Researching the First Technology

[seanwel]

In some games I have played, I have not been able to choose a technology to research until about ten turns. Is there any pattern to why this happens, and if so, can anything done to eliminate such a handicap?

 

[Rowan]

I think it should be about the end of the first turn that you should be able to choose your first tech that you wish to research. I wonder what is wrong.
[dance]

 

[Smash]

You need to generate at least 1 science beaker for things to start.

 

[kmad]

Usually the end of the first turn after having a city. Just to note, the first tech I get is usually Horseback Riding if I don't already have it

 

[seanwel]

Thanks Smash.

 

[sethos]

Build one or two road with your 2nd settler - or with your first, when you'v only one (depends on level).
Settling on wine/silk/gold etc will give you a science boost.
Try to found your city on a river square - that's good for research and defense.

 

[KingWilly]

Like sethos mentioned, try and place your city near a resource square and on a river square preferably. Placing a city on a bad location will not produce any science beakers and hence, no science.

Play the Civfanatics Civ2 GOTM each month. It really helps to improve your game strategies. The GOTM forum also contains some good tips and strategies for improving your game.

 

[seanwel]

I built a road with my second settler (I play on Emperor). I had situated my capital so that the city radius contained wheat, fish, and two other special squares that I had not yet discovered. The computer by default put a worker on a tile that generated no trade, a shielded grassland tile that produced two units of food, and one shield. When my city reached the size of two, I was prompted what technology to research, as my new worker was placed on the wheat tile that contained a road, and generated trade. Thanks guys.

 

[starlifter]

I usually set my science rate to the max (60%). Your city should generate at least 1 trade arrow. That should be allocated to science, if the TSL is set to 60% sci. So you should have had a science option from the turn after founding, unless you raised taxes ot Lux.

 

[funxus]

You can move the resources around and place it wherever you want to. The computer hardly ever cares about trade in the cities' resourceboxes. First food and then shields. So just click on that grassland square. You'll get an elvis, and then click on the square you want them to work, the roaded wheat square

 

[Ace]

Thats so true! You have to check your cities constantly to get the most out of your population. The computer constantly puts people on a grassland square when the adjacent square contains a shield and/or a road.

 

[SlowThinker]

Originally posted by starlifter
I usually set my science rate to the max (60%). Your city should generate at least 1 trade arrow. That should be allocated to science, if the TSL is set to 60% sci. So you should have had a science option from the turn after founding, unless you raised taxes ot Lux.

In 4000BC I set the science to 40%. Somewhere between 4000BC and Monarchy I switch to 60%.

 

[Ace]

Why not set science to 60% at 4000BC? You really don't need the extra coin in the very beginning of the game, and, besides, barb leaders should supply your cash requirements for a while.

You do need all the science you can get as soon as possible.

 

[Old n Slow]

So let me get this straight. One can found a city (guarantee one food & one shield (is there a de facto one arrow?)) anywhere; opt to allocate the one arrow for a coin and have no beakers and no science research? I thought that the simple answer for seanwel was to build a city -- no research until then. I did not know that it was possible to found a city and still have no research.

 

[SlowThinker]

Originally posted by Ace
You do need all the science you can get as soon as possible.

I disagree. You do need to cumulate about 140 gold (to get monarchy) as soon as possible.
Imagine a situation that there are also squares with 3 trade and one food only: you can get 6 trade per turn with your first city, but no growth of your empire. Would you choose such a way of strategy? I suppose you wouldn't. Growth of the economy will bring you much more trade later.
It doesn't matter when you will put 130 of 140 gold into the research: in the beginning of the game or just before the invention of the monarchy. But it does matter when you will get gold and transform it to shields (via rushbuild) and so speed up your economy.
Suppose you have one city and 4 shields put in your economy will speed your growth by 1 turn. Then 8 shields will be needed to speed your growth by 1 turn when you will have two cities.