Zombie69 said:You don't seem to understand. Let's say that you'd like to research a tech at 80% and it would take you 10 turns. By instead doing 0% for 2 turns, then 100% for 8 turns, you gain the extra flexibility of changing your tech to research after 2 turns. If you had gone for 80% all the way, you'd already have 20% of the tech researched after 2 turns so switching would not be as feasible. I'm not saying you'll use this flexibility everytime, but having it is nice. After all, there's no downside.
No. I understood. I am saying that the 'extra flexibilitiy' of two turns is not an advantage, because I never switched techs mid-research in a serious game. But you are correct, that there is no downside. So it's an advantage that can be listed, it just seems overrated to a player who never switched mid-research.
Zombie69 said:You can't do this all game, that's for sure . . . you can't rely on trade alone, and at some point you'll have to research techs competitively with the AI.
Actually, I wouldn't have recommended the strategy if it did not work throughout my entire game. May I ask what you think the trade limit is, and how soon you'd run into that limit if you are actively trading with 4 or 5 civs?
Here is a method for trading that maximizes the techs you receive: Each game there will be civs that are slower than others. Get the low techs from them, and get the more advanced techs from others. Spread out your tech trading so that you run into the limit later.
Here is an example: During the last GOTM I forced the Greeks to give me some low techs at the end of an early war. I like doing that, and then declaring 10 turns later. I got other low techs from France and Arabia after ABC. I chose to get their low techs because they were developing slowly, and I didn't think I'd get high techs from them later. Later our relations soured over my trades with the more advanced countries who happened to be their enemies. I traded throughout the game with Spain, England and Eygpt. England was the only civ who eventually hit the limit.
Admittedly, my research ends after a beeline to mass media coupled with a brief diversion towards military tradition. If I had to go longer in the game I suppose that Spain and Eygpt would have hit their limits. But my point is that a victory is possible without researching techs that the AI is already resarching, or that the AI will research shortly. Conquest, domination, and cultural victories could have been achieved with even less tech trading.