Tech Tree Discussion

[BlueGenie]

I wanted the OR requirements to show that there are different divination traditions:

• Fungiculture is ritual use of hallucinogens.
• Sacrifice Cult is haruspication.
• Priesthood is the "catch-all" for everything else.

and I didn't want to force a civilization to have all of the traditions before using the Divination tech.

Remember that each OR a nation has reduces the research time on the technology. Even the first OR so just having the bare minimum to research it and it'll still be at a discount. Having all three ORs will basically half the research time for it, more if other nations have it and you have Tech Diffusion on.

Cheers

 

[Hydromancerx]

Also, now that Divination is added, should I go ahead and make the Augur building? I was thinking it could use a Priest slot as well.

Sure. Post the stats in the New Buildings thread.

 

[Vokarya]

Remember that each OR a nation has reduces the research time on the technology. Even the first OR so just having the bare minimum to research it and it'll still be at a discount. Having all three ORs will basically half the research time for it, more if other nations have it and you have Tech Diffusion on.

Cheers

I thought OR prerequisites only increased the research speed if you already researched the other prerequisites. If it really is a problem, we can always increase the cost.

 

[Vokarya]

I also noticed a few misspellings and other mistakes in some technology names. Can these be fixed?

• Artifical Stars is missing an i after the last c in Artifical.
• Emancipations does not need to be plural.
• Mine warfare needs its W capitalized.
• Subterrainean Exploration needs the i dropped in Subterranean.

 

[BlueGenie]

It's 15 in boost for every, including the first, known OR requisite. I think that is in % so having all three would be 45% boost. Not quite half the time but still almost 33% faster researching it.
With Tech Diffusion it'd probably reach the half time I first wrote.
Just making you aware of it. *smile* If it's going to be intended then it's al right, just don't forget about it.

Cheers

 

[Vokarya]

I've been keeping up with all of the changes to the tech tree, and here is my current list of redundancies that I think should be pruned. Some of these I have posted before, but I thought I would post them all together and see if maybe I made a mistake somewhere. Some of these are new due to recent changes.

Prehistoric Era:

Spoiler :

• Carpentry (currently requires Shelter Building AND Wood Working): Shelter Building is redundant (Shelter Building – Bark Working – Wood Working – Carpentry)
• Chiefdom (currently requires Tattoos AND Tribalism AND Warfare): Warfare is redundant (Warfare – Hunting Tactics – Tribalism – Chiefdom)
• Fire Making (currently requires Controlled Fire AND Flint Knapping): Controlled Fire is redundant (Controlled Fire – Heat Treatment – Flint Knapping – Fire Making)
• Mysticism (currently requires Ceremonial Burial AND Naturopathy): Naturopathy is redundant (Naturopathy – Adhesives – Personal Adornment – Shamanism – Ceremonial Burial – Mysticism)
• Portable Shelters (currently requires Composite Tools AND Hunting AND Stone Building): Hunting is redundant (Hunting – Poison Crafting – Naturopathy – Adhesives – Composite Tools – Portable Shelters)
• Sewing (currently requires Personal Adornment AND Skinning): Skinning is redundant (Skinning – Binding – Personal Adornment – Sewing)
• Slash and Burn (currently requires Axe Making AND Controlled Fire): Controlled Fire is redundant (Controlled Fire – Cooking – Hunting – Poison Crafting – Naturopathy – Adhesives – Composite Tools – Axe Making)
• Tanning (currently requires Hunting AND Sewing): Hunting is redundant (Hunting – Poison Crafting – Naturopathy – Adhesives – Personal Adornment – Sewing – Tanning)
• Warfare (currently requires Hunting AND Spear Making): Hunting is redundant (Hunting – Poison Crafting – Naturopathy – Adhesives – Composite Tools – Spear Making – Warfare)

The Naturopathy - Adhesives link figures quite prominently in the Prehistoric Era.

