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(This page is for Classic ruleset. For Technology in the Multiplayer ruleset click here.) 

Throughout the game you and your opponents will race to discover ever more powerful technologies, which enhance your own civilizations while menacing those of each other. A few advances provide immediate benefits, such as making new actions available to your units; many introduce new units or buildings you can construct; and most are also gateways to further technology. Beware that some advances also make things obsolete. While obsolete units merely become impossible to make — leaving the ones you have already made intact — obsolete buildings are immediately sold, and obsolete wonders lose their effect. Worse yet, your wonders can be obsoleted by an advance made by another player!

There are a few ways to gain advances from other civilizations: you will sometimes discover enemy technology when you capture a city; you can steal advances with Diplomats and Spies; the Great Library wonder, while it lasts, gives its owner every advance that two other civilizations have reached; and another player might grant technology in the terms of a pact. But otherwise advances must be discovered through the efforts of your own people.

By default, each player starts without any technology at all (this can be changed with a server option). From there you each direct your research toward one advance at a time, deciding which technology you need most quickly and which you can afford to attain later. Research progress is measured in research points (bulbs), which can be generated through trade, by scientists or by Caravan or Freight arrival bonuses[1]. The cost for each technology is fixed and depends on the number of its 'parent techs'. With r the total number of required techs for a given technology, the number of bulbs that will be needed for researching this technology is (r+2)*sqrt(r+2)*10 with default rules. See below the total cost (including parents' cost) for each technology.

Instead of selecting each new advance manually, you can establish a long-term goal that is several technologies away, and your scientists will work through all the prerequisite advances automatically. If you ignore technology completely then your scientists choose the next advance on their own.

You can ask the game for a report on your science progress, or simply watch the lightbulb on the client which gets brighter as the next advance nears. The online help system displays a very helpful technology tree for every item and technology in the game, allowing you to explore the advances they require.


  1. When you found a trade route or enter a marketplace with a unit, be sure to select your scientific goal before, since switching techs later in the turn in some cases may reduce or eliminate the boonus bulbs. This bug is going to be reduced since release 3.0.5 and removed completely in v.3.2, see OSDN#45685

The Space Race[]

As described in the overview with which this manual opened, the game may be won peacefully by building a spacecraft and becoming the first civilization to reach Alpha Centauri. One civilization must start the space race by completing the Apollo Program wonder, which allows every civilization with the necessary technology to begin building spacecraft components:

B.space modules Space Module

cost:320 upkeep:0

requires:Superconductors

B.space structural Space Structural

cost:80 upkeep:0

requires:Space Flight

B.space component Space Component

cost:160 upkeep:0

requires:Plastics

The skeleton of your spacecraft consists of structural components, each of which can hold in place either a component or module. Components provide fuel and propulsion systems, and decrease the amount of time your craft will require to reach Alpha Centauri; you can install up to sixteen, though they must be installed in pairs. Modules themselves come in three flavors: a habitation module provides living space for ten thousand colonists; a life support module can keep ten thousand colonists alive; and a solar panel provides the power required by any two other modules.

Use the spaceship window to observe your progress as you build your spacecraft. You may manufacture spacecraft elements anywhere with a factory; they will automatically be assembled in your capital city. As you add components you improve the craft's probability of success and travel time; you may launch as soon as you find these satisfactory. If several civilizations are building spacecraft, they are faced with the decision of whether to launch quickly and start their craft on its way, or continue building in the hopes of launching a faster spacecraft later, or one with a higher probability of success.

Both during construction and after its launch, the spacecraft is considered a building of your capital city, and will be lost if your capital is taken or destroyed.

Specific Technologies[]

Here each technology is shown, together with any prerequisite advances and with a summary of its effects.

For a graphical technology tree, see this link.

Tech
requirements
Description Allows (Units, Buildings, Techs) /
Obsoletes (Units, Buildings)
Advanced Flight

Radio,

Machine Tools

Total techs requirements: 55

Total bulbs required: 44,370

Alphabet

Total techs requirements: 0

Total bulbs required: 28

Amphibious Warfare

Navigation,

Tactics

Total techs requirements: 36

Total bulbs required: 12,889

Astronomy

Mysticism,

Mathematics

Total techs requirements: 5

Total bulbs required: 400

Atomic Theory

Theory of Gravity,

Physics

Total techs requirements: 17

Total bulbs required: 3,633

Automobile

Combustion,

Steel

Total techs requirements: 44

Total bulbs required: 28,118

  • Increases the pollution generated by the population.
Banking

Trade,

The Republic

Total techs requirements: 8

Total bulbs required: 928

Bridge Building

Iron Working,

Construction

Total techs requirements: 6

Total bulbs required: 552

  • Allows Engineers, Workers and Settlers to build roads on river squares.
Bronze Working

