Civilization IV/Gameplay

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==Research==

Each turn of the game, you have a chance to accumulate research toward a ''civilization advance'', often simplified to "tech". Techs will grant you new capabilities, or at least the chance to acquire them later, and can be used as a trading item. The only circumstances you will not accumulate research are if you have no cities, your research rate is at 0% and you do not employ scientists, or you have cities and a research rate but are not generating sufficient trade in any cities to put taxes into research. The technologies always follow a hierarchy, called the "tech tree". Most Civ games have one huge tech tree, but certain games (and certain scenarios therein), such as ''Civilization III'', have multiple tech trees. All the games have extremely different tech trees, but they all share similarities. For instance, many players could not tell you the exact effects of "Electricity" for every single Civ game without looking it up (but good players will certainly know them for their favorite games). This is because the name of the tech may have little to do with its effects.

Each turn of the game, you have a chance to accumulate research toward a ''civilization advance'', often simplified to "tech". Techs will grant you new capabilities, or at least the chance to acquire them later, and can be used as a trading item. The only circumstances you will not accumulate research are if you have no cities, your research rate is at 0% and you do not employ scientists, or you have cities and a research rate but are not generating sufficient trade in any cities to put taxes into research.

Choosing which tech to start researching is an important decision. It matters even more in the early game, as each tech usually takes many turns to research.  Researching many techs early can trigger a game-lasting advantage. Whatever you do, make sure (except when at war sometimes) to keep researching down the path that your strategy is based on. You won't get very far in war against a much more advanced civilization.

The technologies always follow a hierarchy, called the "tech tree". All but the most basic techs require knowledge of two others if you are to research them. Most Civ games have one huge tech tree, but certain games (and certain scenarios therein), such as ''Civilization III'', have multiple tech trees. All the games have extremely different tech trees, but they all share similarities. For instance, many players could not tell you the exact effects of "Electricity" for every single Civ game without looking it up (but good players will certainly know them for their favorite games). This is because the name of the tech may have little to do with its effects.

Choosing which tech to start researching is an important decision. It matters even more in the early game, as each tech usually takes many turns to research (with the increased "cost" of each successive one offset by your greater productivity).  Researching many techs early can trigger a game-lasting advantage. Whatever you do, make sure (except when at war sometimes) to keep researching down the path that your strategy is based on. You won't get very far in war against a much more advanced civilization.

From Civ2 onwards, there's on-screen help in deciding which tech to try next, but in Civ1 you rely on your memory or the manual.

If in contact with other civs or expecting to be, it is a good idea to research the most advanced tech available because it is most likely to be tradeable.

In some games the Great Library gives you any tech discovered by two or more other civs. If you have it, you can often profitably sell libraries and set science to a minimum and concentrate on tax and luxuries, until the Library ceases to be effecive.

==Expansion phase==

Civilization IV/Gameplay: Difference between revisions

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 ==Research==
-Each turn of the game, you have a chance to accumulate research toward a ''civilization advance'', often simplified to "tech". Techs will grant you new capabilities, or at least the chance to acquire them later, and can be used as a trading item. The only circumstances you will not accumulate research are if you have no cities, your research rate is at 0% and you do not employ scientists, or you have cities and a research rate but are not generating sufficient trade in any cities to put taxes into research. The technologies always follow a hierarchy, called the "tech tree". Most Civ games have one huge tech tree, but certain games (and certain scenarios therein), such as ''Civilization III'', have multiple tech trees. All the games have extremely different tech trees, but they all share similarities. For instance, many players could not tell you the exact effects of "Electricity" for every single Civ game without looking it up (but good players will certainly know them for their favorite games). This is because the name of the tech may have little to do with its effects.
+Each turn of the game, you have a chance to accumulate research toward a ''civilization advance'', often simplified to "tech". Techs will grant you new capabilities, or at least the chance to acquire them later, and can be used as a trading item. The only circumstances you will not accumulate research are if you have no cities, your research rate is at 0% and you do not employ scientists, or you have cities and a research rate but are not generating sufficient trade in any cities to put taxes into research.
-Choosing which tech to start researching is an important decision. It matters even more in the early game, as each tech usually takes many turns to research. <!--Is this true in Alpha Centauri, too?--> Researching many techs early can trigger a game-lasting advantage. Whatever you do, make sure (except when at war sometimes) to keep researching down the path that your strategy is based on. You won't get very far in war against a much more advanced civilization.
+The technologies always follow a hierarchy, called the "tech tree". All but the most basic techs require knowledge of two others if you are to research them. Most Civ games have one huge tech tree, but certain games (and certain scenarios therein), such as ''Civilization III'', have multiple tech trees. All the games have extremely different tech trees, but they all share similarities. For instance, many players could not tell you the exact effects of "Electricity" for every single Civ game without looking it up (but good players will certainly know them for their favorite games). This is because the name of the tech may have little to do with its effects.
+Choosing which tech to start researching is an important decision. It matters even more in the early game, as each tech usually takes many turns to research (with the increased "cost" of each successive one offset by your greater productivity). <!--Is this true in Alpha Centauri, too?--> Researching many techs early can trigger a game-lasting advantage. Whatever you do, make sure (except when at war sometimes) to keep researching down the path that your strategy is based on. You won't get very far in war against a much more advanced civilization.
+From Civ2 onwards, there's on-screen help in deciding which tech to try next, but in Civ1 you rely on your memory or the manual.
+If in contact with other civs or expecting to be, it is a good idea to research the most advanced tech available because it is most likely to be tradeable.
+In some games the Great Library gives you any tech discovered by two or more other civs. If you have it, you can often profitably sell libraries and set science to a minimum and concentrate on tax and luxuries, until the Library ceases to be effecive.
 ==Expansion phase==

Civilization IV/Gameplay: Difference between revisions

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