Ancient Era:

Spoiler :

• Ancestor Worship (currently requires Ceremonial Burial AND Pottery): Ceremonial Burial is redundant (Ceremonial Burial – Mysticism – Megalith Construction – Sedentary Lifestyle – Agriculture – Pottery – Ancestor Worship)
• Archery (currently requires Atlatl Making AND Obsidian Weapons AND Sedentary Lifestyle): Atlatl Making is redundant (Atlatl Making – Hunting Tactics – Tribalism – Chiefdom – Sedentary Lifestyle – Archery)
• Masonry (currently requires Mining AND Sedentary Lifestyle): Sedentary Lifestyle is redundant (Sedentary Lifestyle – Agriculture – Pottery – Mining – Masonry)
• Military Training (currently requires Bronze Working AND Chiefdom): Chiefdom is redundant (Chiefdom – Sedentary Lifestyle – Agriculture – Pottery – Mining – Copper Working – Metal Casting – Bronze Working – Military Training)
• Orchards (currently requires Agriculture AND Apiculture): Agriculture is redundant (Agriculture – Apiculture – Orchards)
• Plough (currently requires Agriculture AND Copper Working AND Equine Domestication): Agriculture is redundant (Agriculture – Pottery – Mining – Copper Working – Plough)
• Sacrifice Cult (currently requires Livestock Domestication AND Mysticism AND Sedentary Lifestyle): Livestock Domestication is redundant (Livestock Domestication – Sedentary Lifestyle – Sacrifice Cult) and Mysticism is redundant (Mysticism – Megalith Construction – Sedentary Lifestyle – Sacrifice Cult)
• Sculpture (currently requires Ceremonial Burial AND Masonry): Ceremonial Burial is redundant (Ceremonial Burial – Mysticism – Megalith Construction – Sedentary Lifestyle – Agriculture – Pottery – Mining – Masonry – Sculpture)
• Stargazing (currently requires Ancestor Worship AND Mysticism): Mysticism is redundant (Mysticism – Megalith Construction – Sedentary Lifestyle – Agriculture – Pottery – Ancestor Worship – Stargazing)
• Trade (currently requires Livestock Domestication AND Portable Shelters AND The Wheel): Livestock Domestication is redundant (Livestock Domestication – Sedentary Lifestyle – Agriculture – Pottery – The Wheel – Trade)

The big problem with requiring Prehistoric technologies for Ancient techs is the Sedentary Lifestyle bottleneck. I agree that Sedentary Lifestyle should mark the transition from Prehistoric to Ancient, so I don't think we should require Prehistoric techs for OTHER Ancient techs unless they are using the Domestication lines or the Boat lines, neither of which is required for Sedentary Lifestyle.

Classical Era:

Spoiler :

• City Planning (currently requires Road Building AND Writing): Writing is redundant (Writing – Monotheism – Monarchy – Road Building – City Planning)
• Code of Laws (currently requires Monarchy AND Oratory AND Writing): Writing is redundant (Writing – Monotheism – Monarchy – Code of Laws)
• Mathematics (currently requires Arithmetic AND Writing): Arithmetic is redundant (Arithmetic – Megalith Construction – Sedentary Lifestyle – Agriculture – Pottery – The Wheel - Trade – Writing – Mathematics)
• Monarchy (currently requires Bronze Working AND Monotheism AND Writing): Writing is redundant (Writing – Monotheism – Monarchy)
• Mounted Archery (currently requires Archery AND Horse Breeding): Archery is redundant (Archery – Copper Working – Metal Casting – Bronze Working – Military Training – Horse Breeding – Mounted Archery)
• Poetry (currently requires Literature AND Drama): Literature is redundant (Literature – Drama – Poetry)
• Road Building (currently requires Masonry AND Monarchy AND Trade): Masonry is redundant (Masonry – Monotheism – Monarchy – Road Building) and Trade is redundant (Trade – Writing – Monotheism – Monarchy – Road Building)

Heavy dose of redundant Writing here, mostly because of its necessity for Monotheism/Monarchy.

That's part 1.

 

[Vokarya]

Here are the next 3 eras.

Medieval Era:

Spoiler :

