Slow down research rate.

[lajzar]

Id suggest that CTP had a good idea here. Each tech had its own base research cost, with advanced techs costing more, and techs in later ages costing exponentially more.

So additions Id make...

Add boolean logic to tech research requirements, particularly the NOT modifier. That will really come into its own in scenarios where you dont want a particular civ to gain certain techs, or if you have a magic mod where fire magic and water magic (forex) are mutually exclusive.

Combine the base costs with an incermental rising cost a la civ 2.

Have research maintenace requirements. Stop investing in science a while (the higher your current tech, the bigger the maintenance cost), and youll lose technology. Techs that are part of a NOT boolean requireme should have a CANNOT BE LOST flag set if both ideas are implemented.

[Bjarkehingrumme]

Isn't this already implemented in CIV3? I usually set the research cost to about 1000 for normal size maps, and this works fine. You get to see all periods, and it usually follows history quite closely.

[Fosse]

I agree that empire size should no longer be the major determining factor in how long it takes to research. Either in calculating cost, as suggested in this thread, or by increasing gold going to research, as in previous games.

Average per capita in the country would be a better number to use. A billion poor people won't invest as much into laboratories as a few hundred thousand wealthy merchants in a single city, so let the game relfect that.

The player can directly influence research to a small degree by pouring more money in, as it is now, to meet the research cost. Or he could indirectly influence reserach speed by a great amount by working to increase the welfare of his people.

And addressing early posts: I agree that some tinkering should be done to make technology usually show up a little closer to when it "should." This should mean more tech, not fewer turns, and it should also mean adjusting the rules for tech cost to keep balance over difficulty levels. Making the game harder shouldn't mean that eras advance much more quickly, as it does in Civ 3 with all of the AI bonuses. Tech costs should increase according to any AI bonus to keep the feel of the game balanced on all levels.