I have an idea. Some hybrid solution from ‘Stellaris’ - random techs and ‘Civ VI’ - Eureka’s system. For example, player could invest standard science points per turn income into a different branch such as: technical (that unlocks: new units, production buildings), natural science (food, hygiene), sociology (stability, diplomacy) etc.

Furthermore, depending on playing style, players could get a small boost for every of that branch, that fulfilling it and acquiring new tech. Tech could be selected by players (from currently available) - based on existing tech tree or full random system with unknown tech tree with many dependencies like in ‘Stellaris’.

For example, during exploring maps you could gain more natural science boost, during battles technical science, during contacting with other nations sociology etc. That could be easily fitted with event system providing many interesting scenarios. I think that system would be original in that game genre, develop players more realistic science explorations and add more unpredictability to the game.

erzherzog13 wrote:

I'll repost this one here:

It seems that X4 genre gets Research completely wrong. A Tech-tree is not how technological progress works, especially not in ancient times. There are two things about research: discovery and improvement. Yes, we discovered bow and arrow way back in the stone age but it kept improving up until the end of the middle ages. The principle remains the same, but the materials change and craftsmanship evolves, so the bow and arrow become ever more advanced which is mirrored in their performance (range, piercing force, production cost…). The Civ threats every technology as a discovery. Oh, wow, I discovered physics! And now I discovered chemistry! No no no, my dear, that’s too bloody gamey. 
Make the research become more organic, elusive and a bit serendipitous, by harnessing both of its principles. Discoveries appropriate to the era initiated by an event or action (no seafaring tech avaliable before a nation settles near a coast), improvement motivated by necessity (an early barbarian raid initiates building of defensive walls which can get upgraded in later eras, when the player realizes/exprinces that his enemies are dvloping ever more effective siege units), fueled by industry (advanced arrows should be perfected by a fletcher, not by clicking on some card and waiting for beakers to add up), propagated by diffusion of knowledge through contacts (when a preagricultural civilization spots a rivals farm, it automatically gets a percentage of the research needed to unlock farming proportional to the number of civs already having unlocked it), slow passive diffusion through trade routes, tehnological improvement in many fields runnng simultaneously with diffrent pace (who says you can't research several thing at the same time).

This definately is something I hope the devs will think over. Tech tree and research system that embodies both progression/improvement and discovery of entirely new things.

My opinion is that the whole Tech Tree concept should be revamped. I never liked the Civ6 inspirations, they were bit of a chore. They were easy but insignificant jobs to speedrush tech, which you want to do 90-95% of the time. If you are using focusing on war and using certain tactics over and over it would be nice to see your forces developing and mastering that tactic and then that being integrated into somesort of small boost to your civilization, however the way it goes now, is that if you have a civilization that historically did this will get at a certain point in time a unique troop.

I did like how Civ6 split Culture and Science tech trees. I wouldn't mind seeing something similar in a 4X-game. Something like Military tradition could also be it's own subset of "technology". Endless Legends Eras was also interesting implementation of research system, where you aren't working a linear path towards the top. Although Beyond Earth was not a great game I found it's tech Sphere something interesting and rewarding to study and micromanage than the identical or near identical tech trees of any Civ-game.