BLIND research?

[Captain]

Is there any word from Firaxis or any previews about whether or not researching the tech tree will be blind or will at least have that option?

[Russian King]

Blind research- BAD IDEA
Have an option- I HOPE SO

[Urban Ranger]

Totally blind research is a very bad idea. Your wise guys, eh, men would at least have some idea for what they are researching.

[Maxxes]

He probably means blind research SMAC-style. Although I don't like that very much myself as an option almost everything is oke.

[SerapisIV]

I really liked the Blind research option of SMAC. You gave your research some direction, but you were still dependent on luck a lot of times. I like that. Besides if you think its a bad idea, lets remember the SMAC option list "Blind Research On/Off" Hey you can turn the option off! That and blind research wouldn't effect AI development, its just a randomizer in the game

[senowen]

Blind Research Option: definately, as long as the AI was blind in the option as well. It seems simple enough. A few lines of code could randomized the research selection each time you got a new tech discovery.

[Grumbold]

I favour split research more than blind research but both would be nice options. The Civ tech tree hasn't been built to fit quite so nicely into the different categories like the SMAC one. It doesn't sound to me like they're planning on rewriting it from scratch to make it work this way.

[Imran Siddiqui]

I'd also like a Blind Research Option. I think in the List I came up with another idea. A hybred option. Blind Research until the Modern Era and then with the ability for the government to know what it wants to research, then you can pick and choose specific techs to research.

[Quartz Dragon]

As an option yes. I occasionaly play SMAC with blind research. But I would also like to see an option wich will allow you too dictate a research goal (like get gunpowder).

[Ralf]

Instead of blind research, I put my money on an optional parallell percentage-allocation research instead, as an alternative to standard Civ-2 research flow.

[Captain]

Well, looks like there're no clear answers so far...
but what I originally meant was not totally blind research but more of a semi-blind research.

It wasn't until modern times that people actually directed their research at a specific targets. In fact, most research is done 'post-discovery' meaning that there's a period of general research in the area which is "blind" and then there's a sudden insight, and thereafter, the research is directed/guided so as to be applicable. Most often, you don't actually theoretically know about something before you discover it, you formulate the theory after the experimentation based on the hypotheses/educated guess.
eg. gunpowder/guncotton were somewhat accidental discoveries which once discovered, were researched further into applications and uses for society.

so I would favour this form of semi-blind research, but also on PARALLEL paths. Just because I'm researching steam engines doesn't mean I can't be simultaneously researching improved irrigation techniques or something like that. You could use a slider bar which allocate to different categories, with semi-random chance of breakthrough in the general blind research and then once a breakthrough is made, hasten the application/completion by funding that particular tech.

Can't remember exactly but MOO had something like this? SMAC's was a decent system too, except for the actual techs themselves.

As always, this should be an optional thing.

[Frugal_Gourmet]

Blind research would be kind of a nifty "optional" feature. For fun, I would occassionally play Civ researching technologies completely at random. I'd just select randomly when the screen popped up.

It was an "interesting" way to play the game, as I was forced to be more flexible w/ my strategies. I could no longer play the same tried-and-true strategies, but I had to adjust to whatever technologies I was stuck with next.

It was quite fun, and I think it ultimately made me a better Civ player


[This message has been edited by Frugal_Gourmet (edited May 18, 2001).]

[Bereta_Eder]

I wouldn't like blind research although I think it is more realistic than specific research.

I can't tell you how many times the well being of the whole of my civ was based on a particular science advance that I was waiting.

I think that knowing exactly what you are researching adds to the strategic element. Having said that, blind research offers more unpredictability and thus.. playability

It would be nice to have an option like in Smac.

[DarkCloud]

Blind research should be an option but you should be able to direct the researcher's direction (a la Alpha Centauri)

[ajbera]

I sincerely hope there is an option for blind research. Many discoveries are accidental in nature, and I like the way this was simulated in SMAC. So, optimally, this should be an option.