Quick question:

My bro and I want to start a team game, however, it seems like the research times are longer than they should be unless we both research the same thing. Is there a research penalty for teams or do I just have a crappy starting location?

The penalty is +50% for each member, so it will only hurt if you are researching a different tech each. Researching the same tech is the optimum way.

That kinda sucks. We wanted to make me the research/gold giant, and he would take care of military/production/wonders.

I guess we'll just have to play separate and I'll vassalize him ;)

You guys can play as allies without being on the same team. Have your brother gift you lots of military units, you gift him techs and money or whatever he needs. Keep open borders, maybe sign a defensive pact.

That sounds like a plan, midwaymas. We were hoping to start out together (on the same landmass), but I guess we'll have to play the cards we're dealt.

An advantage you get from being on the same team is that you share benefits of wonders - so only one of you has to focus on that.

An advantage you get from being on the same team is that you share benefits of wonders - so only one of you has to focus on that.

I almost forgot about that! That almost makes up for the research nerf. Now, having techs cost 50% more means that if my brother researches at 50% my rate, it almost brings it back to normal levels. I'm thinking if a tech costs 500 beakers, it'll cost us 750 and I'm producing 75 per turn and he's producing 37 per turn, my researching it alone would take 7 turns and being on a team, it would take 7 turns as well.

I'll just have him set up a specialist economy as well and have a few cities with scientist specialists. There we go. Thanks everyone for your input!


EDIT: This isn't much of a nerf now that I think about it. Right at the game's start, if we each work a 2 commerce tile, we'll both be producing 10 beakers/turn for 20 per turn. For a 100 beaker tech, that's 100 + 50% team = 150 beakers / 20 = 8 turns versus 100 beakers /10 = 10 turns. In fact, it seems to be an early game BONUS ;)