User Guide

The concept that progress is inevitable—or even that it’s desirable—is a relatively recent

phenomenon.For most of human history,the pace of progress was so slow as to be barely

detectable,but since the Industrial Revolution,the pace of advance and change has dra-

matically increased. Rapid change is now considered normal.

The Concept of Civilization Advances

Scientific research is what drives your civilization’s intellectual growth.The science each

city generates every turn represents spending on research, a percentage of the total

income from commerce the city brings in.You can adjust this percentage (for your civ-

ilization as a whole) with the Science Rate controller on the Domestic Advisor’s screen.

A low science rate generates advances slowly;a high rate generates them more quickly.

You want to accumulate research to gain civilization advances.The scientific research

being performed by each city in your empire is listed in the Domestic Advisor’s report.

Each new advance that your civilization discovers “costs”a certain amount of science.

As you progress, more advanced technologies require more funding to research.The

Science Advisor notes the advances you already have, the one your scientists are cur-

rently researching, and any plans for future research you’ve specified.Almost all new

advances allow your civilization to build new units, city improvements, or Great Wonders.

Most new civilization advances also open up a path to researching further discover-

ies.You can think of the connections between advances as a flowchart, a web, a tree,

or whatever image works for you.The important idea is that each advance is a building

block that allows research into further advances.You can even eventually research into the

realm of science fiction;each futuristic advance you discover adds bonus points to your

final score, as we’ll explain below in “Future Technology.”

Accumulated research isn’t the only way to gain advances.Contact with a minor tribe

might also net you a new civilization advance. Finally, during parley with other civi-

lizations,you can sometimes get or give advances in trade.We’ll give you the full details

under Chapter 13: Diplomacy and Trade.

Civilization advances are organized into ages.Your civilization must successfully gain

all of the critical technologies of an age before moving on to research advances that

belong to the next age.Of course,learning all the advances in an age is your best bet.