Technology

The technology tree icon.

The technology tree of a Xin-xi player with all technology researched.

Technology is research that unlocks new resources, buildings, units, and/or abilities. Technology can be researched using stars and discovered in ruins. Each tribe, except for Luxidoor and Aquarion, has a unique starting technology that is unlocked at the start of the game.

Technology is divided into three tiers. Tier one (T1) technology can immediately be researched at the start of the game, while tier two (T2) and tier three (T3) technology can be only researched after the previous technology in their branch is unlocked.

The cost of a technology depends on its tier and the number of cities controlled by the player. Initially, tier one technology cost five stars, tier two cost six, and tier three cost seven. For each additional city the player controls, research costs increase by one, two, or three stars for T1, T2, and T3 technology, respectively. In other words, the cost of a technology is calculated as follows: (technology tier) × (number of cities) + 4.

The Literacy icon

Literacy, an ability unlocked by the Philosophy technology, reduces research costs by 33%. (Discounted costs are rounded up to the nearest star.)

List of Technology

Technology	Unlocks	Starting technology of	Special tribe modifications
Tier One
Climbing	Movement and defence bonus in mountain, allows players to see metal	Xin-xi
Fishing	Fishing, Port, Raft, movement in water, allows players to see starfish	Kickoo	Polaris: Replaced with Frostwork, unlocks the Outpost and the Mooni Cymanti: Does not unlock ports or rafts
Hunting	Hunting	Bardur, ∑∫ỹriȱŋ (as Forest Magic)	∑∫ỹriȱŋ: Replaced with Forest Magic, unlocks the Polytaur through the Enchant Animal ability
Organization	Harvest fruit, allows players to see crop	Imperius	Cymanti: Does not allow player to see crop
Riding	Rider	Oumaji	Aquarion: Unlocks the Amphibian and movement in water Cymanti: Unlocks the Hexapod
Tier Two
Archery	Archer, defence bonus in forest	Hoodrick	Polaris: Unlocks the Ice Archer and defence bonus in forest Cymanti: Unlocks the Phychi and defence bonus in forest
Ramming	Rammer		Polaris: Replaced with Ice Fishing, unlocks Fishing Cymanti: Replaced with Hydrology, unlocks Algae
Farming	Farm	Zebasi, Cymanti (modified)	Cymanti: Unlocks the Fungi
Forestry	Lumber Hut, Clear Forest ability		∑∫ỹriȱŋ: Unlocks the Sanctuary and the Lumber Hut
Free Spirit	Temple, Disband ability		Aquarion: Replaced with Free Diving, unlocks the Temple, movement in ocean, and the Disband ability
Meditation	Mountain Temple, Pacifist task
Mining	Mine
Roads	Roads, Network task	Yădakk	Cymanti: Unlocks the Mycelium and the Network task
Sailing	Scout, movement in ocean		Polaris: Replaced with Sledding, unlocks the Battle Sled Cymanti: Replaced with Pescetism, unlocks the Raychi
Strategy	Defender, Peace Treaty	Quetzali	Cymanti: Unlocks the Kiton and Peace Treaty
Whaling (removed)	Whale Hunting
Tier Three
Aquatism	Water Temple, defence bonus on ocean and water tiles		Polaris: Replaced with Polarism, unlocks the Ice Temple and Glide
Chivalry	Knight, Destroy ability		Aquarion: Replaced with Spearing, unlocks the Tridention and the Destroy ability Cymanti: Replaced with Shock Tactics, unlocks the Doomux and the Destroy ability
Construction	Windmill, Burn Forest ability		Cymanti: Replaced with Recycling, unlocks Decompose
Diplomacy	Cloak, Embassy, Capital Vision
Engineering (removed)	Guard Tower, Destroy ability
Mathematics	Catapult, Sawmill		Cymanti: Unlocks the Exida and the Sawmill
Navigation	Bomber, Starfish Harvesting		Polaris: Replaced with Polar Warfare, unlocks the Ice Fortress and Starfish Harvesting Cymanti: Replaced with Oceanology, unlocks Starfish Harvesting
Smithery	Forge, Swordsman	Vengir
Spiritualism	Forest Temple, Grow Forest ability
Trade	Market, Wealth task		Polaris: Unlocks the Ice Bank and the Wealth task Cymanti: Unlocks the Clathrus and the Wealth task
Philosophy	Mind Bender, Literacy, Genius task	Ai-Mo	Cymanti: Unlocks the Shaman, Literacy, and the Genius task

Technology Costs

# of Cities	Tier 1		Tier 2		Tier 3
	w/o Literacy	w/ Literacy	w/o Literacy	w/ Literacy	w/o Literacy	w/ Literacy
0	4	3	4	3	4	3
1	5	4	6	4	7	5
2	6	4	8	6	10	7
3	7	5	10	7	13	9
4	8	6	12	8	16	11
5	9	6	14	10	19	13
6	10	7	16	11	22	15
7	11	8	18	12	25	17
8	12	8	20	14	28	19
9	13	9	22	15	31	21
10	14	10	24	16	34	23
11	15	10	26	18	37	25
12	16	11	28	19	40	27
13	17	12	30	20	43	29
14	18	12	32	22	46	31
15	19	13	34	23	49	33
16	20	14	36	24	52	35
17	21	14	38	26	55	37
18	22	15	40	27	58	39
19	23	16	42	28	61	41
20	24	16	44	30	64	43
21	25	17	46	31	67	45
22	26	18	48	32	70	47
23	27	18	50	34	73	49
24	28	19	52	35	76	51
25	29	20	54	36	79	53
26	30	20	56	38	82	55
27	31	21	58	39	85	57
28	32	22	60	40	88	59
29	33	22	62	42	91	61
30	34	23	64	43	94	63
31	35	24	66	44	97	65
32	36	24	68	46	100	67
33	37	25	70	47	103	69
34	38	26	72	48	106	71
35	39	26	74	50	109	73
36	40	27	76	51	112	75

Trivia

• The tech tree is actually not on a different screen. It occupies the same space as the map, just placed very far away in the top-right. This means it is technically possible to access the tech tree by scrolling from the map, without pressing the tech tree button.