• Acoustics (currently requires Education AND Music): Music is redundant (Music – Theology – Paper – Education – Acoustics)
• Alchemy (currently requires Drug Trade AND Engineering AND Glass Blowing AND Philosophy): Glass Blowing is redundant (Glass Blowing – Concrete – Mosaic Working – Paved Roads – Engineering – Alchemy) My original suggestion for Alchemy was Engineering OR Theology as one requirement. That combination would have made Glass Blowing not a redundancy.
• Anatomy (currently requires Ancient Medicine AND Education): Ancient Medicine is redundant (Ancient Medicine – Drug Trade – Alchemy – Stained Glass – Education – Anatomy)
• Architecture (currently requires Aesthetics AND City Planning AND Surveying): Aesthetics is redundant (Aesthetics – Mosaic Working – Paved Roads – Engineering – Surveying – Architecture) and City Planning is redundant (City Planning – Canal Systems – Engineering – Surveying – Architecture)
• Chivalry (currently requires Armored Cavalry AND Civil Service AND Guilds AND Heraldry): Civil Service is redundant (Civil Service – Invention – Armored Cavalry – Chivalry) and Guilds is redundant (Guilds – Invention – Armored Cavalry – Chivalry)
• Clockworks (currently requires Calendar AND Invention): Calendar is redundant (Calendar – Spice Trade – Drug Trade – Alchemy – Invention – Clockworks)
• Fundamentalism (currently requires Sacrifice Cult AND Theology): Sacrifice Cult is redundant (Sacrifice Cult – Monotheism – Monarchy – Code of Laws – Theology – Fundamentalism)
• Mountaineering (currently requires Engineering AND Invention): Engineering is redundant (Engineering – Alchemy – Invention – Mountaineering)
• Rudder (currently requires Ship Building AND Smithing): Ship Building is redundant (Ship Building – Ancient Ballistics – Siege Warfare – Smithing) This one is my fault. I didn't realize how much of the early Medieval era goes through the Ancient Ballistics - Siege Warfare line.
• Tournaments (currently requires Chivalry AND Combat Sports AND Philosophy): Philosophy is redundant (Philosophy – Alchemy – Invention – Armored Cavalry – Chivalry – Tournaments)
• Whaling (currently requires Harpoon Making AND Oil Lamps AND Optics): Harpoon Making is redundant (Harpoon Making – Naval Warfare – Piracy – Seafaring – Ship Building – Ancient Ballistics – Siege Warfare – Machinery – Paved Roads – Engineering – Alchemy – Optics – Whaling) and Oil Lamps is redundant (Oil Lamps – Ancient Ballistics – Siege Warfare – Machinery – Paved Roads – Engineering – Alchemy – Optics – Whaling) The Harpoon Making redundancy just came about due to adding Harpoon Making to the Naval Warfare requirements.

I was surprised at just how much of the early Medieval Era goes through the Ancient Ballistics - Siege Warfare line in the late Classical Era.

Renaissance Era:

Spoiler :

• Astrolabe (currently requires Astronomy AND Clockworks AND Compass): Clockworks is redundant (Clockworks – Compass – Astrolabe)
• Enlightenment (currently requires Critical Thought AND Romanticism AND Social Contract): Critical Thought is redundant (Critical Thought – Liberalism – Social Contract – Enlightenment)
• Humanism (currently requires Music AND Political Philosophy AND Printing Press): Music is redundant (Music – Theology – Paper – Education – Printing Press – Humanism)
• Jurisprudence (currently requires Divine Right AND Political Philosophy): Political Philosophy is redundant (Political Philosophy – Divine Right – Jurisprudence)
• Mercantilism (currently requires Divine Right AND Drug Trade AND Navigation): Drug Trade is redundant (Drug Trade – Alchemy – Stained Glass – Education – Political Philosophy – Divine Right – Mercantilism)
• Military Tradition (currently requires Cavalry Tactics AND Music AND Nationalism): Music is redundant (Music – Theology – Paper – Education – Gunpowder – Divine Right – Leadership – Nationalism – Military Tradition)
• Printing Press (currently requires Education AND Invention AND Paper): Paper is redundant (Paper – Education – Printing Press)
• Representative Democracy (currently requires Constitution AND Printing Press): Printing Press is redundant (Printing Press – Liberalism – Social Contract – Constitution – Representative Democracy)
• Stock Brokering (currently requires Corporation AND Jurisprudence): Jurisprudence is redundant (Jurisprudence – Social Contract – Constitution – Corporation – Stock Brokering)

A fair share of redundant Music because it's required for Theology.

Industrial Era:

Spoiler :

