The Tech Web

[SupremacyKing]

I was able to pause the video and get the tooltip on the thorium reactor.

Thorium reactor
cost: 105
+3 Energy
+1 energy on silica
2 trader specialists slots

So this confirms that specialists citizens are in CivBE.

 

[GeoModder]

So this confirms that specialists citizens are in CivBE.

In that version of the game.
IIRC, he mentioned during the gameplay it was an older build of the game. For the graphic engine at least (the marine unit running in place scene).

 

[GoodSarmatian]

Specialist slots...hmmm...
I caught one late Knowledge virtue that improved the yields of Academy and Manufactory improvements. I assumed those those are late game buildable tile improvements and some icons in the tech web support this (the improvement unlocked by Cognition could be an Academy), but maybe Firaxis is reconsidering Great People.
Or they have specialists but no GP like Civ2 or SMAC. If this is the case I hope they have really good yields to justify the opportunity cost of working tiles, especially with the leaf tech yield bonuses for some improvements.

In that version of the game.
IIRC, he mentioned during the gameplay it was an older build of the game. For the graphic engine at least (the marine unit running in place scene).

The version can't be that old. They said very early that there are no Great People, and the tech web has proper icons instead of the FPO placeholders of earlier screenshots.
And that dithering unit glitch is and has always been in Civ 5. I am willing to bet a bottle of whiskey that it will still be there in the release build of BE.

 

[Lancor]

Specialist slots...hmmm...
I caught one late Knowledge virtue that improved the yields of Academy and Manufactory improvements. I assumed those those are late game buildable tile improvements and some icons in the tech web support this (the improvement unlocked by Cognition could be an Academy), but maybe Firaxis is reconsidering Great People.
Or they have specialists but no GP like Civ2 or SMAC. If this is the case I hope they have really good yields to justify the opportunity cost of working tiles, especially with the leaf tech yield bonuses for some improvements.



The version can't be that old. They said very early that there are no Great People, and the tech web has proper icons instead of the FPO placeholders of earlier screenshots.
And that dithering unit glitch is and has always been in Civ 5. I am willing to bet a bottle of whiskey that it will still be there in the release build of BE.

Well, we need something to do for citizens when the cities have more citizens than tiles. So specialists are a possibility. Maybe they earn points to create satellites. Or maybe they have just huge yields. Or maybe they have bad yields, but better than nothing when your city is too big.

 

[Nick31]

This is exciting stuff. I like the idea of specialists creating some sort of bonuses rather than merely great people. And given how low yield so many tiles appear.

I like SKing's thoughts on better understanding the tech tree and the various tradeoffs.

 

[Seek]

"Trader Specialists" makes me wonder if they are required for trade routes. That would be interesting - instead of building trade units with hammers you just employ a specialist who would then be locked in for the duration of the trade route.

How to limit them though? Perhaps there is no city connection gold energy and internal TRs generate energy?

 

[KrikkitTwo]

"Trader Specialists" makes me wonder if they are required for trade routes. That would be interesting - instead of building trade units with hammers you just employ a specialist who would then be locked in for the duration of the trade route.

How to limit them though? Perhaps there is no city connection gold energy and internal TRs generate energy?

There is city connection $.
In the livestream you can see it in the road pop up for the worker.

You also have trade units (built with hammers)

The specialists probably just have a high energy yield (and possibly boosted by virtues or affinities)

 

[Nick31]

There are certainly actual trade ships and land units that you'll definitely have to build and protect. The Demo (and previews) have been pretty clear on that. Pete regrettably used his spare energy on another explorer rather than research and buy a trade unit. But hopefully next demo will show the interactions with the stations. And how Aliens may/may not impede them.

 

[AriochIV]

"Trader Specialists" are surely just another name for Merchant Specialists.

 

[Seek]

"Trader Specialists" are surely just another name for Merchant Specialists.

Oh yeah, certainly. I just thought it could be an interesting mechanic (but I didn't really make that clear).

 

[Siciliankid99]

I got a glimpse of what genetic design has and what one of the transgenetics sub-tech is.

For the sub-tech it was called Alien Hybridization (That is a different word) where it grants +32 harmony exp and allows units to be healed in miasma rather that taking dmg.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-utOXXV9xI0 its kind of hard to see right there. (19:01)

For genetic design it had the cloning plant and gene plant(?) buildings and it had the Ectogenesis wonder.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-utOXXV9xI0 this is the best i could get it to. (0:34)

 

[AriochIV]

I believe it's the "Ectogenesis Pod" wonder.

 

[Siciliankid99]

Thanks for the correction. I have no idea what it could be though.

 

[AriochIV]

I have updated the tech web image again, based on the IGN Gamescom footage:
http://well-of-souls.com/civ/images/tech_web3.jpg

The most important revelation is that the web is larger than first thought; there's a fourth ring of techs that doesn't show up on the minimap.

 

[Cyon]

One other interesting thing is that the three affinity related victories are tied to affinity levels, not specific techs so there is no reason to beeline to any specific tech for victory, ie you are truly free to choose your own path!

However the contact victory might be connected to a specific (ore several specific techs).

 

[AriochIV]

One other interesting thing is that the three affinity related victories are tied to affinity levels, not specific techs so there is no reason to beeline to any specific tech for victory, ie you are truly free to choose your own path!

However the contact victory might be connected to a specific (ore several specific techs).

Affinity levels are gained primarily through technologies, so while there's no one tech that you simply must have, if you want to gain levels in your chosen Affinity, you are very much proscribed in which techs you can choose. There is no bonus for mixing different affinities.

 

[Martinus]

Affinity levels are gained primarily through technologies, so while there's no one tech that you simply must have, if you want to gain levels in your chosen Affinity, you are very much proscribed in which techs you can choose. There is no bonus for mixing different affinities.

Notice though that all Affinity bonuses are given by secondary (leaf) technologies (I assume this is what red, orange and turquois icons represent) and that there is no clear direction in the tree for each affinity (ie the bonuses are all over the place). So while you are somewhat predetermined to pick certain techs to get affinity bonuses, you are by no means forced to go a very specific path.

 

[Martinus]

Which is fun - I sorta assumed initially that the web would have three focal points, one for each Affinity - but it seems you are not forced to go one direction for a specific Affinity which is cool. It means that technically you could just pick up base techs for most part of the game and only later start to pick leaf techs for an Affinity that is most fitting to your game situation.

 

[stealth_nsk]

Affinity levels are gained primarily through technologies, so while there's no one tech that you simply must have, if you want to gain levels in your chosen Affinity, you are very much proscribed in which techs you can choose. There is no bonus for mixing different affinities.

I doubt you could win the game by beelining to affinity-specific technologies only. You'll need a lot of other techs for units and so on. So I'd say you have quite a lot of freedom.

 

[Lord of Harmony]

I hope that they make the terrascape change depending on what terrain you build it on... building it on a forest would change it to an earth-forest with deciduous/coniferous trees depending on base terrain, desert would would become an earth-desert with little cacti and rocks, building it on a jungle would change it into what we see in the screenshot, building it on plains would add golden grass and scattered acacia, building it on the coast would give you kelp forests/ coral reefs etc