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FreeCiv Game Manual
Overview Terrain Cities Economy Units Combat Government Technology Wonders Index

Technology

Through 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 and wonders actually disappear from your cities. 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; 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.

Each player starts the game with three technologies from among the first few available. 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, which can be generated both through trade and by scientists. Your first technology will cost ten research points, the second twenty, and so forth, with each advance costing ten points more than the last; and the cost for all players will be doubled when the game reaches 1 AD. This means your research output most steadily increase or advances will become steadily less frequent.

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 advances 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.

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:

Space Structural
Cost:80
Requires Space Flight
Space Component
Cost:160
Requires Plastics
Space Module
Cost:320
Requires Superconductors

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; 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.
Prerequisites
Technology
Allows and (Obsoletes)
Horseback Riding Horsemen
Pottery Granary, Hanging Gardens
Bronze Working Colossus, Phalanx
Masonry City Walls, Palace, Pyramids, Great Wall
Ceremonial Burial Temple
Warrior Code Archers
Alphabet
Alphabet Code of Laws Courthouse
Alphabet Map Making Lighthouse, Trireme
Horseback Riding The Wheel Chariot
Bronze Working Currency Marketplace
Ceremonial Burial Mysticism Oracle
Alphabet Writing Library, Diplomat
AlphabetMasonry Mathematics Catapult
Horseback RidingCeremonial Burial Polytheism
Bronze WorkingWarrior Code Iron Working Legion
MasonryCurrency Construction Aqueduct, Colosseum
Ceremonial BurialCode of Laws Monarchy
WritingCode of Laws Literacy Great Library
PotteryMap Making Seafaring Harbour, Explorer
Code of LawsLiteracy The Republic
CurrencyCode of Laws Trade Marco Polo's Embassy, Caravan
Warrior CodeMonarchy Feudalism Sun Tzu's War Academy, Pikemen (Warriors, Phalanx)
MysticismMathematics Astronomy Copernicus' Observatory
The WheelConstruction Engineering King Richard's Crusade
MysticismLiteracy Philosophy
Iron WorkingConstruction Bridge Building
FeudalismHorseback Riding Chivalry Knights (Horsemen, Chariot)
TradeThe Republic Banking Bank
SeafaringAstronomy Navigation Magellan's Expedition, Caravel (Trireme)
PhilosophyPolytheism Monotheism Michelangelo's Chapel, Cathedral
MathematicsPhilosophy University University
PhilosophyTrade Medicine Shakespeare's Theatre
EngineeringLiteracy Invention Leonardo's Workshop
AstronomyUniversity Theory of Gravity Isaac Newton's College
FeudalismMonotheism Theology J.S. Bach's Cathedral (Oracle)
LiteracyNavigation Physics
UniversityMedicine Chemistry
InventionIron Working Gunpowder Barracks II, Musketeers (Barracks, Legion, Archers, Pikemen)
BankingInvention Democracy Statue of Liberty
BankingUniversity Economics A.Smith's Trading Co., Stock Exchange
EngineeringMedicine Sanitation Sewer System
Iron WorkingPhysics Magnetism Galleon, Frigate (Lighthouse, Caravel)
Theory of GravityPhysics Atomic Theory
ChivalryGunpowder Leadership Dragoons (Knights)
GunpowderUniversity Metallurgy Coastal Defense, Cannon (Great Wall, Catapult)
PhysicsInvention Steam Engine Ironclad (Frigate)
GunpowderChemistry Explosives Engineers (Settlers)
Steam EngineBridge Building Railroad Darwin's Voyage (Hanging Gardens)
DemocracyMetallurgy Conscription Riflemen (Musketeers)
MetallurgyMagnetism Electricity Destroyer (Great Library, Ironclad)
RailroadBanking Industrialization Women's Suffrage, Factory, Transport (King Richard's Crusade, Galleon)
ConscriptionLeadership Tactics Cavalry, Alpine Troops (Dragoons)
PhilosophyIndustrialization Communism Police Station, United Nations (Marco Polo's Embassy)
SanitationElectricity Refrigeration Supermarket
CommunismDemocracy Espionage Spy (Diplomat)
EconomicsIndustrialization The Corporation Freight (Caravan)
MedicineThe Corporation Genetic Engineering Cure For Cancer
ElectricityIndustrialization Steel Cruiser
ChemistryThe Corporation Refining Power Plant
NavigationTactics Amphibious Warfare Port Facility, Marines (Barbarian Leader)
The CorporationElectricity Electronics Hydro Plant, Hoover Dam
RefiningExplosives Combustion Submarine
CombustionTheory of Gravity Flight Fighter (Colossus)
CommunismTactics Guerilla Warfare Partisan (Explorer)
SteelTactics Machine Tools Artillery (Cannon)
CombustionSteel Automobile Super Highways, Battleship (Leonardo's Workshop)
AutomobileThe Corporation Mass Production Mass Transit
FlightElectricity Radio Airport
Mass ProductionDemocracy Recycling Recycling Center
Machine ToolsElectronics Miniaturization Offshore Platform
Mass ProductionAtomic Theory Nuclear Fission Manhattan Project
Nuclear FissionElectronics Nuclear Power Nuclear Plant
Mass ProductionNuclear Power Laser SDI Defense
Nuclear PowerLaser Superconductors Space Module
AutomobileTactics Mobile Warfare Barracks III, Armor (Sun Tzu's War Academy, Barracks II, Cavalry)
Nuclear PowerSuperconductors Fusion Power
Mass ProductionGuerilla Warfare Labor Union Mech. Inf.
RadioMachine Tools Advanced Flight Carrier, Bomber
Mass ProductionMiniaturization Computers SETI Program, Research Lab
Advanced FlightElectronics Rocketry SAM Battery, Nuclear, Cruise Missile, AEGIS Cruiser (Cruiser)
Mobile WarfareAdvanced Flight Combined Arms Paratroopers, Helicopter
Mobile WarfareComputers Robotics Mfg. Plant, Howitzer (Artillery)
ComputersRocketry Space Flight Apollo Program, Space Structural
RefiningSpace Flight Plastics Space Component
SuperconductorsRobotics Stealth Stealth Bomber, Stealth Fighter (Bomber, Fighter)
Next: Wonders

Overview Terrain Cities Economy Units Combat Government Technology Wonders Index