• Advanced Metallurgy (currently requires Geology AND Nationalism): Geology is redundant (Geology – Nitroglycerine – Medicine – Antibiotics – Modern Sanitation – Civil Engineering – Industrialism – Advanced Metallurgy)
• Fascism (currently requires Nationalism AND Psychology): Nationalism is redundant (Nationalism – Constitution – Corporation – Patent Rights – Nitroglycerine – Medicine – Psychology – Fascism)
• Machine Tools (currently requires Advanced Metallurgy AND Motorized Transportation): Advanced Metallurgy is redundant (Advanced Metallurgy – Motorized Transportation – Machine Tools)
• Microbiology (currently requires Biology AND Optics): Optics is redundant (Optics – Astronomy – Physics – Scientific Method – Biology – Microbiology)
• Steam Power (currently requires Physics AND Replaceable Parts AND Scientific Method): Physics is redundant (Physics – Scientific Method – Steam Power)
• Trench Warfare (currently requires Artillery AND Barbed Wire AND Military Science AND Mine Warfare): Military Science is redundant (Military Science – Semi-Automatic Weapons – Artillery – Trench Warfare)
• Water Sports (currently requires Combustion AND Screw Propeller): Screw Propeller is redundant (Screw Propeller – Combustion – Water Sports)
• Zeppelins (currently requires Balloon Warfare AND Flight): Balloon Warfare is redundant (Balloon Warfare – Flight – Zeppelins)

The Industrial Era has two major chokepoints. Steam Power at the beginning, and then Industrialism - Advanced Metallurgy at the end. I think these technologies really define the Industrial era, though, so I'm fine with that.

 

[Vokarya]

Last three eras.

Modern Era:

Spoiler :

• 3D Printing (currently requires 3D Modeling AND Plastics): Plastics is redundant (Plastics – Electronics – Computers – Semiconductors – Microprocessor – 3D Modeling – 3D Printing)
• Computer Networks (currently requires Computers AND Semiconductors): Computers is redundant (Computers – Semiconductors – Computer Networks)
• Genetics (currently requires Medicine AND Superconductors AND [Modern Health Care OR Paleontology]): Medicine is redundant (Medicine – Antibiotics – Modern Sanitation – Civil Engineering – Industrialism – Advanced Metallurgy – Electronics – Computers – Superconductors – Genetics)
• Lunar Exploration (currently requires Astro Environmental Systems AND Computers AND Radio Astronomy): Computers is redundant (Computers – Applied Economics – Fire Suppression – Astro Environmental Systems – Lunar Exploration)
• Microprocessor (currently requires Computers AND Semiconductors): Computers is redundant (Computers – Semiconductors – Microprocessor)
• Volcanology (currently requires Geology AND Modern Seismology): Geology is redundant (Geology – Nitroglycerine – Medicine – Antibiotics – Modern Sanitation – Civil Engineering – Industrialism – Advanced Metallurgy – Submarine Warfare – Sonar – Modern Seismology – Volcanology)

Not a lot, and two of the six are the Computers - Semiconductors line.

Transhuman Era:
NONE. There are no redundancies here. I was very surprised.

Galactic Era:

Spoiler :

• Artificial Stars (currently requires Artificial Planets AND Fusion): Fusion is redundant (Fusion – Shielding – Advanced Shielding – Launch Arcology – Attometer Engineering – Planet Engineering – Artificial Planets – Artificial Stars)
• Atomization Field (currently requires Attometer Engineering AND Controlled Plasma): Controlled Plasma is redundant (Controlled Plasma – Fusion – Shielding – Advanced Shielding – Launch Arcology – Attometer Engineering – Atomization Field)
• Lunar Terraforming (currently requires Lunar Megastructures AND Planetary Terraforming): Lunar Megastructures is redundant (Lunar Megastructures – Planetary Megastructures – Planetary Terraforming – Lunar Terraforming)
• Mind Uploading (currently requires Thought Scanning AND [Artificial Evolution OR Personal Robots]): Thought Scanning is redundant (either Thought Scanning – Bionics – Cybernetics – Artificial Evolution – Thought Scanning OR Thought Scanning – Universal Translator – Homo Superior – Thought Scanning)
• Smart Dust (currently requires Nanoelectronics AND Wireless Electricity): Wireless Electricity is redundant (Wireless Electricity – Plastic Electronics – Nanoelectronics – Smart Dust)
• Teleportation (currently requires Atomization Field AND Mind Uploading AND Quantum Computing): Mind Uploading is redundant (Mind Uploading – Terra Computer – Weather Control – Planetary Terraforming – Attometer Engineering – Atomization Field – Teleportation)
• Transtangible Neutrino Accelerators (currently requires Antimatter Rocket AND Singularity Stabilization): Antimatter Rocket is redundant (Antimatter Rocket – Singularity Stabilization – Transtangible Neutrino Accelerators)
• VASIMR Propulsion (currently requires Controlled Plasma AND Launch Arcology AND Nuclear Pulse Propulsion): Controlled Plasma is redundant (Controlled Plasma – Fusion – Shielding – Advanced Shielding – Launch Arcology – VASIMR Propulsion) and Nuclear Pulse Propulsion is redundant (Nuclear Pulse Propulsion – Launch Arcology – VASIMR Propulsion)

Launch Arcology surprisingly figures into four of the nine redundant paths here.