Total techs requirements: 0

Total bulbs required: 28

Ceremonial Burial

Total techs requirements: 0

Total bulbs required: 28

Chemistry

University,

Medicine

Total techs requirements: 14

Total bulbs required: 2,298

Chivalry

Feudalism,

Horseback Riding

Total techs requirements: 7

Total bulbs required: 729

Code of Laws

Alphabet

Total techs requirements: 1

Total bulbs required: 79

Combined Arms

Mobile Warfare,

Advanced Flight

Total techs requirements: 58

Total bulbs required: 56,104

Combustion

Refining,

Explosives

Total techs requirements: 39

Total bulbs required: 19,155

Communism

Philosophy,

Industrialization

Total techs requirements: 31

Total bulbs required: 10,004

  • Allows changing government to Communism.
  • Reduces the effect of Cathedrals.
Computers

Mass Production,

Miniaturization

Total techs requirements: 56

Total bulbs required: 50,380

Conscription

Democracy,

Metallurgy

Total techs requirements: 25

Total bulbs required: 6,470

Construction

Masonry,

Currency

Total techs requirements: 3

Total bulbs required: 218

  • Allows Engineers, Workers and Settlers to build fortresses.
Currency

Bronze Working

Total techs requirements: 1

Total bulbs required: 79

Democracy

Banking,

Invention

Total techs requirements: 15

Total bulbs required: 2,540

  • Allows changing government to Democracy.
Economics

Banking,

University

Total techs requirements: 15

Total bulbs required: 2,405

Electricity

Metallurgy,

Magnetism

Total techs requirements: 28

Total bulbs required: 7,550

  • Improves the effect of Colosseums.
Electronics

The Corporation,

Electricity

Total techs requirements: 38

Total bulbs required: 17,914

Engineering

The Wheel,

Construction

Total techs requirements: 6

Total bulbs required: 523

Environmentalism

Recycling,

Space Flight

Total techs requirements: 64

Total bulbs required: 79,634

Espionage

Communism,

Democracy

Total techs requirements: 33

Total bulbs required: 12,774

Explosives

Gunpowder,

Chemistry

Total techs requirements: 23

Total bulbs required: 5,180

Feudalism

Warrior Code,

Monarchy

Total techs requirements: 5

Total bulbs required: 431

Flight

Combustion,

Theory of Gravity

Total techs requirements: 41

Total bulbs required: 22,442

  • Decreases one-time revenue from new trade routes.
Fusion Power

Nuclear Power,

Superconductors

Total techs requirements: 53

Total bulbs required: 54,353

Genetic Engineering

Medicine,

The Corporation

Total techs requirements: 35

Total bulbs required: 13,908

Guerilla Warfare

Communism,

Tactics

Total techs requirements: 42

Total bulbs required: 20,397

Gunpowder

Invention,

Iron Working

Total techs requirements: 14

Total bulbs required: 1,980

Horseback Riding

Total techs requirements: 0

Total bulbs required: 28

Industrialization

Railroad,

Banking

Total techs requirements: 29

Total bulbs required: 7,883

  • Increases the pollution generated by the population.
Invention

Engineering,

Literacy

Total techs requirements: 11

Total bulbs required: 1,232

  • Increases units' vision when in fortresses.
Iron Working

Bronze Working,

Warrior Code

Total techs requirements: 2

Total bulbs required: 136

Labor Union

Mass Production,

Guerilla Warfare

Total techs requirements: 55

Total bulbs required: 45,896

Laser

Mass Production,

Nuclear Power

Total techs requirements: 51

Total bulbs required: 46,307

Leadership

Chivalry,

Gunpowder

Total techs requirements: 19

Total bulbs required: 3,536

Literacy

Writing,

Code of Laws

Total techs requirements: 3

Total bulbs required: 241

Machine Tools

Steel,

Tactics

Total techs requirements: 44

Total bulbs required: 23,516

Magnetism

Iron Working,

Physics

Total techs requirements: 17

Total bulbs required: 2,711

Map Making

Alphabet

Total techs requirements: 1

Total bulbs required: 79

Masonry

Total techs requirements: 0

Total bulbs required: 28

Mass Production

Automobile,

The Corporation

Total techs requirements: 45

Total bulbs required: 31,340

  • Increases the pollution generated by the population.
Mathematics

Alphabet,

Masonry

Total techs requirements: 2

Total bulbs required: 136

Medicine

Philosophy,

Trade

Total techs requirements: 10

