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| Version | Summary | Created by | Modification | Content Size | Created at | Operation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Camila Xu | -- | 1220 | 2022-10-26 01:49:47 |
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In strategy games, a technology, tech, or research tree is a hierarchical visual representation of the possible sequences of upgrades a player can take (most often through the act of research). Because these trees are technically directed and acyclic, they can more accurately be described as a technology directed acyclic graph. The diagram is tree-shaped in the sense that it branches between each 'level', allowing the player to choose one sequence or another. Each level is called a tier and is often used to describe the technological strength of a player. Typically, at the beginning of a session of a strategy game, a player will start at tier 1, and will only have a few options for technologies to research. Each technology that a player researches will open up one or more new options, but may or may not, depending on the computer game, close off the paths to other options. The tech tree is the representation of all possible paths of research a player can take, up to the culmination of said sequence. A player who is engaged in research activities is said to be "teching up", "going up the tech tree", or "moving up the tech tree". Analysis of a tech tree can lead players to memorize and use specific build orders.
References
- See the relevant games' manuals.
- Master of Orion (1993), the Galactic Civilizations series and Sword of the Stars have no research buildings; players simply allocate some of each colony's output to research (see game manuals). In the Civilization series (1991 onwards) and Master of Orion II (1996) one can do research without buildings, but it's much faster when supported by the right buildings (see game manuals). In the Space Empires series (1993 onwards) and in Ascendancy (1995) research can only be done via buildings, but these can research any technology (see game manuals).
- "RTS Basics: R & D". http://www.rakrent.com/rtsc/rtsc_rnd.htm. and the StarCraft manual. Although multi-epoch games like the Age of Empires and Empire Earth series have a larger number of research options and a significant proportion of civilian research options, the research options all depend on having the right buildings. See the relevant games' manuals.
- "Joystiq interview: Ironclad talks 4X strategy with Sins of a Solar Empire". February 1, 2008. http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/01/joystiq-interview-ironclad-talks-4x-strategy-with-sins-of-a-sol/.
- In Warcraft III one can reach the highest level of one branch of the technology tree in five steps; Master of Orion (original version) has 10 levels per subject, and 2 to 5 technologies per level; the Civilization IV technology tree requires nearly 60 steps to reach the end (see game manuals).
- Heinimäki 2015, p. 21.
- Ghys, Tuur. "Technology Trees: Freedom and Determinism in Historical Strategy Games". http://gamestudies.org/1201/articles/tuur_ghys.
