Any strategy to Research Agreements??

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IslandBlue

Chieftain
Joined
Feb 1, 2011
Messages
31
Back when research agreements (RA's) instantly gave you a free tech I used them all the time. Then they made it so that you only get a boost to current research and I almost completely stopped using them. I know this is a mistake. But is there a strategy to using RA's? If I'm 4 turns away from discovering a tech and my RA is going to be fulfilled that same turn, what do I do? Does it help at all if I switch to a tech that will take many more turns to complete? Will my RA go to better use that way? If I'm 1 turn away from getting a new tech and fulfilling a RA do I just leave them alone? Does that "waste" my RA?

I guess I would like to know 2 things: How many turns (or beakers) does a RA provide to me once it is completed? And, is there a smart way to time them with what I'm currently researching in order to maximize their bonus? Thanks all.
 
A RA's yield is determined by both parties' beaker output over the course of the agreement. I'm not familiar with the exact figures, but it's a much better deal, the more science output your friend has.
 
The RA also carries over, so some of your next techs to choose will be slightly or significantly cheaper. Basically, an RA is like bulbing a GS. There's even a possibility that when you complete a tech and an RA, you might get 2 techs in one turn, although the 2nd tech will not be your choice.
 
Mr. Grieves said:
A RA's yield is determined by both parties' beaker output over the course of the agreement. I'm not familiar with the exact figures, but it's a much better deal, the more science output your friend has.
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It is only a better deal if your RA partner has lower beakers than you. In BNW, the RA yield for both parties is based on the lower of the aggregate beakers generated by the two RA partners. So, if your RA partner has lower beaker generation than you, but narrows that gap (or zooms past you) during the life of the RA, that is a good thing. If you are the lesser partner in the RA (i.e., your RA partner is consistently generating more beakers than you), you derive no benefit from your RA partner generating even more beakers, since your lower beaker output is the limiting factor on the RA.

sendos said:
The RA also carries over, so some of your next techs to choose will be slightly or significantly cheaper. Basically, an RA is like bulbing a GS. There's even a possibility that when you complete a tech and an RA, you might get 2 techs in one turn, although the 2nd tech will not be your choice.
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If you queue techs before the RA matures, you are specifying where any beaker overflow from the RA will go. There is no reason to leave that to chance.
 
Browd said:
If you queue techs before the RA matures, you are specifying where any beaker overflow from the RA will go. There is no reason to leave that to chance.
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While I still do this; I have noticed on the Tech screen that it appears you can change your mind on what tech the overflow goes to by changing the tech you are researching the same turn that you just got the RA bonus.
 
Don't pay too much for the whistle either. Usually if you're in the tech lead, the AI will demand that you should pay extra for a RA (usually in the form of all your resources, half your gold, half your gpt, etc). Typically it's smarter to hold out for a cheaper deal. And if you are in the tech lead, that usually means that most of the others won't have the tech required to even commit to a RA, let alone afford one. It's easy to hold a monopoly when only you and the runaway are capable of doing this. I was able to capture continuous, cheap agreements with Austria and Morocco one game for about 100-150 turns.
 
Research agreements are a way to convert gold into beakers, usually at better than 1:1 ratio. So is it worth it? Definitely, but inherent to all gold related question is whether you have another use for it atm. That trade-off is game dependent, and sometimes you're better off rush-buying factories or science labs instead.
 
Stay away from them. Many leaders try to make RA by trade raping and trade abuse.
 
Two other important factors: Do you have the Porcelain Tower or Scientific Revolution? Also, are you pursuing a Scientific Victory?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
reddishrecue said:
Stay away from them. Many leaders try to make RA by trade raping and trade abuse.
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Lol what does that even mean?

Anyways, also keep in mind there is a bug with research overflow. If you still have a tech available to research that everyone else has already researched, and the turn your RA expires you switch to that tech, you could potentially receive many more beakers as a result of the overflow bug.
 
Porcelain tower and scientific revolution can make you way more research, but the trade agreement with other civilizations is different. Other civilizations can ask for more sometimes during a trade agreement trade.
 
What about signing research agreements with everyone?

You are not really supposed to use it with one Civilization, the benefit is almost unnoticeable.

Going to Rationalism and getting the 50% research agreement bonus and Procleain Tower will make a massive difference, that is a 100% boost.

Don't do it with just one leader, do it with multiple leaders and do as many as you can.
 
I don't see why not if it is possible to sign research agreements with everyone.
 
reddishrecue said:
I don't see why not if it is possible to sign research agreements with everyone.
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The most ahead in tech you are, the more they ask, however you should only be asking RA's in Industrial and forward.

If you're the tech leader, they will start trying to balance it out for them, for an example, two GPT and open borders, if you get farther in tech they will ask more. But when you're in the Industrial, your money problems should be gone, and you should have trade routes out everywhere, especially if they're sea ones.
 
Sharples said:
The most ahead in tech you are, the more they ask, however you should only be asking RA's in Industrial and forward.

If you're the tech leader, they will start trying to balance it out for them, for an example, two GPT and open borders, if you get farther in tech they will ask more. But when you're in the Industrial, your money problems should be gone, and you should have trade routes out everywhere, especially if they're sea ones.
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I agree partially with this since it is unknown whether the question was reffering to online RAs with other people in multiplayer, or offline RAs with AI civilizations. In this one you are talking about the AI in single player where AIs ask for more when you are in the tech lead during an RA.
 
reddishrecue said:
I agree partially with this since it is unknown whether the question was reffering to online RAs with other people in multiplayer, or offline RAs with AI civilizations. In this one you are talking about the AI in single player where AIs ask for more when you are in the tech lead during an RA.
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Yes that is absolutely right. For online, you're completely dependent on the skill of the human player. If there is a good player and he knows you are in the tech lead, he will almost never accept, even if you are not in the tech lead but you went into rationalism or got procleain tower, they're suspecting what your goal is.

But again, if you have an inexperienced human player, they will probably accept. But nevertheless you are dependent on the skill of the player.
 
Some very useful responses guys, thanks. In my current game I am definitely signing them. For clarification I am playing on Immortal, small map, Domination Victory only, as Indonesia. Right now we're in the Industrial/Modern era. I'm taking RA's with everyone except my closest neighbor Shaka (don't want to see him jump ahead too far obv). Based on the advice I received in the first day or two of this post, I decided to sign many RA's in this game. Conclusion: I certainly do think they are worth taking, even if I had to sometimes delay taking an RA for a few turns in favor of City-State bribery. I only have 5 cities and am thus far not too far behind the tech leaders. Keep the advice coming as I think there is still more to cover. Particularly I'll be looking to get Scientific Revolution (Porcelain Tower already built); as of now I've only unlocked Rationalism for the 10% happiness-to-science bonus. :goodjob:
 
Does it ever make sense to turn down a request when you are #1? I know you get less out of it than them, but seems if you say no, they will just go to someone else, and both sides will make out.
 
Bulldog Bats said:
Does it ever make sense to turn down a request when you are #1? I know you get less out of it than them, but seems if you say no, they will just go to someone else, and both sides will make out.
Click to expand...

Turning down a request for an ra when you want to pay really makes you rely on other civilizations for research. You will save more if you don't have make the ras with other civilizations when you are 1 in literacy. If you stay ahead and tech for science such as plastics which gives the laboratory, then you could not worry about the civilizations making ras with other people. This kind of thing also happens in multiplayer.
 
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