A little rediculous?

[Da_V_Man]

In my current game, I am playing on Noble with no tech brokering, and it's gotten a little rediculous with the tech pace. I am by far the most advanced civ with my colonies the next furthest advanced, only because I funneled techs at them. The other players, so far only Shaka, Sitting Bull and Julius Ceasar Salad are left. And they aren't very advanced. I have all the required techs to win the space race, and Ceasar, the next most advanced rival still hasn't researched industrialism.

I mean, I have Mech. Inf. and Modern Armour, and they have riflemen, calvalry and grenaders. I mean, it's a little rediculous too. Normally I don't trade techs with the AI because they on't like me too much, but I mean come on. Once I got tanks I essentially won because my power is far greater than anyone else.

I think I'm ready for prince. I'm suprised how much like a settler game this feels.

 

[blitzkrieg1980]

congrats on your ability to move up! I still strive to remain at the top of the list on Noble. WTG, brotha, toss me some hints on how you did it.

 

[Da_V_Man]

Honestly, I never had a problem with Noble but I do always play with a finnancial civ, and I like to build cottages, especially on river tiles. If you have nothing better to build, make units. but that's beside the point. The AI shouldn't be this far behind in tech.

 

[GrandWazoo]

Yup, I guess you are now ready for Monarch!

I'm a bit the same way in my game (playing Monarch, no tech brokering, Aggressive AI) but I got lucky, had stone at my capital and built the Pyramids early on and then started bullying my neighbours that were close and challenging. Still, Brennus, who's far from me, is keeping up in the tech pace and he's off the chart in term of power. And I'm not weak, I'm a solid second, way ahead of the others but he's just way out there. I'm wondering whether the navy might not count for a lot since he has a bigger navy than mine but our armies are comparable.

 

[blitzkrieg1980]

does navy count towards power / troop count? I imagine it does. Does anyone know for sure?

 

[Merkinball]

Try tech brokering, they'll keep up with you longer.

 

[Molon Labe]

I think no tech brokering really puts the AI at a disadvantage. They don't tech too well on their own and require other civs to fill in their gaps.

I'm curious why people use that option. I've never considered it because I imagined it would lead to what you experienced, which is a total blowout. What's the advantage to it that makes you choose that option?

That's not meant as criticism of your choice because we all play how we like the game. Congratulations on the win.

 

[macrobot]

I am a huge fan of no tech brokering. I wrote a bit about why I think it is a viable option for the HOF forum. Please check it out here

 

[blitzkrieg1980]

Not a total blowout. Actually, you can move up a level more comfortably without the huge difference in difficulty.

To be honest with you, with out the option checked, the AI can completely screw you over in a way that an intelligent AI wouldn't. If a friendly AI comes to you asking for your help with, say, Rifling and you want to keep that healthy relationship, you say OKAY! Then, a civ that is cautious, or even annoyed with your buddy (and potentially FURIOUS with you) offers a different non-military tech and some cash for Rifling to your buddy. Your AI friend WILL trade away the military tech for that non-military and cash. Even if they aren't on Pleased or Friendly terms, they will trade as long as numbers add up (of course AI bases everything on the #s)

I hate this. it isn't really intelligent. I can't indicate to the AI that my relations with it will go down if he trades away the military tech. This option allows me to continue good relations with my friends without worrying that they will trade away gifted techs in a stupid manner.

 

[Da_V_Man]

Well, this can show how behind they were.

Saladin and Cyrus were my vassals, so I funnneled techs at them.

Spoiler :

 

[blitzkrieg1980]

Yeah, it's time to move up a level. I'd keep the brokering turned off though. But that's just me. I really hate being backstabbed by the AI that doesn't realize it's fueling an ally's worst enemy.

 

[jray]

So tell me, when you're playing with No Tech Brokering, can you still usually get away with selling a tech to an AI who is 1 turn away from completing research for it (thus denying them the ability to trade it away)? Without No Tech Brokering I use this strategy all the time to make extra cash, but WITH No Tech Brokering this would seem like a scandalous exploit for the player, allowing you to keep monopolies on lots techs once you manage to pull ahead on a tech branch. Hopefully the AI would be smart enough to refuse such trades.

 

[blitzkrieg1980]

So tell me, when you're playing with No Tech Brokering, can you still usually get away with selling a tech to an AI who is 1 turn away from completing research for it (thus denying them the ability to trade it away)? Without No Tech Brokering I use this strategy all the time to make extra cash, but WITH No Tech Brokering this would seem like a scandalous exploit for the player, allowing you to keep monopolies on lots techs once you manage to pull ahead on a tech branch. Hopefully the AI would be smart enough to refuse such trades.

I imagine they weigh the remaining beaker cost against what you are offering. The AI is not smart enough to turn away a massive amount of gold (in the thousands), but if you're offering multiple techs along with the one AI is researching to prevent the AI from trading the one he is researching, it may be more beneficial to take the deal anyway. Even if it cannot trade the tech.

The large cash offer may even be worth the deal as the AI can upgrade all its units (if it is a military tech) at once.

 

[Da_V_Man]

So tell me, when you're playing with No Tech Brokering, can you still usually get away with selling a tech to an AI who is 1 turn away from completing research for it (thus denying them the ability to trade it away)? Without No Tech Brokering I use this strategy all the time to make extra cash, but WITH No Tech Brokering this would seem like a scandalous exploit for the player, allowing you to keep monopolies on lots techs once you manage to pull ahead on a tech branch. Hopefully the AI would be smart enough to refuse such trades.

They AI might be stupid, but not that stupid. If they are reasearching it, then they have it redded out on your side.

 

[Ethric]

Yep, redded out even if they just started and have 74 turns left to finish it because they have the spy-slider at 30% and economy at 60% to pay for the 94 caravels they got circling your small stack of privateers blocking their capitol for the last 2000 years

 

[blitzkrieg1980]

well then cancel out my comment about weighing advantages, it seems as if the AI is too stupid to even consider that! lol

 

[jray]

They AI might be stupid, but not that stupid. If they are reasearching it, then they have it redded out on your side.

Interesting. So at least this could be a way to figure out what each AI is researching (provided you already have the tech).

 

[blitzkrieg1980]

It will say "We would have nothing to gain". You can see what they're researching in like 3 turns by putting espionage points solely into that one leader.

 

[Ethric]

Yeah, spying is how I figured out that the change of not trading something they are already researching isn't THAT much of an improvement.

 

[blitzkrieg1980]

Well, it revalues the "No Tech Brokering" option which I am a strong supporter.