PC GAMES
  News
  Reviews
  Previews
  Movies/Media
  Downloads
  Hints/Codes
  GameGuides.com
  Special Features
  Beta Center
  Release Calendar
  Forums
  Top Games

PC GENRES
  Action
  Adventure
  Driving
  Puzzle
  Role-Playing
  Simulation
  Sports
  Strategy

SWITCH TO:
  VIDEO GAMES
  GAMESPOT LIVE
  GAMEBUYER
  HARDWARE

SUBSCRIBE TO:
  PC Newsletter
  HW Newsletter

ELITE SERVICES
  Join GameSpot

SEE ALSO
  GameFAQs
  Gamespy Arcade
  Netflix

INFORMATION
  Help
  Contact Us
  International

Chapter 3: Research and Development

You've explored the surrounding landscape and founded several cities that are bustling with population growth and resource gathering. Sounds great on paper, but none of this means anything unless you are actively engaged in research and development, uncovering new technologies and secret projects that will help your civilization continue to grow. Without research and development, you'll quickly lag behind the competition, and before you know it, you'll be like a caveman stuck in the Jetsons. This chapter will guide you through the basics of research and development and illustrate the basics you should understand to become a dominant force.

Blind Research - Pros and Cons
When starting a game from scratch, blind research is toggled on by default. This gives novice players a little less to think about and breaks down all the technological improvements into the following four categories:

* Explore
* Discover
* Build
* Conquer

At the outset of the game, you will be asked what areas of research you would like to focus on. You can either select one category for faster research or even select all four, though this will slow down the research process of all categories involved. This is called blind research - you aren't shooting for a specific advance but rather casting your net at an ocean of scientific possibilities and seeing what comes up. Discoveries will be divvied out as the game progresses, depending on which areas of interest you have allocated. Unfortunately, blind research detracts from the big picture of the game and will not really assist you in learning the ins and outs of research and development, especially how all the technological pieces fit together. For this reason, you should start a new game with blind research toggled off, letting you pinpoint exactly those technologies you'd like to research. Ultimately, this will increase your understanding of the game and make you a much stronger player.

Next: Labs, Paths to Dominance, and Explore

 
 

GameSpot is a CNET Networks Media Property. Copyright ©1995-2001 CNET Networks, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy policy.