Research & Technology

“Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life.” – Immanuel Kant

Technology is the engine of progress in Annhexation. Every new unit, building, improvement, government, and ability is unlocked through the tech tree. A civilisation that falls behind in research will find itself fighting swordsmen with warriors, besieging cities without siege engines, and watching its rivals launch spaceship parts while it struggles to discover gunpowder.

How Research Works

Each turn, every city generates research points that accumulate toward the technology you are currently studying. When the accumulated research equals or exceeds the technology’s cost, the tech is completed, its unlocks become available, and you choose a new technology to study.

Research beyond a technology’s cost is not wasted – it carries over into the next technology you choose. If you switch research targets before completing a technology, your progress on the original tech is saved and can be resumed later.

Bigger Empires Pay More

Every city after your capital adds 5% to the cost of every technology. With 11 cities a tech costs 1.5 times its listed price; with 21 cities, twice. The tech tree, the research bar and the toolbar all show what technologies cost you.

More cities still mean more research – every city makes its own – but a wide empire no longer out-researches everyone just by being wide. To lead in technology it has to invest in science: Libraries, Universities and the Research option. An empire that spends its production on an army instead will find a smaller, science-focused rival pulling ahead, and has to use that army before the gap grows.

Smaller Maps Research Faster

Technologies are cheaper on maps with less land for each empire, so a crowded or small map still reaches the space race. Large maps and Planet Earth maps price technologies as listed; a medium map with six empires about two-thirds of that; the most crowded maps half. The discount is set when the game starts and applies to everyone equally, before the per-city cost above.

Research Sources

Research comes from several sources, all of which stack:

Base Research and Population

Every city generates a base of 2 research per turn, regardless of buildings or terrain, plus +1 research for every 2 population. A size-1 city makes 2 research, a size-4 city makes 4 and a size-10 city makes 7 – so growing your cities pays off in science, not just founding more of them.

Buildings

The percentages add together (up to +125%) and apply to the city’s research after every flat source – base, population, buildings, government and civilisation bonuses. That makes science buildings worth most in cities that already research well.

A size-6 city with both a Library and a University produces 2 (base) + 3 (population) + 2 (Library) + 4 (University) = 11, then +75% = 19 research per turn. Add a Research Lab and it makes about 25. The same city with no science buildings makes 5.

The Research card in the city screen lists every source and boost for that city.

The Research Option

A city can spend its production on research instead of building something: half its production becomes research, and the city’s science buildings boost it like any other source. A city making 30 production with a Library, University and Research Lab turns it into about 34 research – more than many cities make on their own.

Renaissance, Industrial and Modern technologies are priced with this in mind. An empire that relies on population and science buildings alone falls behind in the late game; one that turns a third to a half of its production into research keeps pace. Production spent on research is production not spent on an army, so a science empire is thinner on the ground than a militarist – and a militarist that falls behind in technology has to use its army before the gap grows.

Government Bonuses

Republic is the strongest research government. The +1 per city stacks with base research and buildings, making Republic the natural choice for science-focused strategies.

Civilisation Bonuses

France’s bonus rewards aggressive play – each city produces an extra research point as long as France is at war with anyone. This makes France a strong choice for players who intend to combine military action with scientific advancement.

Summary Formula

Per-city research = (2 (base) + population ÷ 2 + Library (2) + University (4) + Republic (1) + France at war (1) + Research option (production ÷ 2)) × (1 + Library 25% + University 50% + Research Lab 50%)

Science buildings multiply everything else, so a city’s research depends far more on whether it has invested in them than on anything else.

The Six Eras

Technologies are organised into six historical eras. Your civilisation’s current era is determined by the most advanced era of any tech you have researched.

Ancient Era Priorities

The Ancient era is about establishing your foundation:

• Agriculture – Allows Farms (+1 food on worked tiles with river edges).
• Pottery – Unlocks the Granary (+2 food) and Hanging Gardens wonder.
• Mining – Enables Mines (+1 production on hills).
• Writing – Unlocks the Library (+2 research). This should be an early priority in every game.
• Archery – Unlocks the Archer, your first ranged unit.
• Bronze Working – Unlocks the Barracks (+1 starting XP) and Colossus of Rhodes wonder.

