How should techs go from a civ to another?

[Trifna]

In Civ3, you get mainly get a tech by researching it or by an exchange with another civ. But I think that these two main ways may hardly be explain more than a minority of history's tech exchanges. How should it be for Civ 4?

Paper, wheel, potery and monarchy were not necessarily only researched by each civ. Sometimes, it is easier to just let merchants bring the knowledge from afar. Often, what it does is facilitating the research since you got to know the basics from other civs. Of course, some techs may be hidden more than others. I believe that while the technology to make silk was hidden well, we couldn't say that as easily of... the wheel

[Tattila the Hun]

Perhaps, as multiple civs research certain tech, it "leaks" trough whatever channels/contacts the civs have eachother.

Example from the beginning:

You have the choice to research alphabet, bronze working and masonry. You choose masonry, and your civs research points start flowing towards it. Now, if others civs know of masonry, and you have contacts with them, certain amount of additional research is added towards masonry. Also, same applies to alphabet and bronze working, even if you are not researching them yourself, at the time. In time, you will "discover" both of the two, but slower than by researching yourself. Also, even if someone knows of nuclear power, you dont get any research, until you can start your own research on to it.

I think research should be possible to divide, also. Not just gunpowder, but gunpowder and chivalry at the same time, just slower.

Kinda like in Master of Orion...

[Vince278]

I voted the last two but I like the idea of a research treaty as well (like in MOO and other games) to increase those RPs.

[lajzar]

Not voting, except bananas.

I see 3 main ways...

For all of these, only techs that could currently be researched can be acquired. You can't take knowedge that you can't assimilate.

Conquest - the conquered city must be size 10 or greater. No cultural/government techs can be acquired this way.

Espionage - bring back spies!

Cultural osmosis - only cultural/government techs. Requires the 2 nations to be at peace and trading. Small % chance each turn after warmup period.

[Vince278]

I never liked the idea of captured tech, at least to a certain degree. A spearman may be able to destroy a tank (to use an infamous example ) but his civ sure won't be able to reverse engineer it. Some techs are only ideas (Philosophy, Republic, Monothesism, etc.) and are easily stolen if your civ is willing to accept them but others (Iron-working, Construction, etc.) require a more specialized knowledge and should be harder to capture/steal.

[Homunculus]

I still don't like the "trade a tech", I much prefer "leaking" of technological knowledge through various channels, such as:
- spying, like in f.e. Imperialism 2; getting a discount if you have a spy in a nation that has a given tech you are researching
- "research treaty" such as in, f.e. Master of Orion 2
- something like a "neighbour bonus" as in Europa Universalis 2


and researching multiple techs at a time would be great (and more realistic, aswell)

[Max Sinister]

Maybe if you could only steal technology you already have the prereqs for?

[Kuciwalker]

Having a city conquered.

[Trifna]

Kuciwalker, you could put more in your post than mentioning what you voted Like why...

It's a shame I forgot about MOO3 research treaties...

[Kuciwalker]

If you wanna know why, read the other thread

[Ijuin]

The idea of having tech "leak" (or migrate) from civs that have it to civs that don't is interesting--a simplified way of doing it might be a modified version of how the Great Library works. Let's say that N civs that you have met have the advance (say, four). Each turn there will be a percentage chance that the advance will be granted to you (assuming that you have the prerequisites). This would also go a long way toward eliminating the problem of having some civs being more than a full age behind the tech leaders.

Furthermore, if tech can be "leaked", then you could have the option of "classifying" your tech--you can choose to keep your tech secret (and immune to theft) from rival civs, but the cost for doing so would be something like a 20% penalty to your research rate (less sharing of ideas slows advancement).

[Daz]

I think its good as it is. What could be done is to gain research points through trade...

[Fosse]

Originally posted by Ijuin
Furthermore, if tech can be "leaked", then you could have the option of "classifying" your tech--you can choose to keep your tech secret (and immune to theft) from rival civs, but the cost for doing so would be something like a 20% penalty to your research rate (less sharing of ideas slows advancement).

That's a nice idea, if combined with tech increases through trade links and civ contacts.

You effectivly slow down everybody's tech rate in order to hang onto an important secret. The right balance between what it costs you and how much it slows them would have to be figured out.

The insular research model that Civ currently has could really stand some revising that would make the game more interesting and realistic. Ideas like tech leakage and classifying are a neat way. You might "discover" a tech that you aren't currently researching just because it leaks, but the old way is still in place.

[Trifna]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
If you wanna know why, read the other thread

Kuci, I can't know all Apolyton threads so in such a case I'd need a link

[this is also a subtile way to bump the thread, if it has any future ]

[patcon]

Originally posted by Trifna


Kuci, I can't know all Apolyton threads so in such a case I'd need a link

[this is also a subtile way to bump the thread, if it has any future ]

It's a thread on page 2 titled "Tech through conquest: bring it back?" Sorry, I don't know how to send a link.