A Question that bugs me and crops up in every CTP match I play

[Cuaich]

Can anyone explain to me why certain advances are not available to me even when I have finished researching the pre-requisite technologies? This seems to happen with at least one advance per match...currently I am about to lose a game because I cannot research flight, even though I have the two techs that lead to it, and in another match the same situation applies, except it is Communism I cannot research. Are there game rules or states which I don't understand properly, or is there a randomness to the availability of techs? Or do the Gods in Valhalla truly hate me due to my Scottish/Saxon/Pict heritage?

Thanks
Bruce/Cuaich

[Max_Smirnov]

You get a random selection of 4-5 advances from the list of all the advances you have prerequisites for... Surely you knew that?
Also, the only way to get a new selection is to finish researching an advance - stealing or buying advances won't help.
Hope that helped, otherwise, it's a mystery worth of Mr. Ripley.

[Cuaich]

I assumed there was a randomness involved, but it still bugs me that you cannot follow a tree straight to the branch you want/need.

Yes, I knew that stealing an advance doesn't change the options available...I've tried that!!



Thanks Max
Bruce

[Max_Smirnov]

Well, random factor, you might like it or not... Sometimes it maddens me as well, but in general I like how it forces people to be more flexible and experiment with new approaches, instead of the same old, same old every time.
In the Forever Future, where we were giving this problem a thought, in average, you have 3 options available of out 5 viable advances to research. On the other hand, we have tried make it so that each advance offers someting interesting or opens alternate strategies. Such game-changers as fighters or space planes have been somewhat weakened, too.

[Cuaich]

That sounds reasonable! I am looking forward to seeing the way your improvements to the game change the way I play it!