Classical Era Priorities

• Iron Working – Unlocks the Swordsman (12 attack, 8 defence). Your first truly powerful melee unit.
• Mathematics – Unlocks the Catapult, your first siege unit.
• Currency – Unlocks the Marketplace (+2 gold) and diplomatic actions (declaring war, proposing peace).
• Horseback Riding – Unlocks the Horseman (requires Horses resource).
• Sailing – Unlocks the Galley, Harbour, and Fishing Nets.

Medieval and Renaissance

• Chivalry – Unlocks the Knight and Pikeman.
• Education – Unlocks the University (+4 research). Critical for science strategies.
• Gunpowder – Unlocks the Musketman (14 attack, 10 defence).
• Navigation – Unlocks the Frigate and Magellan’s Expedition wonder.
• Printing Press – Unlocks Republic government and Shakespeare’s Theatre wonder.

Industrial and Modern

• Rifling – Unlocks the Rifleman (20 attack, 16 defence).
• Industrialisation – Unlocks the Factory (+4 production).
• Flight – Unlocks the Fighter and Airport.
• Rocketry – Unlocks the Apollo Program wonder (required for science victory).
• Nuclear Fission – Unlocks the Manhattan Project wonder (enables nuclear weapons).
• Combustion – Unlocks the Tank (28 attack, 4 movement).

Tech Prerequisites

Technologies form a tree structure. Each tech may require one or more prerequisite technologies before it can be researched. You cannot research Chivalry without first completing its prerequisites.

The tech tree branches into several paths:

• Military path – Bronze Working –> Iron Working –> Chivalry –> Gunpowder –> Rifling –> Combustion
• Science path – Writing –> Education –> Scientific Theory –> Electronics
• Economic path – Currency –> Banking
• Naval path – Sailing –> Navigation –> Astronomy
• Culture path – Mysticism –> Theology

Plan your research to reach your key unlocks as efficiently as possible. Do not meander through the tree – identify the technologies you need and chart the shortest path.

The Great Library

The Great Library wonder (120 production, requires Writing) grants a free technology upon completion. The free tech is the most expensive technology you are currently eligible to research. This can save dozens of turns of research and is one of the most powerful wonders in the game.

Tip: Begin building the Great Library early, but research cheap techs in the meantime. When the Great Library completes, it will grant the most expensive tech you qualify for, maximising the value of the free tech.

Strategic Approaches

Fast Science

Goal: Rush to Universities and Republic for maximum research output.

1. Research Writing early (Libraries in all cities).
2. Reach Printing Press for Republic government.
3. Research Education for Universities.
4. Push toward Electronics for the late-game bonus.
5. Build the Apollo Program and spaceship parts for Science Victory.

Military Tech Rush

Goal: Unlock powerful military units before your opponents.

1. Research Bronze Working and Iron Working for Swordsmen.
2. Push to Chivalry for Knights.
3. Prioritise Gunpowder and Rifling for Musketmen and Riflemen.
4. Reach Combustion for Tanks.

Balanced Approach

Goal: Stay competitive across all fronts.

1. Writing first for Libraries.
2. Iron Working or Archery for military units.
3. Currency for Marketplaces and diplomacy.
4. Education for Universities.
5. Adapt to the situation – if threatened, pivot to military techs; if peaceful, push science.

Tips

1. Never stop researching. Always have a technology selected. Unspent research is wasted potential.

2. Libraries are non-negotiable. Build a Library in every city as soon as Writing is available. The compound effect over many turns is enormous.

3. Republic accelerates science. If science is your priority, switch to Republic as soon as Printing Press is researched. The +1 research per city adds up fast.

4. Watch your opponents’ tech level. If an enemy has Musketmen and you are still fielding Swordsmen, you are in serious trouble. Prioritise military techs when you detect a threat.

5. The Great Library is a race. If another player completes it first, your production is lost. Only commit to the Great Library if you are confident you can finish it quickly.