Forgotten Techs?

[Zulu Elephant]

Its just an idea that i thought up and i havent had time to really think it through but what about including the possiblitily of a civilization forgetting advances (perhaps after a big nuclear exchange)
This could result in once powerful nations reverting back years in tech level al la Mad Max

Just a thought - Discuss

[Diablo, Bro. of Mephisto]

Hmm, because its just a thought, I wont jump on you.

I dont really like the idea, but if you could give me more details on it, Ill listen.

[Jer8m8]

I think I agree with this idea-how else would you be re-researching techs in a future Apocalypse scenario?

Also, this could be the result of a revolution-book burnings. And how was it that Roman & and Greek texts were forgotten for 500 yrs (Dark Ages). Civil Wars, rebellions, big invasions, these all might make you lose tech

[rremus]

I like this idea, and I think a advance should be 'forgoten' simply if you don't use it a long period. You discover Bridge Building yet you don't build ANY road across a river, in 25 turns you might forget it. You discover Map Making and 25 turns you don't build any trireme, you forgot it... Yet, if you used Map Making to discover Navigation, it should be considered 'usage' of that knowledge.
However, things are more complicated... First, there are advances wich can't be measured if they're used or not, like Philosohy. We can say that if you discovered an advance that allow other advances but you don't use this advance to discover other advances for, say, 35 turns, you forget it. Of course, this should not apply to modern ages. I can't imagine a modern civilisation suddenly forgetting how to build Railroads...
Also, a forgoten advance might be re-researched in much shorter time...

[Grumbold]

Most technologies were forgotten because the civilisation that possessed them were destroyed or reduced to pale shadows of their former selves. The Roman use of concrete springs to mind. I don't see how a Civ game can model this easily since the trend is for slow upward growth throughout the timeline. Perhaps a certain size city is needed to break the subsistence farming cycle and have the elite educated in advanced ideas. Cities are unlikely to shrink much though unless famines and barbarian invasions that weaken rather than capture cities become a big part of the game.

Only learning techs that are somehow applicable would be an interesting approach. i.e. You can't learn mapmaking until you have a coracle paddling around a coast, or philosophy until you have 4 schools in your nation etc. To learn ironworking you need to have 5 pikemen promoted in battle... the possibilities are huge.