I counted a total of 74 redundant prerequisites in the Tech Tree. Out of 1,220 prerequisite paths from one technology to the next, that's not very many. The next thing I would like to do is come up with a list of tech paths that leapfrog across eras, because I think that is where may be room for new technologies (such as Crop Rotation - Agricultural Engineering, or Naval Aviation - Megastrong Alloys).

 

[strategyonly]

I've been keeping up with all of the changes to the tech tree, and here is my current list of redundancies that I think should be pruned. Some of these I have posted before, but I thought I would post them all together and see if maybe I made a mistake somewhere. Some of these are new due to recent changes.

Actually quite a piece of work, all thats left is the "punk" and MegaFauna techs that are there.

 

[Hydromancerx]

Actually quite a piece of work, all thats left is the "punk" and MegaFauna techs that are there.

Yep the "punks" and megafauan are made to be the only dead end techs. Its amazing how interwoven they all are. I had a major part in planning them out, yet I still have trouble "bee lining" in game without letting the computer auto plan it out.

 

[Vokarya]

Actually quite a piece of work, all thats left is the "punk" and MegaFauna techs that are there.

Thank you. I noticed there are a few redundancies still left - I had a few lines where there were two redundancies for one tech, and they seem to have been skipped. Are those deliberate? Like leaving Oil Lamps for Whaling?

I will have to look over the Galactic Era again now that Artificial Evolution is REQUIRED for Mind Uploading. That may cause some more redundancies.

Also, I noticed TECH_ALCHEMY is required for six technologies that really should require TECH_INVENTION instead. They are:

• Armored Cavalry
• Clockworks
• Gunpowder
• Mountaineering
• Perspective
• Printing Press

Can those be fixed? Alchemy should only lead into Invention, Optics, and Stained Glass.

 

[Vokarya]

One of the redundancies that has not yet been fixed is requiring Oil Lamps for Whaling. I think a good change would be to require Rudder for Whaling instead, since Rudder right now only leads to Compass. Like this:

Changed Techs
Whaling: Requires Optics AND Rudder

 

[JosEPh_II]

One of the redundancies that has not yet been fixed is requiring Oil Lamps for Whaling. I think a good change would be to require Rudder for Whaling instead, since Rudder right now only leads to Compass. Like this:

Changed Techs
Whaling: Requires Optics AND Rudder

Didn't the Norse and Inuit hunt whale without either of those 2 techs? As for me, I've always thought whaling, even in vanilla Civ IV, came to late in the tech tree. Boat Building and Seafaring seems more reasonable. But of course then you'll get the argument that Whaling as an Industry is a recent historical event.

JosEPh

 

[Hydromancerx]

One of the redundancies that has not yet been fixed is requiring Oil Lamps for Whaling. I think a good change would be to require Rudder for Whaling instead, since Rudder right now only leads to Compass. Like this:

Changed Techs
Whaling: Requires Optics AND Rudder

Is Oil Lamps still within the line of techs you need to get Whaling? Because I think it should be.

Didn't the Norse and Inuit hunt whale without either of those 2 techs? As for me, I've always thought whaling, even in vanilla Civ IV, came to late in the tech tree. Boat Building and Seafaring seems more reasonable. But of course then you'll get the argument that Whaling as an Industry is a recent historical event.

JosEPh

Whaling should really be re-named "Commercial Whaling" since Harpoon Making covers the early Whaling.

 

[Vokarya]

Is Oil Lamps still within the line of techs you need to get Whaling? Because I think it should be.

It is. The line is Oil Lamps – Ancient Ballistics – Siege Warfare – Machinery – Paved Roads – Engineering – Alchemy – Optics – Whaling.

Whaling should really be re-named "Commercial Whaling" since Harpoon Making covers the early Whaling.

I like keeping the name "Whaling". I'm a big fan of keeping tech names as short as possible.

 

[Vokarya]

Okay, so there are still 6 redundancies to prune:

• Mysticism -> Sacrifice Cult
• Trade -> Road Building
• City Planning -> Architecture
• Guilds -> Chivalry
• Oil Lamps -> Whaling
• Nuclear Pulse Propulsion -> VASIMR Propulsion

The changes to Slash and Burn and Mind Uploading don't cause any new redundancies.

