What technologies don't you need?

[Olivier_Gruner]

I was just wondering if someone could help me by telling me what technoligies you don't need to go through the ages.

I am in college and don't have my manual handy. It would be very appreciated if you could tell me what they were.

[Willem]

Your best bet would be to go into the editor and look at the Civilization Advances area. You'll see a checkbox saying something like "Not Needed for Era Advancement."

PS You should be doing your homework, not thinking about computer games!

[vondrack]

If you look at the in-game tech chart (F6), the optional techs have a slashed circle in the upper right corner.

[Moonsinger]

On top of my head:

Republic (I refer jumping from Monarchy to Democracy, but that's just me), Free Artistry (unless you want to build that Wonder), Economics (unless you want to build the Adam Smith), Amphibious Warfare (those units are so weak anyway), Communisim (unless you want to become a communist).

[Nosferum]

---I prefer Republic over Monarchy, but that's only because I don't do a lot of warring at that age. If I know I'm going to war at that early stage, I use Monarchy only if I have trouble keeping people happy. If my people are quite hapy, I just save it for Republic. About 99% of the time, I don't even follow any of the tree for Monarchy (Monotheism, etc).

---I agree on Free Artistry. I never reach for it because I'm too busy doing other things than to make Shakespeare's Theatre. It's only useful if you want to make one city just HUGE. It was more useful in Civ II, because you could use that city to make the kinds of units that make people unhappy to have.

---Same with Economics-- only useful if you think you can build Adam Smith's Trading Company (very nice to have, if you can make it).

---Amphibious Warfare has some use, but I usually ignore it. Using Marines to attack smaller cities from your transport ships is great. They ignore normal Walls and the computer usually doesn't even build Sea Fortress (whatever that's called). It's good for a fast attack, but I just don't find it that useful in Civ III. I'd rather have 1 tank than 2 Marines.

---Communism DOES have Police Stations, which is great for combating War Weariness, and often more than pays for itself in combatting corruption. The Government type it also opens up is only useful when you don't want to work on technology, and you want to switch to all war. It is best when used on large maps, where it's flat corruption attribute is best used.

[Moonsinger]

Originally posted by Nosferum
---Communism DOES have Police Stations, which is great for combating War Weariness, and often more than pays for itself in combatting corruption. The Government type it also opens up is only useful when you don't want to work on technology, and you want to switch to all war. It is best when used on large maps, where it's flat corruption attribute is best used.

Yes, you are right about that! I forgot about the Police Station. Of course, I have never research Communism. Since I'm at war most of the time, the AI is usually offer it to me for free.

[Jethro83]

The following techs are the ones I usually ignore:

Music Theory: I can buy it from the AI, instead of wasting time I could use to get to the Industrial age researching it. The wonder here is OK, but not a wonder that is critical to success.

Free Artistry: I never build Shakespeare's Theatre, EVER. Its just too useless, since the huge single city it allows isn't all that necessary.

Nationalism: I only buy it, or get it free (in the case of being a scientific civ). I prefer to beeline to Industrialization and Replaceable Parts.

Communism: I only buy it. Not even police stations warrant the time it takes to research it (I prefer to get as many smaller critical techs in as I can before Theory of Evolution nets me Atomic Theory and Electronics).

Amphibious War: Not all the time, but I don't use marines enough in my strategy to warrant an immediate beeline to this tech.

Advanced Flight: I NEVER use helicopters or paratroopers, and so this tech is completely useless to me.

Genetics: By this time, the two wonders with this tech are next to useless, since luxuries I will have at this point will be sufficient for happiness (cure for cancer) and populations are already large enough (longevity).

Stealth: I find bombers and jet fighters to be satisfactory enough as an air force, and don't really need their stealth counterparts.

[Ninot]

AVOID CEREMONIAL BURIAL!

its nothing but trouble

honestly tho, if it comes down to the point where the game might be over before you need to research something

techs i find less worthy of immeadiate researching are flight (prefer artillery, more my stile)

possibly radio (i leave it till last before hitting modern era, and sell it the most)

and in modern age, once i get tac nukes, im satisfied with them. i avoid nuke warfare, so a small deterant is enough for me. so i avoid the ICBM tech (the name escapes me, satelites maybe?)

[Jaybe]

Other than Nationalism* research the necessities (those that are required for age advancement) and buy the rest (especially Communism) after they are cheap. Unless you are going for a cultural victory, in which you might (must?) research Free Artistry.

Which to PRIORITIZE on depends on your situation in the specific game.

*Nationalism is required unless you are in a real peaceful state, with no threats of war.