So how screwed am I?

[AcCoL]

Hey I'm playing my first game on emperor and I'm playing as Augustus Ceasar. When the game began I took over a civ quite easily (thanks to the praets). But now, my precious praets are outdated and Im left FAR FAR behind in techs and every other civ is picking on me....even if a civ is 'pleased' with me, he wont budge to trade for any techs (and I DO have plenty of resources/gold) to give out. So how do I compensate for the far lack in techs?!?! I beat up a civ and got some techs out of him but I can't bully the whole planet....how do I win?!

[ZB2]

• Disband old units if you have more than 3-4 units per city.
• Alt-Select all cities and all build some money helping building (market)
• Go into 0 research (get a lot of cash, then blitz the tech tree)
• Have all workers REPLACE farms (if possible, otherwise avoid) with Cottages.
• Make Friends

[weimingshi]

You need extrem amount of gold if you want buy techs. a few thousand gold can probably buy you 1 medieval tech thats it. some leader only trade tech at friendly level, some lower. Mansa is the lowest, he trades at cautions, catherine trades at cautious if she is ahead by leap and bounds. Those religious fanatics like isabelle, toku, they need friendly.

[Killroyan]

If you do have enough gold, crank up the science slidere to 100%. Build science improvements and make your cities grow and get some more cottages.

Also one of the better things is to make friends indeed. If you are trailing there is even a chance that the AI will offer you techs for free.

[Moxxa]

I have never been OFFERED a tech, but if you ask the AI you have the best relations with for a free low end tech, they might give it to you.

[Cam_H]

^ I'm somewhat ashamed to say that it happens. ... although usually when I'm going for Cultural and stop researching.

[cabert]

Originally Posted by AcCoL

Hey I'm playing my first game on emperor and I'm playing as Augustus Ceasar. When the game began I took over a civ quite easily (thanks to the praets). But now, my precious praets are outdated and Im left FAR FAR behind in techs and every other civ is picking on me....even if a civ is 'pleased' with me, he wont budge to trade for any techs (and I DO have plenty of resources/gold) to give out. So how do I compensate for the far lack in techs?!?! I beat up a civ and got some techs out of him but I can't bully the whole planet....how do I win?!

are you playing WotM4?
I am too, but won't tell you my exact plans.

just a few hints:
- praets are not outdated until the enemy has riflemen (and even then, it's debatable)
- why couldn't you bully the whole planet?