Live stream "The Tech Web: Midgame Choices" Thursday, Sept 18 at 2pm EST

[GeoModder]

I hope they change Adept Blue before release.

Why?
I have no objections to 'outsourcing' research. It's simply a more direct approach from receiving science beakers from the city states in CiV when you choose the right social policy.

 

[proftc]

Soma distillery... I'm amused.

 

[Manannan]

I hope they change Adept Blue before release.

At first I would have agreed with you, as it seemed a bit ridiculous to me something so powerful would make it into the game but after thinking about it a bit more I'm kinda thinking it isn't a big deal. Two reasons for this: one, it looks like progressing through the tech web could take a fair bit of time regardless of picking up free techs. 93 turns in and Pete has a mere 16 bpt. Yea, he probably isn't playing optimally, so maybe those tech times (49 turns for Bionics, 74 turns for it's leaf techs) are gonna shrink considerably for players focusing more on their science, but still. If there was a national college analogue waiting in the wings that he had ignored up to this point for some unknown reason I would probably still think this was OP, but as it is I don't think science is going to be as easy to come by in BE as it was in CiV. Two, the tech web means for every time you're gonna hit the jackpot and get an expensive tech out of the deal twice as often you're probably gonna get a (relatively) cheap leaf tech you weren't particularly interested in getting in the first place. Yea he might luck out with the route giving him Social Dynamics at termination, but he might also end up with Geophysics which isn't particularly going to benefit him anyway (meaning wasted trade route). If it wasn't random I would think this was ridiculous, but as is it seems like it's more of a gamble than just sending a trade route to another civ for science leech.

I had the same reservations with the spy system, which seemed rife with opportunities to boost your science in ridiculous ways, but with so many science buildings being just +1/2 bpt rather than the ridiculous +x% bpt stacking we had in CiV I'm holding out hope this is balanced. We'll find out in a month I guess.

 

[Gamewizard]

The station was only a lvl 1 and it gave a free random tech. I wonder what it does at lvl 3...? Free tech of you choice perhaps?

Also, I hope the station was dropped in the best spot possible because this was just a demo. I hope the better the station the harder it is to trade with it. It strikes me to be slightly OP'ed to have the free tech station 5 or 6 tiles from your capital. However, maybe that's why there is a siege worm patrolling the station...

 

[ggmoyang]

Even if Adept Blue gives quite cheap tech(say 120 science), it's 4 science per turn. I think this is on far with other station trade yields. Also when early game where one don't have much trade partners, trade limit wouldn't be problem and the cost would be only the trading unit. So I think 60 ammers for 4bpt is quite good deal. And if game goes on and Adept Blue gives some really expensive tech... it would be still useful even if it was something you didn't planned to get.

 

[Manannan]

It's certainly still useful, yes, but it's more that it isn't as scary OP as I was concerned it might be when he first showed it off.

The station was only a lvl 1 and it gave a free random tech. I wonder what it does at lvl 3...? Free tech of you choice perhaps?

Adept Blue doesn't level up. When he clicks on the station you can see the text "Adept Blue is currently maxed at Tier 1" in the tool tip.

 

[KrikkitTwo]

I've got most of the changes up.

One from the AMD... the Panopticon is available with Defense Grid and gives +1 vision to units (not a spy boost)

 

[vahouth]

It strikes me as odd that the solar collector is so deep inside the tech web.
Considering the fact that it can be available early by discovering pods.

 

[Seek]

It strikes me as odd that the solar collector is so deep inside the tech web.
Considering the fact that it can be available early by discovering pods.

I found that odd also. But I think that speaks more to the "OPness" of it being available from a pod than anything.

Another oddity is the New Terran Myth wonder (750p), which apparently just grants 4 culture. Compare that to the Memetwork (700p), which gives 4 culture, 2 health and 25% culture in the city where it's built! The Myth must have another effect that's not listed or implemented yet.

 

[defiler]

For those that hate twitch tv, Firaxis was kind enough and did the job on youtube too, thanks so much people at Firaxis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TFV7lkdahY

 

[Inhalaattori]

I found that odd also. But I think that speaks more to the "OPness" of it being available from a pod than anything.

