I wonder how well have transitions between ages or how we discover mining, or different types of building, clay, etc. Is it going to be historically acurrate, maybe you hit certain year and you unlock new tech or building, etc.
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"Research, tech tree, or just leveling up"
Not one neither the other.
There will be not a tech tree in AC.
Our tech system is based on how technology, we call it knowledge, spread in ancient times.
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I like this approach. Will different different factions have different knowledge spread? or will all civilizations discover techs at the same time?
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Does that include building up an army and pillaging nearby settlements to take in their knowledge? 
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Very likely
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Can you “invent” something on your own? If so how does that work? Because tech has to be invented somewhere and can’t always be invented by foreigners
How many techs have been invented in your own hometown?
Zero in mine, by the way.
It will be possible, but very unlikely.
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Of course it is unlikely but tech has to start somewhere ^^. Not that I mind having to pillage nearby villages for tech and stuff, I plan to pillage them regardless of tech and other advantages
Since, (to my understanding anyway) most agricultural tech/knowledge came to Europe from the middle east, most likely through traders and travellers, would it be a good idea that having a City based around trading means you get a bonus to knowledge?
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Hum… Knowledge spread through trade, conquest or emigration among other ways. So possible have traveller’s, migrants, hunting parties, traders or even slaves/thralls from conquest be a source of possible innovation or knowledge. Either that or maybe semi random events, like you suddenly have a large surplus of meat or fish, then it start rotting, or vermin might get to it, this prompts you with a message that something must be done to keep your food safe and so on, thus giving you a task that must be fulfilled so you will discover a tech or building to helt preserve food.
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Very interesting approach. Never looked at it that way but it does make sense that you can’t “discover” or “invent” every new tech that comes along I like this!!! 
I hope there are more peaceful ways to obtain new ideas, such as trade, migration, exogamy. Conflict is fine, but sometimes it’s fun to not always fight. I tend to enjoy gathering, farming, trade and the complexity of society more than the conflict and war.
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This is a fantastic idea! Rather than researching, new technologies could be discovered on a loosely historical timeframe. Settlements that engage more with the wider world (through successful fighting, trading, or spreading culture) would have a chance to access new technologies earlier! This would make each play through unique and based on the game world challenges, instead of a min/max sprint through a tech tree.
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@nuLoon I think it should also link to the environnement and activities of your tribe for exemple : next to a big lake/river with a lot of fisherman => Fishing and boat tech unlocked earlier, wild crop and gatherer => Farming tech unlocked earlier etc…
This idea was present in Civ6 (with the inspiration process) and I think it is a good and realistic way to found new tech. Afterall why a mountain tribe will bother to build boat ?
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Yes! The tech system could be divided into environmental (simple technology and abilities) and inspirational (complex technology and processes).
This is great to hear! I’ve always hated tech trees. In real life (pre)history technology wasn’t a case of “levelling up”, it was about learning and solving problems. (Or like you say copying somebody else’s solution, most of the time!)
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@Uncasual Will all unlocked technologies be permanent, as part of the collective tribal knowledge share? It would be more interesting, more challenging, and more realistic if advanced technologies resided with individual mentors and apprentices. If for instance, your boat craftsman dies during a difficult migration or your settlement doesn’t build any boats for 100 years, that technology could become “lost” and need to be rediscovered! Villagers would ideally not be presented as mindless drones, but stewards of their individual craft, whose masteries would provide further yield boosts or production efficiencies.
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All is citizen centric in AC. Knowledge included 
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Love the thought of this, sounds very interesting for sure!
I really like the idea of knowledge. I feel it will be unique…
I just hope it won’t be in the form of you got a new technology (from trade, raids, migrants, etc…) and all of the sudden you can use it…I think there should be some kind of “experience” system where if you “discover” new technology you would need some time to master it,
because lets say for example me…I know that farming exist and I am confident enough to say that I know how it works…if I were to start farming right now I am sure my field would die a few times until I learn what to do exactly…
So I think it would be interesting if there was such “experience” system through witch we could unlock buildings associated to that tech (such as granary from farming ) or lets say better yields from farms or proficiency, because from my perspective if there isn’t someone who would explicitly teach you all the aspects of this new technology you wouldn’t be able to use it properly.
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