Newbie Slider Understanding: Science/Commerce/Huh?

[Thadar]

Hello folks,

Now I read a lot on this forum, but I never really found a comprehensive explanation of the slider systems and how they interact. I have a couple questions that I hope will increase my understanding of the core systems.

1) If I am at 100% research, why am I making money? Last night I was in a game where I was making 52 gpt at 100% research. Shouldnt that 52 gold be used up in the tech tree? How am I putting gold in my treasury when I am telling the game to use it all toward Science?

Maybe I really am missing the boat with that question, but someone please explain. =)

2) What is the relation between commerce and science? This may be the same thing as question 1 really. Again last night, I was Washington and had cottages all over the place, just raking in the gold. With that kind of commerce production, was I missing out on other improvements that could give me more science? I always thought that if I made tons of gold, I could put the tech slider to 100% and crank on tech, but again (question 1) I seemed to still be making gold at 100% tech slider.

Sorry if those are confusing questions, but Im not sure what Im missing. Here's hoping someone can clarify the mud that is my thoughts and help me out. Thank you folks.


Thadar

[V3nom]

commerce = science + culture (from the culture slider) + gold.

commerce is all the little coin icons you see on your city radius from worked squares. It is then distrubuted to science/culture/gold based on how you have your sliders set.

if you're still making gold there could be a number of reasons. gold per turn from other civs (gold != commerce) or specialists that produce gold and not commerce.

[joncnunn]

I think the ideal is 100% science. Found religions to get cash.

The cultural slider can't be set until its no longer worth while for the expansions, so it's more of a win culturally thing. (And also anti-WW if you fight a civ with the same state religion you have. )

Lowering the science slider in favor of gold is for when you need cash for unit upgrades, or with the right civic rushing buildings.

[Hayden]

So base commerce is strictly only ever calculated by looking at which squares are being worked? Or can you increase your base commerce using wonders, improvements?

[Thadar]

Ok, so say I assign a Priest specialist in my city. They add +1 Prod/+1 Gold/+1 GP points per turn right? So, that means that the 1 gold goes straight into my treasury and isnt added to "Commerce".

Is that correct?

Alright, now what is the relation of Commerce and Beakers in a town? Is it 1:1? So if I have 20 coin icons that are being worked by citizens, then at 100% research I am getting 20 beakers?

Alright, so then Science specialists add 3 beakers per turn. Now, is that before modifiers? So the 3 beakers gets added to my 20 commerce to make 23 beakers before modifiers? So a library would add 25% to 23 beakers, not 25% of 20 commerce + 3, right?

Thadar

[Quillan]

The way it works is first all the commerce points generated by the city are added up. Any buildings that modify raw commerce have their effects added in at this point (like harbors, which DeepO made a thread about). Then, the final modified commerce is multiplied by the percentage for science, and rounded (I don't know if it's rounded off, up or down). The original commerce is multiplied by the percentage for culture, if any, and rounded. Whatever is left over is converted into gold. Each of these three can be modified by other buildings. Any beakers/gold/culture generated by specialists is added to each category.

There are other sources of gold besides commerce. You can get gold from diplomatic agreements, specialists, and shrines to religions.

[swat-spas2]

Ok, so say I assign a Priest specialist in my city. They add +1 Prod/+1 Gold/+1 GP points per turn right? So, that means that the 1 gold goes straight into my treasury and isnt added to "Commerce".

-- This is true, but I believe the gold is modified by things like banks as well. Ditto the science you get from specialists or the shields from engineer/priests. These are added to base production. If you are at 100% science, then the gold is all from religion/priests and merchies. Trade routes play into this as well, I believe they are listed as gold.

Alright, now what is the relation of Commerce and Beakers in a town? Is it 1:1? So if I have 20 coin icons that are being worked by citizens, then at 100% research I am getting 20 beakers?

-- If you have no civics/specialists/library/etc. Yes.

Base commerce is only what is being worked. It CAN be improved by civics or wonders in that a wonder might add trade to water tiles or a civic add sheilds to towns. But the amount you are looking at in the city screen will reflect this change.