Been playing PTW for a few games now, and I've had to make a number of adjustments to my usual gameplaying strategy to make it through the "upgrades". I've already talked about how I have to wait a while to wage my first pogrom against the forces of evil (AKA whoever my nearest next door neighbor is) early, but this is something else...
My usual strategy is to spend the ancient times waging war against one or two (or if I'm really lucky, 3) neighbors, and grabbing all their turf to add to mine. This usually puts me behind a little bit from the leaders in researching technology, but I often used to make it up by doing a little trick I found.
I would research the "hard to get" technologies first in the Middle Ages (Engineering, Invention, Gunpowder, etc)... in addition to being more useful IMHO, I was usually able to (and still am able to) get caught up by trading one of those for 1 or 2 of the other ones I need. The problem arises beyond that.
Once I start going through the middle ages, I become more of a "Build/Defensive" player, and LOVE to get the science really cranking. I USED to do that by... selling technologies for booku cash per turn, then turning around and jacking my science bar up to 100%. Often I was able to keep my science rate at 100%, pay for all my stuff (max improvements in EVERY city, and strong defensive units)... and STILL be making 100-200 gp per turn. This also lets me get all the advances FIRST, and "pick and choose" which advances to "Sell", and thereby grab most of the wonders along the way.
Well, lo and behold, here in PTW, I've found the AI civilizations are 98% of the time WAY cheaper than they used to be... trying crap like offering me 20 gold and a world map for Gunpowder, despite the fact that they're pretty well off, and could really use the technology. The exception? This has happened twice in EACH of the 3 games I've played... at one point, I'll be "Making the rounds" trying to sell my wares, and getting rebuffed, then I'll stumble across one who, well, for lack of a better term, seems to have gone off their rocker.
Selling, say, Physics. (Countries and actual tech just an example)
India: "I'll give you 20 gp and a map"
Japan: "I'll give you a map"
England: "2gp per turn and a map"
Scandanavia: "I don't see how such a deal is possible (despite them having resources!)"
France : "I'll give you 856 GP (their entire treasury), 142 GP per turn, Any techs and luxuries I have, etc..."
Anyone else playing similarly or having similar, shall we say, "Bursts of extreme exhuberance" on the parts of the AI?
My usual strategy is to spend the ancient times waging war against one or two (or if I'm really lucky, 3) neighbors, and grabbing all their turf to add to mine. This usually puts me behind a little bit from the leaders in researching technology, but I often used to make it up by doing a little trick I found.
I would research the "hard to get" technologies first in the Middle Ages (Engineering, Invention, Gunpowder, etc)... in addition to being more useful IMHO, I was usually able to (and still am able to) get caught up by trading one of those for 1 or 2 of the other ones I need. The problem arises beyond that.
Once I start going through the middle ages, I become more of a "Build/Defensive" player, and LOVE to get the science really cranking. I USED to do that by... selling technologies for booku cash per turn, then turning around and jacking my science bar up to 100%. Often I was able to keep my science rate at 100%, pay for all my stuff (max improvements in EVERY city, and strong defensive units)... and STILL be making 100-200 gp per turn. This also lets me get all the advances FIRST, and "pick and choose" which advances to "Sell", and thereby grab most of the wonders along the way.
Well, lo and behold, here in PTW, I've found the AI civilizations are 98% of the time WAY cheaper than they used to be... trying crap like offering me 20 gold and a world map for Gunpowder, despite the fact that they're pretty well off, and could really use the technology. The exception? This has happened twice in EACH of the 3 games I've played... at one point, I'll be "Making the rounds" trying to sell my wares, and getting rebuffed, then I'll stumble across one who, well, for lack of a better term, seems to have gone off their rocker.
Selling, say, Physics. (Countries and actual tech just an example)
India: "I'll give you 20 gp and a map"
Japan: "I'll give you a map"
England: "2gp per turn and a map"
Scandanavia: "I don't see how such a deal is possible (despite them having resources!)"
France : "I'll give you 856 GP (their entire treasury), 142 GP per turn, Any techs and luxuries I have, etc..."
Anyone else playing similarly or having similar, shall we say, "Bursts of extreme exhuberance" on the parts of the AI?
