehoff]

Scientific research age is broken? That's new to me!

Anyway, everybody else has pretty much covered the extent of the SGL, very useful in getting wonders quickly.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

Scientific research age is broken? That's new to me!

Some people say it doesn't work, but it seems to work fine for me.

 

[Bartleby]

It does appear to work, in that the "turns to discover" is visibly reduced, but if you actually count the turns, there's no change.
Of course, if you can provide a save that shows otherwise, I could be convinced.

 

[MAS]

Some people say it doesn't work, but it seems to work fine for me.

Have you counted the turns it take to research a tech manually?

It would go like this

Turn 300:
Combustion (8)
Start SGA: Combustion (6)
Turn 301: Combustion (5)
Turn 302: Combustion (4)
Turn 303: Combustion (3)
Turn 304: Combustion (2)
Turn 305: Combustion (2 Again)
Turn 306: Combustion (1)
Turn 307: Combustion (1 Again)
Turn 308: got combustion --> new tech

So it still takes 8 turns!

All the SGA effects are the numbers displayed in the human interface. But when you hit next turn, the program doesn't actually use the SGA effect to calculate the amount of beakers added to the research bin. A bug that is very similar to the "lying character screen syndrome" that is often found in CRPG's.