About beelining to Industrial Automation...

[Action]

I get Industrial Base, Industrial Economics, Planetary Networks, Information Networks, all the pre reqs but usually it doesn't let me research Industrial Automation until I research 1-2 more, seemingly random techs.

I get all the pre reqs, but I still can't always research it.

Why not?

[Flubber]

As you will note, you do not get the option of all available techs, each turn. In fact, I have seen situations where I was only given the choice of 1 tech, even though I was only in the middle of the tech tree.

I have never quite understood all the mechanics of it and instead just threw centauri ecology in as one of my first techs and then found ind auto appeared.

I have seen theories on how techs are presented . For example one person claimed that one of the tech selections is a " joker" selection and will ALWAYS appear until you acquire it while the others will appear or not.

Sorry-- this was a long-winded way of saying I don't know

[joncnunn]

The number that appear also have something to do with which difficulty level your on. (The higher your difficulty level, the fewer the options)

[Jac de Molay]

It is kind of weird. I just started to play with directed tech, and noticed how quickly it throws up some pretty serious mid-game techs, but it takes a while to get the prereqs for Env. Economics, which is my personal "holy grail"

[Lazerus]

Its a real killer when you beeline for something and it doesnt appear, and your tech rate starts to slow down dragging out the time it takes to get it even more.

[Fazdaar]

At least with the university, if you research centauri ecology first, you can then go straight to industrial automation without pausing. I'm not sure if this is the same for other factions or not.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Fazdaar
At least with the university, if you research centauri ecology first, you can then go straight to industrial automation without pausing. I'm not sure if this is the same for other factions or not.

I have found the same with the morganites-- having experienced this, I go centauri ecology first

[Action]

I should have mentioned, I always get Centauri Ecology before I start beelining.

But this has still happened with the Cyborgs and the Hive on Transcend.

Mainly I just wanted to make sure I wasn't doing something wrong. If thats just how the game works it's fine.

Thanks

[Minute Mirage]

What's this I've heard about the turn-order affecting the given choices? That is, if your faction is in the #1 slot you always get the same choices, but if it's in another slot the choices might be different. Any confirmation for this?

[Curiosity]

AFAIK, the way the tech choices work is as follows;

A given tech has an associated number, t, which refers to it's position in the list of techs in Alphax.txt. These go from 0-73 (or whatever the number of techs is.)

If n is the number of techs the player has acquired, then a tech can be researched providing :-

(n + t) mod 3 !=0

or, if it's explore, build, discover and conquer values, added together, are the lowest of any available choice. (The Joker Tech)

This is largely the same as in CivII.

I can't remember if starting techs count towards n.

Oh, and on the first try you can research any available tech, unless it's a scenario start.

The result is that you can follow any beeline you want, providing you can use strategic trading of techs. At least, if you can be bothered... It's annoying to work it all out.

[Snowflake]

A simple rule that I heard, not sure if it is true, is that sometimes the game would not allow you to research two techs in same color consecutively.

[CEO Aaron]

My Morgan tech progression is typically thus:
Biogenics (So I can put my 100 EC's seed money to work right away).
Centauri Ecology (Formers, duhy).
Industry Economics (For switch to FM)
Information Networks
Planetary Networks
Industrial Automation

So clearly, the 'no 2 same-color techs' theory is invalid, as you can see, I've got 2 discover techs in a row in this beeline, and I never fail to get these choices, provided I don't have any other techs from other sources (pods, trade, etc). For this reason, I typically avoid contact with other factions, and turn down trades, until I can get IA under my belt. From that point forward, things get a bit more loose, but the following beeline is pretty common for me:

Social Psych (Rec. Commons and access to...)
Secrets of the Human Brain (This almost never yields the free tech, but if you're running FM, trance is your FRIEND).
Ethical Calculus (Creches and access to...)
Gene Splicing (Raises Nut restrictions)
Ecological Engineering (Raises Mineral Restrictions)
Environmental Economics (Tree Farms, Raises Energy Restrictions)

In most games, you'll be unable to grab all of these in a row, which is why I have a list of 'branch techs' that I know I'll want soon after Tree Farms. Some good branch techs are:

Neural Grafting (Great tech for Free Marketeers, since it gives The Neural Amplifier, and access to...)
Bio-Engineering (Clean Reactors. Need I say more?)

If you find yourself in a military pinch, and in need of superior firpower, these are the branch techs you'll also want to develop:

Applied Physics (Lasers, and leads to...)
High Energy Chemistry (Plasma Steel and introducing...)
Synthetic Fossil Feuls (Missiles, and Air Power on the way)

Finally, if you're on a peaceful bent, and don't feel threatened by your neighbors, consider the following additions to your tech beeline:

Progenitor Psych (Uninspiring by itself, but with the addition of...)
Adaptive Economics (Gives you the Planetary Energy Grid, every Free Marketeer's wet-dream project.)

As you can see, Environmental Economics is only 13 techs deep on the tech tree, 12 if you start with one of the pre-requisite techs at the beginning of the game. Not really too far to go, if you keep your priorities in mind. If you're planning a builder strategy, you should ALWAYS keep these critical techs in mind when you advance.

[Kody]

Thanks,

Your information is most helpful.

When numbered 1 to 74(not sure of end number), and counting the starting tech the formula works.

[johndmuller]

Originally posted by Curiosity
AFAIK, the way the tech choices work is as follows:
A given tech has an associated number, t, which refers to it's position in the list of techs in Alphax.txt ...; n is the number of techs the player has acquired, then a tech can be researched providing :-
(n + t) mod 3 !=0

or, if it's explore, build, discover and conquer values, added together, are the lowest of any available choice. (The Joker Tech)
...

Very Nice post Curiosity

Your presentation seems to be consistent with (not to mention simpler and more direct than) some of the old CIV II posts I've read on this, although this is the first time I can recall seeing an exact formulation of the determination of the Joker/Wildcard tech. Thank you.

Do you know how it handles ties in the category totals?

I wonder if it explains the reported differences in bee-lines between factions (and perhaps less credibly between turn order slots) - it might, due to differences in starting techs, or there might be an additional factor, such as the factions' own power/tech/wealth/growth entries in the faction files. Have you checked that out?

[HeymlicH]

Start a game. Save it as scenario. Start the Scenario. You will always be able to choose from all techs in the scenario. (I don't like this)