Tech tree/advancing to the next age?

[1940LaSalle]

When looking at the middle ages tech tree in C3C, I noticed that several techs on the upper branch (e.g., printing press; free artistry) including those at the far right show the symbol that indicates they are not prerequisites for advancement to the next (industrial) age. That is not the case for the techs at the far right of the lower branch (e.g., gravity; magnetism).

That suggests to me that if I get magnetism and gravity, I would be able to move on to the industrial age. If that's true-and I'm not sure that it is-would I then get techs like printing press for free because I've advanced beyond the middle ages, or must I still pursue them either by research, deals, or skulduggery?

 

[Turner]

No, you don't 'earn' non-required techs by skipping them. Unless you have something like the Great Library which grants techs known by two other civs you know.

The best* bet is to skip those and move on to the next era. Then when the AI has the techs (and they usually do research them) you can buy them from the AI with your advanced techs and get some gold and gpt from them.

* - Like all things Civ, best is subject to the situation at hand. I'm not exactly sure why you'd want those techs, but perhaps in your game it would be useful to have them.

 

[Spoonwood]

I'm not exactly sure why you'd want those techs, but perhaps in your game it would be useful to have them.

Shakespeare's Theater maybe?

 

[Turner]

I was going to suggest that, but if you're out teching the AI, you could probably out produce them as well. Might as well wait for them to learn it themselves.

Besides, that tech is three deep... that's at least twelve turns to get to it. I'd rather spend those twelve turns researching an Industrial Age tech.

 

[Spoonwood]

I was going to suggest that, but if you're out teching the AI, you could probably out produce them as well. Might as well wait for them to learn it themselves.

*shake's head* As your note says "Like all things Civ, best is subject to the situation at hand." For situation at hand read you want a 20k victory. Of course, as you said usually "The best* bet is to skip those and move on to the next era." Also, in my OCC diplo./space games I've thought it best to get Shake's after Cope's since you either have to research the optional and more expensive tech Sanitation *later* when the AIs almost surely research nothing useful for you, or you can research three cheaper techs, maybe trade your way around a little elsewhere, and get Shake's sooner, although maybe not there... seems like a toss-up to me really. I guess that's a variant exception though. Still, a different victory condition doesn't qualify as an exception.

 

[1940LaSalle]

Looks like I'll be able to move on to the industrial age shortly (4 turns [?]; not where I can see the existing situation), assuming that happens after I get banking, which looks to be the last prerequisite/mandatory tech for moving on. The others (printing press; democracy; economics) appear to be non-mandatory. More to follow.