Guidelines for Tech-Bulbing?

Hello all. This is my first post here, but I have been reading the War Academy and forums extensively for some time; they have greatly improved my game.

I can pretty much always win on Prince but find I struggle on Monarch. I have a difficult time beating Monarch with anyone other than Wang Kon (I almost have a dependence on financial civs and the protective trait allows me to survive the early game).

One thing I have noticed is that many players seem to use many of their GP for tech bulbing. Are there some general tips on how/when to do this? Typically, I only tech bulb with prophets to found a religion or MC/machinery if applicable. Otherwise, I have usually been settling GP and/or using their unique abilities (ie academies, shrines, hurry wonder). If I am feeling confident, I will usually save a few for founding corporations later if it looks like my empire is rich with the appropriate resources.

Is this a decent strategy or should I rely on GP for more of my technology research?

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

You should only bulb a tech that you plan on trading for more techs.

Welcome to the forums Gordianus

Lightbulbing is a technique that makes more sense at higher levels where the AI get big research bonusses and can pull ahead of the player. A common technique is to lightbulb a tech and then trade it for several others. At monarch this is just about where that technique pays off. At lower levels, in the early game, it's usually better to settle GPs not needed for their special purpose as you'll often be the tech leader.

Typically, I'll only use GS for lightbulbing as they give 50% more beakers than other GPs. They are particularly useful if you beeline towards Liberalism and several techs on that route can be lightbulbed, Philosophy, Paper and Education as well as Liberalism itself (if certain techs have not been researched). I tend to only lightbulb Education and Philosophy as Paper is too cheap and "wastes" beakers. Philosophy is cheaper than a GS on lower difficulties but founding a religion can be useful (if you don't have one) and Pacifism (with a state religion) can help speed up GP production so it's worthwhile.

In the late game I still occasionally lightbulb part of a tech if I have lots of GPs as that can take a few turns off researching a tech. Golden ages are also a good use of GPs in the late game when your empire is big. That lets you change your civics without anarchy as well a giving a boost to commerce, GPPs and hammers.

It's really strange that you can win only with WK! Financial, ok, but protective isn't that great. Give the other financial leaders a go!

DaveMcW said:

You should only bulb a tech that you plan on trading for more techs.

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+1 (5 chars)

And also, let me be the first to say this:

Welcome to CivFanatics Gordianus!

DaveMcW said:

You should only bulb a tech that you plan on trading for more techs.

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I think there are some bulbs that are competitive without the need to trade them off. Education, for example. Really, any >1000 beaker tech that I could use I wouldn't hesitate to bulb if the opportunity arose (and I wasn't saving the GP for a golden age).

just check how many free beakers will come by bulbing and make your judgement that way?
if u have built an academy in a commerce city, would it be better and in how many turns would it take to get that number of beakers instead if u just bulbed.
make your comparison such. and according to this, most of the time it seems that

in early and mid game, building academy is better
in late game, bulbing is better

sometimes if you aim for an exact tech and getting it very early will change things much, then it's better to bulb towards it.

A very good example for this is Suleiman/Ottomans. Just bulb towards gunpowder and you will get an extra 25% against most of non-gunpowder units. So reaching gunpowder early is critical.

I bulb techs that give a free gp if u discover them first, like music.

nzk13 said:

I bulb techs that give a free gp if u discover them first, like music.

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this is cheat!
you snowballer!

The most common way of Tech-Bulbing is:

- Research alphabet, mathematics and meditation.
- Beeline to code of laws or drama.
- Bulb Philosophy. (a good trade bait, gives religion, an expensive tech and one of the prerequisites of liberalism)
- Research civil service or theology.
- Bulb or research paper.
- Bulb(2 GS needed) or research education.
- Research or trade compass, calendar and metal casting.
- Bulb liberalism. But you shouldn't have machinery to be able to bulb liberalism.