Strange thing about research.

[CF_Civ]

Here's something weird I noticed about research points: I started
a new game, built one city and left the commerce distribution at
0.5.5, which gave me one point of research during the first turns.
As the city grew, I adjusted the distribution so that the research stayed at one point. It took exactly 32 turns to get the first tech (iron working), and I made quite a sum of money in the process.

I then reloaded the game. I founded the first city again and set the commerce distribution to 0.10.0, which gave me 2 points of research during the first 10 turns, then 4 after the city had grown. Oddly enough, reaching the first tech (iron working again) took exactly 32 turns again, but I had not had any tax income.

What exactly is going on ? I would have expected research to go much faster at 0.10.0, but obviously it didn't, but it wasted a lot of gold. Do I have to constantly check the commerce distribution to avoid wasting gold ? For example, if at 0.10.0 a project takes X turns to complete, and at 0.8.2 it also takes X turns to complete but also gives 4 gold per turn, is there any drawback to using 0.8.2 ?

 

[DaEezT]

maybe 32 turns is the maxum number of turns. no matter how bad your income is, it simply can't take longer than 32 turns.
If an tech takes 32 turns at 4 points/turn, it also takes 32 turns on 3 or less points per turn.

 

[Le Petit Prince]

maybe its cause by the corruption...

 

[malphigian]

Firaxis confirmed its a 32 turn max.

Might be a reason to actually DROP your science rate at the start.

 

[SeanK]

Research in Civ III is a bit different from Civ II. If you have a scientific civ and start next to a river, the commerce bonus is enough that you can get the first advance in 24 turns instead of 32. One thing I've been doing is tweaking the science/luxury/tax scale every few turns. I turn the science down to a point where I can get the advance fast, but still make lots of money. Key advances I'll set to get a few turns faster but operate at a deficit.

 

[belarivo]

You MUST pay attention to the slider bars in this version of Civ. I've been using the info that there's a 32 turn max to advantage - if you aren't making enough science to make a serious dent, leave your science at 10% or so. You'll make enough money from 90% of commerce going into your coffers, that you'll be able to buy whatever technologies are offered, as well as the resources you need. It sucks to not be able to trade for it, but it will give you the techs you need until you can reach that science "critical mass" that will make the investment in research worthwhile.

b

 

[miradus]

I always make sure I can build the Great Library. Think about it... civs trade tech back and forth amongst each other like baseball cards. You get the tech as soon as two civs know it. That's like you're getting a free tech anytime ANYONE trades for it! I use the time between building the wonder and the discovery of education to drop science to a minimum and build up a huge bank account or buy all those improvements you want early on but that take forever. Having all the ancient era improvements going into the middle age is a huge boost that's not readily apparent.