There are also two technologies that only have an OR prerequisite and can be skipped along the way to Analyze Strings:

• Usury OR Paper to Banking
• Invisibility OR Biomimetics to Superstrong Alloys

Do you want to fix these as well?

 

[strategyonly]

Okay, so there are still 6 redundancies to prune:

• Mysticism -> Sacrifice Cult
• Trade -> Road Building
• City Planning -> Architecture
• Guilds -> Chivalry
• Oil Lamps -> Whaling
• Nuclear Pulse Propulsion -> VASIMR Propulsion

The changes to Slash and Burn and Mind Uploading don't cause any new redundancies.

There are also two technologies that only have an OR prerequisite and can be skipped along the way to Analyze Strings:

• Usury OR Paper to Banking
• Invisibility OR Biomimetics to Superstrong Alloys

Do you want to fix these as well?

Dont know what your saying here, it would be better if you did them in this format:

Spoiler :

			<OrPreReqs>
				<PrereqTech>TECH_PRIESTHOOD</PrereqTech>
			</OrPreReqs>
			<AndPreReqs>
				<PrereqTech>TECH_BLOOD_CULT</PrereqTech>
			</AndPreReqs>

Thx.

 

[Vokarya]

Here's what I'm referring to.

The only place where Usury appears as a prerequisite to another technology is in Banking:

<OrPreReqs>
<PrereqTech>TECH_PAPER</PrereqTech>
<PrereqTech>TECH_USURY</PrereqTech>
</OrPreReqs>
<AndPreReqs>
<PrereqTech>TECH_CURRENCY</PrereqTech>
</AndPreReqs>

so you can research Banking once you have (Currency AND Paper), OR (Currency AND Usury). But this is the only place where Usury appears as a prerequisite. You can completely skip over Usury and never have to research it.

The same is true for Invisibility. The only place where it appears as a prerequisite is for Superstrong Alloys:

<OrPreReqs>
<PrereqTech>TECH_BIOMIMETICS</PrereqTech>
<PrereqTech>TECH_INVISIBILITY</PrereqTech>
</OrPreReqs>
<AndPreReqs>
<PrereqTech>TECH_ADVANCED_COMPUTERS</PrereqTech>
</AndPreReqs>

With Advanced Computers and Biomimetics, you can completely bypass Invisibility. Other than the alt-timeline techs, we've weeded out every dead-end tech, but these two techs can be bypassed. I don't know if this is intended or not.

Does this clear up what I was suggesting?

 

[Vokarya]

Here is another issue I am pondering: several art technologies are currently in the Renaissance, but historically belong to the 1800's, which would make them in the Industrial Era. I am specifically looking at these four technologies:

• Photography (historically dates to 1839)
• Romanticism (peaked 1800-1840)
• Realism (began 1850's)
• Impressionism (first Impressionist painting 1872)

All four of these are Renaissance Era right now, but historically they belong to the Industrial. Does anyone agree they should be moved? I can come up with a new set of prerequisites and grid locations if this looks like something that should be done.

 

[strategyonly]

Here's what I'm referring to.

The only place where Usury appears as a prerequisite to another technology is in Banking:

<OrPreReqs>
<PrereqTech>TECH_PAPER</PrereqTech>
<PrereqTech>TECH_USURY</PrereqTech>
</OrPreReqs>
<AndPreReqs>
<PrereqTech>TECH_CURRENCY</PrereqTech>
</AndPreReqs>

so you can research Banking once you have (Currency AND Paper), OR (Currency AND Usury). But this is the only place where Usury appears as a prerequisite. You can completely skip over Usury and never have to research it.

The same is true for Invisibility. The only place where it appears as a prerequisite is for Superstrong Alloys:

<OrPreReqs>
<PrereqTech>TECH_BIOMIMETICS</PrereqTech>
<PrereqTech>TECH_INVISIBILITY</PrereqTech>
</OrPreReqs>
<AndPreReqs>
<PrereqTech>TECH_ADVANCED_COMPUTERS</PrereqTech>
</AndPreReqs>

With Advanced Computers and Biomimetics, you can completely bypass Invisibility. Other than the alt-timeline techs, we've weeded out every dead-end tech, but these two techs can be bypassed. I don't know if this is intended or not.

Does this clear up what I was suggesting?

That part yes but actually . . I was talking about the top portion of that post??