So, I was looking at the screenshots again when I realized something. In the lower left corner of pictures 3-5 there are a trio of round buttons. One shows a flask with a blue meter filling up around the circumferance, pretty obvious that's science. Another shows some shaking hands, probably diplomacy. Between the 2 however is another button with a scroll and a green meter filling up like the science button. I have no idea what it is. Are the splitting culture and science development like Civ 6? Is that the "hero" recruitment system? Tracking how long a single leader lives and you have to choose an heir? Something else entirely? I'd love to hear everyone's guesses.

As you already said, that second one might be a law or decree icon or maybe something related to hero or narrative. First & third ones seem obvious :D

Maybe this could also be quest-related. So the Icon shows a list, which could relate to a checklist for quests...

Is it fame points? 

It might show how far you are with accumulating fame to progress

Catodion wrote:

Is it fame points? 

It might show how far you are with accumulating fame to progress

Except both fame and stars are listed at the top left.

invesua wrote:

Science, Culture, Diplomacy

But i hope it's not gona be like culture tech tree of civ6

That's my favourite new feature of Civ 6.  Not every human innovation has been technology-based.  In fact, I'd guess that most innovations have been social ones, and they've had huge impact on the difference between one city and another, both at the same time and over time.  Granted, there's a lot of interaction between technology changes and social changes, but there are also a lot of social changes that weren't triggered by scientific discovery.

No idea how HK will handle this, and certainly social innovation can be handled in a different manner than a tech tree.  But I'd be disappointed if all advancements in the game get bundled into a single science-based tree.

To be honest, I'm actually hoping we may not have a tech tree at all.  Or at least not one where each nation has to research every single thing on it's own.  A system where the first to discover a new technology gets a short term benefit, but then all of their neighbours eventually get the technology automatically would (a) be closer to actual history, (b) be less susceptible to snowballing, and (c) make each new technology a mini-wonder race.  Anyway, I've no idea how Amplitude will approach this topic.

Science needs a tech tree. But, as Travelin' says, every civ should not have to research every tech. Most innovations spread out organically from the point of origin. If one civ invents gunpowder, its neighbors should receive a slow trickle of science into that technology specifically.

However, Civic developments really should be represented by a web. There are many paths from the original neolithic tribe to our complex modern societies.