Great scientist tech bulbing or an academy?

neoaspilet11

Chieftain
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I usually play emperor and my first GS I always bulb for a technology. I saw some suggestions to make it an academy. Any idea if which choice is better?
 
Do the math, an early bulb will net you a small increase of science, equal to the last 8 turns of science generated. Planting an academy gets you 8 science per turn, times the number of turns left. It is the difference between long range planning, and reaping the rewards, or instant gratification for a small gain.

And with the academy, all of the % increases for science add up.
 
Generally, my rule is always put down an academy until you reach research labs. Because 8 science alone is pretty powerful, especially at universities with the extra 33%. But at research labs the 8 science won't make up for the lost amount of science.
 
I generally stop making academies in the Industrial era. While the long-term math may still net a larger yield from that time, the reward of the research bursts becomes more significant as each successive, expensive tech (or 2) can define a game-changing advantage.
 
If you get a GS that early then use it to get an Academy. An academy will provide a lot more beakers in the long run. If you're Sweden you could also gift the GS to a CS and gain an early CS ally with Nobel prize ua.
 
I used to wonder the same thing for a long time. The way I've been doing it lately seems to work pretty well. Pre-industrial they become academies, Industrial and modern eras I save them, then depending on my VC I either start bulbing in the atomic for any VC other than science or for science I'll wait until the Information era. That way I can zoom through the techs for the parts as quick as possible. I don't like spending too much time depending on beakers per turn in the information era because of the possibility of some one getting a diplo vic first.

The only time I really ever deviate anymore is if I'm going straight domination. Bulbing to get dynamite, flight, electronics, combustion etc. a little early can make a big difference.
 
Basically, you always want to academy before Public Schools, and you always want to bulb after Research Labs. Between those two, it depends on your short term technological objectives (need Dynamite/Flight asap for a war, or Radio to trigger Ideology ?) and the terrain around your capital, since the Academy does have the downside of eating away some potential production/food. I tend to bulb more often than not in that period, but I'm genreally unsure of whiwh one is correct.
 
I'd add that your tech path is rather relevant, pre renaissance, always academy, but if you need a clutch tech you need due to a very one dimensional civ or strategy (mongols or artillery rush for instance), just bulb, those 15 saved turns can mean the difference between getting 5 or 10 conquered cities before your army becomes obsolete.
 
Scientific Theory is about when I stop laying down academies. It's a pretty loose rule of thumb for me, but I find there's a lot of wonders in that time period where the quick bulb of science might let you catch it.

Otherwise it's pretty clear to me: academies before, bulb after.
 
I don't use any cardinal rule but like was said above. Unless I have some tech I gotta have, I usually plant the GS as an academy.
 
"Most people play on quick" ? Where are you getting those numbers from ? I have no idea, so you might be right but... it is called "standard" for a reason I assume.
 
I believe somebody's done the math and bulbs should be done 8 turns after all cities have public schools. (Scientific theory, like Teproc and Gotsu said)
 
I believe somebody's done the math and bulbs should be done 8 turns after all cities have public schools. (Scientific theory, like Teproc and Gotsu said)

In G&K, yes someone has (under the assumption the player is headed towards science victory). I don't know if someone has since updated it to consider the BNW changes:

1. What if you are after Culture or Diplomatic victory instead (and so don't need nearly as many techs.) This has potential to pull forward the break even point.

2. What if you are planning on adopting the New Deal tenet under Freedom ideology that in case of Academies result in them producing even more science? This has potential to push back the break even point.

3A. What if you are planning on adopting the order ideology and selecting the science boosts there. In this case while it doesn't increase academy yield, it increases the empire's per turn science in cities with factories along with giving your capital a mini-academy.

3B. Along the same lines as 3A, but with Freedom ideology's tenet that decreases food for specialists in combo with Rationalism's policy that gives science from all specialists and taking advantage of these effects to increase the empire's science at that point.
 
I usually bulb. Even in early games. I usually prefer rushing for the Oracle as I think Social Policy can boost empire more than Science Academy.
 
8 turns is only on standard speed btw...

most people play on quick so, adjust accordingly

Uh, no they don't?

To the OP, I usually plant them until public schools, and then wait until the late stages of the game and bulb several at once.
 
Probably obvious, but I think it's always situational. I tend to bulb more often than not though, unless I get a super quick GS from combination of Great Library and Oracle. Otherwise, it comes 10-25 turns after university is built in capital. For these I usually bulb immediately or wait until I need a key tech - like Radio, Chemistry, Fertilizer. Getting Chemistry - and thus Fertilizer - 8 turns means means massive difference in growth and production capabilities of all of your cities - which in turn leads to more money, more science, more culture. Bulbing to skip to Modern Era and making use of two free tenets is also quite useful.
 
I used to keep all my GS and bulb them all in the information era in a orgy of science. Now I plant academies until I have built public schools in all cities then I bulb(usually to Research Telecommunications soon as I enter the information era).
 
I usually bulb. Even in early games. I usually prefer rushing for the Oracle as I think Social Policy can boost empire more than Science Academy.

Is this a joke? I can't tell if you're being serious.
 
In G&K, yes someone has (under the assumption the player is headed towards science victory). I don't know if someone has since updated it to consider the BNW changes:

1. What if you are after Culture or Diplomatic victory instead (and so don't need nearly as many techs.) This has potential to pull forward the break even point.

2. What if you are planning on adopting the New Deal tenet under Freedom ideology that in case of Academies result in them producing even more science? This has potential to push back the break even point.

3A. What if you are planning on adopting the order ideology and selecting the science boosts there. In this case while it doesn't increase academy yield, it increases the empire's per turn science in cities with factories along with giving your capital a mini-academy.

3B. Along the same lines as 3A, but with Freedom ideology's tenet that decreases food for specialists in combo with Rationalism's policy that gives science from all specialists and taking advantage of these effects to increase the empire's science at that point.

These all do change around the exact break-even point for sure, but actually trying to work the numbers on that is a righteous pain in the ass. I'll just stick to the ol' rule of thumb: the G&K numbers are still valid enough to me for that degree of accuracy.
 
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