The Importance of Exploration

[Haersh]

Before when I played on King on continents, I would usually only explore my continent / any nearby islands and send caravels if I know I have a decent chance at getting WC. So is multi continental exploration important apart from getting the perks of being host of WC?

 

[Loucypher]

Before when I played on King on continents, I would usually only explore my continent / any nearby islands and send caravels if I know I have a decent chance at getting WC. So is multi continental exploration important apart from getting the perks of being host of WC?

Kind of depends on your trade opportunities as well. Are you still within range of your trade routes, do you have a gob of spare luxuries for sale, etc etc. Those things factor in.
Oh, and if you got some early tourism running, it helps finding the other civs faster so they'll get influenced by you earlier.

 

[YourHarry]

I am not sure about this one, but doesnt tourism still accumulate on unmet players?

I think exploration is pretty important: CS gives you cash, faith, culture, units and happiness. Embassy = free cash. Increase AI friends for cash advancement. Luxury trades. Natural wonder bonus. Learn what what kind of competition you are dealing with. Use this info to manipulate them, e.g. paying AIs to go to war against each other. Sell luxury and strategic resources, sometimes you neighbors don't want them.

 

[Haersh]

I am not sure about this one, but doesnt tourism still accumulate on unmet players?

I think exploration is pretty important: CS gives you cash, faith, culture, units and happiness. Embassy = free cash. Increase AI friends for cash advancement. Luxury trades. Natural wonder bonus. Learn what what kind of competition you are dealing with. Use this info to manipulate them, e.g. paying AIs to go to war against each other. Sell luxury and strategic resources, sometimes you neighbors don't want them.

i kinda end up unconsciously not exploring as astronomy is so far off the normal tech path. By when should I research astronomy?

 

[Suicidekills]

Ok call me crazy but I thought you meant the social policy tree. I now know that is not what you meant lol

 

[Haersh]

Ok call me crazy but I thought you meant the social policy tree. I now know that is not what you meant lol

Sry for the confusion haha my bad


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[redwings1340]

Yes, I almost always prioritize a couple of early caravels as soon as I get astronomy, and I prioritize astronomy as a relatively early tech. The reasoning is that meeting more civs gives you more options for luxury resource trades. Right before the renaissance era I'm usually struggling with happiness, going in phases skirting the 0 happiness line. Exploring gives you more chances to get city state quests (as you have more city states to work with), a good chance at founding the World Congress, and additional civs to trade with. These civs will also be neutral towards you at the start, and willing to make fair trades, which is important if you have too many of some types of luxes to trade with everyone on your continent. Exploration with caravels is my primary way to get renaissance era happiness.

If you have a good costal city with a couple of luxury resources (capital is ideal), exploring also gives you a chance to really start raking in the cash with international naval trade routes, especially if you're Portugal or a civ that has a good costal preference.

 

[ravenmagus]

It depends on what you want.

For a Cultural victory, you need to find everyone so that you can start giving them tourism. Tourism does not accumulate on unmet players. Now, unless you're using Sacred Sites, most tourism bonuses don't come until later in the game (hotels/airports/internet), but it's on the way to Archaeology which is an important tech for CV. It's probably a good idea to go for it after Scientific Theory (and maybe Radio/Industrialization) on the way to Archaeology.

For a Diplomacy victory, it's not entirely necessary to have it but it does help. Founding the World Congress isn't too important as the host will change several times and you should have enough votes to pick up host by the time it's ready to become the UN. However the earlier you meet all the city-states the easier it is to ally with them.

For a Domination victory, you need Astronomy early so you can actually get to the guys you want to kill (and if there's that much water, there's a good chance you want Navigation anyways).

For a Science victory, it depends entirely on your mountains. If you can put an Observatory in every city, prioritize it after Education. If not, you can put it off till much much later.

 

[chazzycat]

on continents maps, usually for me the reason for exploration is happiness. To keep growth going solid through the midgame, you need to keep adding happiness. Unless you get lucky with mercantile city states on your continent, or you get a great religion, you need to find the AI to trade luxuries with them.

Not to mention, if a civ on another continent is becoming a runaway, you'd want to know about that ASAP as well so you can start planning against them.

 

[TheGrumpyBuddha]

For a Science victory, it depends entirely on your mountains. If you can put an Observatory in every city, prioritize it after Education. If not, you can put it off till much much later.

Not every city -- just a couple, or even just your Cap. +50% is huge!