always getting great library

[jogi]

How many turns did you win? My criteria for science also includes turns played, science wins are very doable with less than 800 science, and waiting to get over 3000 science would have added dozens or more extra turns to the game.

I think it was just after turn 1000 on marathon. I wasn't exactly rushing for a science victory, but I still won while most of the AI were in Atomic era. It was only on Emperor, though.

 

[sendos]

This is how i nearly always get to build the great library, even tested on immortal difficulty.

Choose iroquis for the forest start bias. First build 2 workers while you reasearch toward writing. Once your second worker is finished, you usually can start building the great library. Now research mining, once you have mining, start chopping trees and you will have built the gl after about 2 to 3 trees chopped down.

So did you manage to build GL by turns 20-30? In immortal, that's when the wonder usually is taken. Also, as the others have said, it's a big noob trap and you're sacrificing the benefits of Iroquois just for GL.

On emperor, I often tried to get GL, and even when I did, I was still behind in tech. This is why it is such a noob trap for me.

If you want to beeline for a wonder, stonehenge is more ideal. It gives you a 99% guarantee of a religion and gives you engineer points to hurry wonders later in game.

 

[Redaxe]

I find that great library is very useful if you're trying to rush civil services for the Chichen Itza. Otherwise on higher difficulty trade routes are a safer and more reliable way to boost science.