Techtradingsystem

I have no idea what a different solution would look like but at least I think that it's a pain to have to check the computers scientific progrees each turn and try to sell them your exclusive tech just before they discover it and sell it to the others.
And if you dont do it you fall behind in the techrace because the computers buy the techs cheaper...

Of course it's not that bad but in general the system works like that, if I'm not totally mistaken and it's to much micromanagement.
I hope the change it somehow...

Any thoughts?

"I have no idea what a different solution would look like"
So do I.
I would suggest to discrad tech trading.
It is not adding any fun to the game.

There have been some suggestions about this. One is perhaps of particular interest. In that suggestion the idea is that the other civs somehow learn the techs of others quite automatically, simply by being in contact with them. This would simulate the fact that rarely technologies are "sold" or "traded", they are simply learnt, adopted. So with diplomatic relations between two civs, the technologies would automatically be slowly researched - you could speed this up by starting to actually research a tech the others already know. Other way to think of this is that knowing one civ who has the tech would drop the needed research points to half, or something, three civs to one third. The exact numbers may vary of course.

But I don't see this as very interesting. I think it would take away an important aspect of the game and be too automatic to be fun. I have no idea about the actual workings of this sort of system.

I kind of like the system as it is now. What should be done instead is totally rework the whole trading system (perhaps not giving the AI an advance in this field would make the higher difficulty levels less frustrating) and make a simple system that lets you know about the progress of the others civs tech-wise. There could be a screen that told what techs the others have, or even what they are currently researching. You could also have a pop-up or a notification when another civ discovers something (as they did in Civ2 and as they do now concerning the wonders). I think that would make the game more enjoyable, not banning tech-trade.

Shyrrarmar, I agree with you. The abilities of the embassies in Civ2 gave a lot more information than in Civ3. I would really like to know on a single screen what my opponent knows, what they are researching, how much gold they have, how much they are accumulating each turn, how many resources they have (from trades as well) and other things.

As for tech trading, I think that pushing the trading out to the point (at the very least) where both civs have writing would be a good start for slowing down some trades. Possibly, they should push the ability to trade techs to the point where both have coinage (simulating the idea that regardless of the two trading one tech for another, the actual parties involved had to get paid).

I am against tech trade. IMO it should be banned.

it would defenitly be nice to have like a tech advisor where u could see which techs the other nations have that i dont have,how much they want for it,and maybe what tech they r researching right now

it is a bit cute to haggle for something while trading with AI,but after a few times,u learn to find out the real price,as in they will sell tech X for 2124 but not 2123!

after that its just pain in the ass to find out the exact price and which tech the diffrent civs have, a senseless waste of time

Tech trading is a part of history and a strategic part of gameplay. I would not like to see it banned.

Rather, the trading system in general needs to be revamped to eliminate the mindless ping-ponging to find the exact value of each trade.

First of all I think that, as I've mentioned before, you should only be able to decide the broad DIRECTION in which your research goes-not what specific techs you research. That is, you place funds into military techs, or cultural techs, or pure science techs, and what you get out of it, within that category, will be somewhat random. Of course, if you hear of a wonderous new technology that you want, then it should be possible to get your researchers to try and aim for that-or steal it from the people how DO have it !
I also did like the idea that cultural techs should be the only ones which have a chance of passing between civs by culture/trade based 'osmosis'. Other techs should only be tradable as a player decision, though!

Yours,
Aussie_Lurker.