Another oddity is the New Terran Myth wonder (750p), which apparently just grants 4 culture. Compare that to the Memetwork (700p), which gives 4 culture, 2 health and 25% culture in the city where it's built! The Myth must have another effect that's not listed or implemented yet.

In fact the whole tech "Human Idealism" does not make any sense to me. It is horrible tech that only gives this horrible wonder. Why would you ever research it?

Only reason you would maybe build this is that if you have Monomyth virtue that gives you +7 culture for each wonder.

 

[Acken]

The station was only a lvl 1 and it gave a free random tech. I wonder what it does at lvl 3...? Free tech of you choice perhaps?

Also, I hope the station was dropped in the best spot possible because this was just a demo. I hope the better the station the harder it is to trade with it. It strikes me to be slightly OP'ed to have the free tech station 5 or 6 tiles from your capital. However, maybe that's why there is a siege worm patrolling the station...

You could view it as some sort of FoY or ElDorado I guess, maybe it's rare and OP.

 

[BrotherAriman]

In fact the whole tech "Human Idealism" does not make any sense to me. It is horrible tech that only gives this horrible wonder. Why would you ever research it?

Only reason you would maybe build this is that if you have Monomyth virtue that gives you +7 culture for each wonder.

Maybe its needed for the promised land victory or maybe the wonder provides +4 culture in every city you own.

 

[KrikkitTwo]

Relooking at the stream, I think I understand why the Academy and Manufactury look like they have 'weird math'.

Both say

Provides: +2
Yield: 3

I think the "Provides".. is provided Whether or not you are working the tile (Biowell health, Node healing, Array Orbital boost, Dome hit points)

The "Yield" is the tile yield of the improvement (ie only when worked)

So if you have a manufactury, your city gets +2
If you are Working the Manufactury, your city gets +5 (plus what ever the base yield of the tile is)

Which means if you are Working a Terrascape tile, it provides 4 food, 4 hammers and 4 culture.
If you are Not working it, it provides 2 food, hammers, and culture

Which means a size 1 city could have massive production..as long as you had enough energy to support the improvements it wasn't working.

 

[Lucius_]

Relooking at the stream, I think I understand why the Academy and Manufactury look like they have 'weird math'.

Both say

Provides: +2
Yield: 3

I think the "Provides".. is provided Whether or not you are working the tile (Biowell health, Node healing, Array Orbital boost, Dome hit points)

The "Yield" is the tile yield of the improvement (ie only when worked)

So if you have a manufactury, your city gets +2
If you are Working the Manufactury, your city gets +5 (plus what ever the base yield of the tile is)

Which means if you are Working a Terrascape tile, it provides 4 food, 4 hammers and 4 culture.
If you are Not working it, it provides 2 food, hammers, and culture

Which means a size 1 city could have massive production..as long as you had enough energy to support the improvements it wasn't working.

This...this is freaking awesome! I hope you are correct.

 

[Seek]

Good stuff, Krikkit, seems logical.

 

[gunnergoz]

Good stuff, Krikkit, seems logical.

It does sound logical, but also OP if it works that way. It would beg you to spam those things, unless there is a hard limit of one each per city.

 

[Seek]

It does sound logical, but also OP if it works that way. It would beg you to spam those things, unless there is a hard limit of one each per city.

The health cost for manufactories and energy costs for terrascapes are fairly harsh though. Not completely spammable until late game, I'd imagine.

 

[cakes]

"this is where you decide that video games actually are art..."

video games confirmed as art a couple hundred years from now

 

[Khaim]

I think the "Provides".. is provided Whether or not you are working the tile (Biowell health, Node healing, Array Orbital boost, Dome hit points)

The "Yield" is the tile yield of the improvement (ie only when worked)

Alternatively, "yield" is the minimum, and "provides" is the modifier? That was my thought, at least. I'm not sure the math works out, but it seemed like it might fit.

You could be right. It'd explain the huge cost on Terrascape. But wow, if true then tile yields are getting absurd.