Total bulbs required: 1,186

Metallurgy

Gunpowder,

University

Total techs requirements: 20

Total bulbs required: 3,760

Miniaturization

Machine Tools,

Electronics

Total techs requirements: 48

Total bulbs required: 32,350

Mobile Warfare

Automobile,

Tactics

Total techs requirements: 52

Total bulbs required: 37,526

Monarchy

Ceremonial Burial,

Code of Laws

Total techs requirements: 3

Total bulbs required: 218

  • Allows changing government to Monarchy.
Monotheism

Philosophy,

Polytheism

Total techs requirements: 9

Total bulbs required: 1,018

Mysticism

Ceremonial Burial

Total techs requirements: 1

Total bulbs required: 79

  • Improves the effect of Temples.
Nuclear Fission

Mass Production,

Atomic Theory

Total techs requirements: 48

Total bulbs required: 36,171

Nuclear Power

Nuclear Fission,

Electronics

Total techs requirements: 50

Total bulbs required: 42,449

  • Gives sea units one extra move.
Philosophy

Mysticism,

Literacy

Total techs requirements: 6

Total bulbs required: 546

  • The first player to research Philosophy gets an immediate advance.
Physics

Literacy,

Navigation

Total techs requirements: 13

Total bulbs required: 1,747

Plastics

Refining,

Space Flight

Total techs requirements: 63

Total bulbs required: 76,083

  • Increases the pollution generated by the population.
Polytheism

Horseback Riding,

Ceremonial Burial

Total techs requirements: 2

Total bulbs required: 136

Pottery

Total techs requirements: 0

Total bulbs required: 28

Radio

Flight,

Electricity

Total techs requirements: 45

Total bulbs required: 29,166

  • Allows Engineers and Workers to build airbases.
Railroad

Steam Engine,

Bridge Building

Total techs requirements: 25

Total bulbs required: 5,549

  • Allows Engineers, Workers and Settlers to upgrade roads to railroads.
  • Decreases one-time revenue from new trade routes.
Recycling

Mass Production,

Democracy

Total techs requirements: 47

Total bulbs required: 35,470

Refining

Chemistry,

The Corporation

Total techs requirements: 36

Total bulbs required: 14,640

Refrigeration

Sanitation,

Electricity

Total techs requirements: 32

Total bulbs required: 10,856

  • Allows Engineers, Workers and Settlers to upgrade irrigation to farmland.
Robotics

Mobile Warfare,

Computers

Total techs requirements: 58

Total bulbs required: 58,995

Rocketry

Advanced Flight,

Electronics

Total techs requirements: 57

Total bulbs required: 51,430

Sanitation

Engineering,

Medicine

Total techs requirements: 16

Total bulbs required: 2,393

Seafaring

Pottery,

Map Making

Total techs requirements: 3

Total bulbs required: 218

  • Reduces the chance of losing boats on the high seas to 25%.
Space Flight

Computers,

Rocketry

Total techs requirements: 62

Total bulbs required: 70,843

Stealth

Superconductors,

Advanced Flight

Total techs requirements: 64

Total bulbs required: 74,539

Steam Engine

Physics,

Invention

Total techs requirements: 21

Total bulbs required: 3,813

Steel

Electricity,

Industrialization

Total techs requirements: 36

Total bulbs required: 14,957

Superconductors

Nuclear Power,

Laser

Total techs requirements: 52

Total bulbs required: 50,275

Tactics

Conscription,

Leadership

Total techs requirements: 30

Total bulbs required: 9,808

The Corporation

Economics,

Industrialization

Total techs requirements: 33

Total bulbs required: 11,243

The Republic

Code of Laws,

Literacy

Total techs requirements: 4

Total bulbs required: 387

  • Allows changing government to Republic.
The Wheel

Horseback Riding

Total techs requirements: 1

Total bulbs required: 79

Theology

Feudalism,

Monotheism

Total techs requirements: 13

Total bulbs required: 1,922

  • Improves the effect of Cathedrals.
Theory of Gravity

Astronomy,

University

Total techs requirements: 11

Total bulbs required: 1,671

Trade

Currency,

Code of Laws

Total techs requirements: 4

Total bulbs required: 304

University

Mathematics,

Philosophy

Total techs requirements: 9

Total bulbs required: 1,018

Warrior Code

Total techs requirements: 0

Total bulbs required: 28

Writing

Alphabet

Total techs requirements: 1

Total bulbs required: 79

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