Return to the main Freeciv Manual
page.
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.
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:
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 |
Alphabet, Masonry |
Mathematics |
Catapult |
Horseback Riding, Ceremonial Burial |
Polytheism |
|
Bronze Working, Warrior Code |
Iron Working |
Legion |
Masonry, Currency |
Construction |
Aqueduct, Colosseum |
Ceremonial Burial, Code of Laws |
Monarchy |
|
Writing, Code of Laws |
Literacy |
Great Library |
Pottery, Map Making |
Seafaring |
Harbour, Explorer |
Code of Laws, Literacy |
The Republic |
|
Currency, Code of Laws |
Trade |
Marco Polo's Embassy, Caravan |
Warrior Code, Monarchy |
Feudalism |
Sun Tzu's War Academy, Pikemen
(Warriors, Phalanx) |
Mysticism, Mathematics |
Astronomy |
Copernicus' Observatory |
The Wheel, Construction |
Engineering |
King Richard's Crusade |
Mysticism, Literacy |
Philosophy |
|
Iron Working, Construction |
Bridge Building |
|
Feudalism, Horseback Riding |
Chivalry |
Knights (Horsemen, Chariot) |
Trade, The Republic |
Banking |
Bank |
Seafaring, Astronomy |
Navigation |
Magellan's Expedition, Caravel
(Trireme) |
Philosophy, Polytheism |
Monotheism |
Michelangelo's Chapel, Cathedral |
Mathematics, Philosophy |
University |
University |
Philosophy, Trade |
Medicine |
Shakespeare's Theatre |
Engineering, Literacy |
Invention |
Leonardo's Workshop |
Astronomy, University |
Theory of Gravity |
Isaac Newton's College |
Feudalism, Monotheism |
Theology |
J.S. Bach's Cathedral (Oracle) |
Literacy, Navigation |
Physics |
|
University, Medicine |
Chemistry |
|
Invention, Iron Working |
Gunpowder |
Barracks II, Musketeers (Barracks,
Legion, Archers, Pikemen) |
Banking, Invention |
Democracy |
Statue of Liberty |
Banking, University |
Economics |
A.Smith's Trading Co.,
Stock Exchange |
Engineering, Medicine |
Sanitation |
Sewer System |
Iron Working, Physics |
Magnetism |
Galleon, Frigate (Lighthouse,
Caravel) |
Theory of Gravity, Physics |
Atomic Theory |
|
Chivalry, Gunpowder |
Leadership |
Dragoons (Knights) |
Gunpowder, University |
Metallurgy |
Coastal Defense, Cannon
(Great Wall, Catapult) |
Physics, Invention |
Steam Engine |
Ironclad (Frigate) |
Gunpowder, Chemistry |
Explosives |
Engineers (Settlers) |
Steam Engine, Bridge Building |
Railroad |
Darwin's Voyage (Hanging Gardens) |
Democracy, Metallurgy |
Conscription |
Riflemen (Musketeers) |
Metallurgy, Magnetism |
Electricity |
Destroyer (Great Library,
Ironclad) |
Railroad, Banking |
Industrialization |
Women's Suffrage, Factory, Transport
(King Richard's Crusade, Galleon) |
Conscription, Leadership |
Tactics |
Cavalry, Alpine Troops
(Dragoons) |
Philosophy, Industrialization |
Communism |
Police Station, United Nations
(Marco Polo's Embassy) |
Sanitation, Electricity |
Refrigeration |
Supermarket |
Communism, Democracy |
Espionage |
Spy (Diplomat) |
Economics, Industrialization |
The Corporation |
Freight (Caravan) |
Medicine, The Corporation |
Genetic Engineering |
Cure For Cancer |
Electricity, Industrialization |
Steel |
Cruiser |
Chemistry, The Corporation |
Refining |
Power Plant |
Navigation, Tactics |
Amphibious Warfare |
Port Facility, Marines
(Barbarian Leader) |
The Corporation, Electricity |
Electronics |
Hydro Plant, Hoover Dam |
Refining, Explosives |
Combustion |
Submarine |
Combustion, Theory of Gravity |
Flight |
Fighter (Colossus) |
Communism, Tactics |
Guerilla Warfare |
Partisan (Explorer) |
Steel, Tactics |
Machine Tools |
Artillery (Cannon) |
Combustion, Steel |
Automobile |
Super Highways, Battleship
(Leonardo's Workshop) |
Automobile, The Corporation |
Mass Production |
Mass Transit |
Flight, Electricity |
Radio |
Airport |
Mass Production, Democracy |
Recycling |
Recycling Center |
Machine Tools, Electronics |
Miniaturization |
Offshore Platform |
Mass Production, Atomic Theory |
Nuclear Fission |
Manhattan Project |
Nuclear Fission, Electronics |
Nuclear Power |
Nuclear Plant |
Mass Production, Nuclear Power |
Laser |
SDI Defense |
Nuclear Power, Laser |
Superconductors |
Space Module |
Automobile, Tactics |
Mobile Warfare |
Barracks III, Armor
(Sun Tzu's War Academy,
Barracks II, Cavalry) |
Nuclear Power, Superconductors |
Fusion Power |
|
Mass Production, Guerilla Warfare |
Labor Union |
Mech. Inf. |
Radio, Machine Tools |
Advanced Flight |
Carrier, Bomber |
Mass Production, Miniaturization |
Computers |
SETI Program, Research Lab |
Advanced Flight, Electronics |
Rocketry |
SAM Battery, Nuclear,
Cruise Missile, AEGIS Cruiser
(Cruiser) |
Mobile Warfare, Advanced Flight |
Combined Arms |
Paratroopers, Helicopter |
Mobile Warfare, Computers |
Robotics |
Mfg. Plant, Howitzer (Artillery) |
Computers, Rocketry |
Space Flight |
Apollo Program, Space Structural |
Refining, Space Flight |
Plastics |
Space Component |
Superconductors, Robotics |
Stealth |
Stealth Bomber, Stealth Fighter
(Bomber, Fighter) |
Overview Terrain Cities Economy Units
Combat Government Technology Wonders Index