Reworking the Tech trees

[Hrnac]

One of the major issues with Civ 3 is the bottleneck effect of the different ages. In Civ 2 one could target certain key techs and race towards them bypassing other techs. This is not quite the case in Civ 3. I have been looking at the first three tech charts and would like to offer the following question to the Civ 3 community.

Is it possible to redesign the first three tech trees to allow for a Civ 2 style of research?

I am thinking that there would only be one required tech for the ancient, middle and industrial ages with several dead-end lines that would contain valuable items. The result of this should have the following effects:

1. Make the Great library very valuable if using the “beeline” research strategy.
2. Make tech trading even more important. Especially for the important dead-end techs.
3. Make resources linked to dead-end techs very valuable.

I would like to get input from the rest of the Civ 3 modders and see if this is a viable mod option. If it were, I would like to look at doing this and would appreciate any help offered.

-Hrnac

[Optimizer]

That concept would indeed make the game much more interesting. Good luck!

[MonsterMan]

I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with, Hrnac.

[Hrnac]

Here is version 1.0 of my new ancient era tech tree. I have included a new tech called Animal Husbandry (credit goes to Vel's mod for this). The old Civ 3 ancient tech tree had 21 techs with 18 required to advance. This one has 22 techs with 7 required to advance. I will begin playtesting to see what changes might be required for balancing. I might make all the abcient base techs required for advancement as well, which would increase the total needed for advancement to 12.

Thoughts?

-Hrnac

[Hrnac]

Dang, can anyone tell me how to either insert an image or attach one?

-Hrnac

[Mizaq]

put the file in a zip and then upload it, or rename the file from tech.jpg to tech.zip and then let us know to rename it after we download it.

if you want to show a picture you need to host it on your website and then hit the IMG button in the VB Code section above the text box that you type in when you are entering a message. enter the website of the picture into the pop up window and there ya have it.

[godinex]

I hate the bottle neck, I preffer the old version of scientific achievement

[Optimizer]

I'm really eager to see this new tree.

[Hrnac]

Here is a crude attempt to diagram my reworked ancient tech tree. The main problem with reworking the tech trees is that there will always need to be a bottle neck at the end of the 3 beginning eras due to the eras being hard coded. After reviewing the Civ 2 ancient tech break down, I have picked The Republic as my bottle neck era advancement tech.

The required techs for advancement are Alphabet, Mathematics, Writing, Philosophy, Literature, Code of Laws and the Republic. Racing through these 7 techs will advance one to the middle ages but will also leave one very weak if one didn't trade techs or grab the goody huts. As always, the goal here is to create more choices for the player to make.

Please feel free to comment and offer suggestions.

-Hrnac


Bronze Working--------------Iron Working

Pottery-------------Masonry----------Construction


Alphabet--------- Mathematics--------Code of Laws, Currency

Alphabet------Writing---------Literature, Philosophy-----The Republic


Animal -----------Horseback Riding----------Map Making
Husbandry

The Wheel--------Warrior Code------Monarchy

Ceremonial Burial--------Mysticism---------Polytheism---Monarchy

[TechWins]

Here is how the old tech tree was done:

BroWork-----IroWork-----Constr(req: Mat)

Mas-----Math(req: Alp)-----Curr

Alph-----

-----------Writ(req: Alp)-----

---------------------------------Phi-----

------------------------------------------Rep(req: Phi & CodLaw)

---------------------------------CodeLaw-----

---------------------------------Lit

---------------------------------MapMak(req:Pot)

Pott-----

Whe-----

---------------Hors(rea: Whe & WarCod)

WarCod-----

CerBur-----Myst-----Poly-----Mon(req: WarCod)


bold = optional advance

And here is how I proposed for it to be changed (I suggested this for Korn's Blitz Mod)


BroWork-----IroWork-----

Mas-----Constr(req: IroWor & Mat)


----------Math(req: Alp)-----Curr

Alph-----

----------Writ-----CodeLaw-----Rep(req: Phi)

--------------------Lit-----Phi-----

--------------------MapMak(req: Pott)

Pott-----

Whe-----

---------------Hors(rea: Whe & WarCod)

WarCod-----

CerBur-----Myst-----Poly-----Mon(req: WarCod)


bold = required advance


Notice the difference in what bold equals between the two tech trees. What do you think of this?

[Hrnac]

If I am reading this correct, your proposed tech tree has 4 required era advancing techs which require 8 additional techs for a total of 12. This definately has promise.

I playtested my tech tree last night and the early results were encouraging. I will see if I can integrate some of your ideas into my proposed tech tree.

Thanks for the input

-Hrnac