Master of Orion/Techs always available

Below is a short listing of techs that you will end up getting in almost every single game you ever play.

If you absolutely want to plan your strategy around getting the same set of techs every game, plan around these. The author started out with a list of every tech in the game and marked off techs as they did not occur and over 12 games and the author narrowed down the list to these.


 * Computers
 * ECM Jammer 1
 * Improved Space Scanner
 * ECM Jammer Mark 6
 * Battle Computer Mark 8


 * Construction
 * Industrial Tech 9
 * Industrial Tech 8
 * Armored Exoskeleton
 * Industrial Tech 4
 * Powered Armor
 * Neutronium Armor


 * Force Fields
 * Class 2 Deflector Shields
 * Personal Deflector Shields
 * Class 4 Deflector Shields
 * Class 6 Deflector Shields
 * Cloaking Device
 * Personal Barrier Shield


 * Planetology
 * Controlled Barren Environment
 * Death Spores
 * Controlled Toxic Environment
 * Terraforming + 60
 * Complete Terraforming


 * Propulsion
 * Range 6 Fuel Cells
 * Range 7 Fuel Cells
 * Fusion Drives
 * Impulse Drives
 * High Energy Focus


 * Weapons
 * Ion Cannon
 * Mercullite Missiles
 * Fusion Beam

I want to add that from my personal experiences, I can cross off 80% of the items in this list. I'd like to point out that I often stole such techs if they were missing (less than lvl 40) or got some key techs from Orion esp. lvl 45+ ones (Complete Terraforming is quite common). I usually play on Hard or Impossible. I also assume that once the tech lvl is passed and tech is missing from research list, it will never appear.

I will agree that some techs seem to be much more common than others, e.g. Ion Cannon

Things I can cross off are:

-Computers-
 * ECM Jammer 1 (pretty sure about it)
 * Improved Space Scanner (was an annoying game)

-Construction-
 * Armored Exoskeleton (vs. Bulrathi reason for remembering)
 * Neutronium Armor (inconvenient)

-Force Fields-
 * Cloaking Device
 * Personal Deflector Shields

-Planetology-
 * Controlled Barren Environment (recenty had such a game)
 * Death Spores (pretty sure this was missing a few games, but I also avoid getting it)
 * Controlled Toxic Environment (often missing)
 * Complete Terraforming (I quite often lack this)

-Propulsion-
 * Range 6 Fuel Cells
 * Range 7 Fuel Cells (first availabe was 8, after 4)
 * Fusion Drives (FIRST engine tech available was antimatter, annoying as hell, recent game)
 * Impulse Drives (FIRST engine tech available was antimatter, recent game)
 * High Energy Focus


 * Weapons
 * Ion Cannon (noting but fusion before)
 * Mercullite Missiles (sometimes missed)
 * Fusion Beam (can be missing)