Astronomy from GL!

[Tavenier]

Hey,

I am playing a game as Germany on Rye's worldmap (which is great BTW). I have build the GL and while the other civs were researching Theology and Printing Press and Education, I went for Military Tradition and thought I would get all from the GL, until Education. Then in one turn I got Printing Press, Education AND ASTRONOMY from the GL! I have never seen that before nor read about it ever on the forum. It even said after I got Edu that the GL was obsolete but still right after that I got Astro.
Has anybody else ever got this?

Tavenier.

 

[starrider]

Yeah, it can happen if you are lucky. The GL is obsolete on the turn you get education. If you meet a bunch of civs that have all the way to astronomy at once, on the same turn, you get all the goodies.

 

[LLXerxes]

I think, once or twice.
THe GL sometimes doesn't do anything for me. The AI is ussually behind me tech-wise.

ONe time, as Persia.
I was in the modern age while pathetic Mursillis was in the Middle Age!
EDIT: Atleast you got free techs!

 

[denyd]

There is a gambit where you build the Great Library and use it until Education is about to be discovered, then gift it to a weak neighbor, you then set your science to 0% and start building knights (helps if you have Leo's). Once you see someone begin railroads, you declare war on the weak neighbor and retake the GL city. You instantly get all the techs you need to reach Steam Power and you've got a big bank to upgrade all those knights to cavalry and you set off on your way to conquer the world quickly before the world gets to infantry (you will be facing riflemen, but with 100+ cavalry, it shouldn't matter).

 

[Turner]

Keep in mind that you need to have contact with two civs who know the tech up to Education in order to receive the GL bonus. Since the GL expires the turn after Educatin is discovered (I think) then if the AI is still trading you still get the techs that any two civs you know know. A bug? Perhaps. Design flaw? Maybe. Nice? Definately!

 

[Doc Tsiolkovski]

Once you see someone begin railroads

...or using Infantry. That way you usually get the expensive IA Techs as well. And since you can research/ trade up to MilTrad without Education, you can run 100+ Cavs before you grab the GL.

P.S. Personal record for techs from the GLib: 34.....(in DyP).

 

[Khift]

I've only gotten the Great Library once, and that was stolen from another civ. That time, I got Republic from it.

I don't like the Great Library.

 

[Tavenier]

There is a gambit where you build the Great Library and use it until Education is about to be discovered, then gift it to a weak neighbor, you then set your science to 0% and start building knights (helps if you have Leo's). Once you see someone begin railroads, you declare war on the weak neighbor and retake the GL city. You instantly get all the techs you need to reach Steam Power and you've got a big bank to upgrade all those knights to cavalry and you set off on your way to conquer the world quickly before the world gets to infantry (you will be facing riflemen, but with 100+ cavalry, it shouldn't matter).

Man, that's a devious plan. Never heard that one before. Came up with it yourself?



And Khift, why don't you like the GL? I always build it. I then go to Mil Trad and get the Monot, Theo, Chiv and Educ for free. Often Printing Press and Monarchy too. And it generates a lot of culture.

 

[denyd]

I'd like to take credit for it, but it's just one of hundreds of nuggets of knowledge I've acquired while sitting a the feet of the Grand High Guru of Civ (SirPlieb).


Doc: the tough part about waiting for Infantry, is possibly losing the race to TOE and the slingshot to Hoovers. I normally manage to bankrupt the AI selling them Atomic Theory and then I coast to whichever victory fits the situation. Also, I hate losing 5-6 cavalry to kill the pair of infantrymen that might be waiting for me in the city.

 

[Doc Tsiolkovski]

Of course, I'd only wait until the first Infantry at all is seen, not the 1st Inf of the weak Civ with the GLib. And true, the ToE is often built at that time - however, I managed to even get Atomic Theory with the GLib and build Hoover by hand - on DG.

 

[ongwin]

There is a gambit where you build the Great Library and use it until Education is about to be discovered, then gift it to a weak neighbor, you then set your science to 0% and start building knights (helps if you have Leo's). Once you see someone begin railroads, you declare war on the weak neighbor and retake the GL city. You instantly get all the techs you need to reach Steam Power and you've got a big bank to upgrade all those knights to cavalry and you set off on your way to conquer the world quickly before the world gets to infantry (you will be facing riflemen, but with 100+ cavalry, it shouldn't matter).

Thats a very very intesting strategy, i have to try one day. But one question, isn't it risky to have an enemy city right in the middle of your territory? Next, what if you build the GL right in your capitol, how do you give the capitol away then?

 

[denyd]

That you can't do unless you move the capital. What normally happens for me is I build the GL in a coastal city (normally with the Colossus as a pre-build), it's normally by fourth or fith city, so it does suffer a little corruption.

As for having an enemy city so close to the capital, I've normally neutered that AI to the point they are no longer a threat, 2-3 cities at most, so the amount of units they can support is minimal. One other thing that helps is taking the opponents capital before you negotiate the peace were you cede the GL city. With the capital gone, the replacement city will take a little time to develop defenses. I normally wait the 20 turns then redeclare and conquer that city, leaving the AI with just the GL city as their capital (that prevents unexpected flips to me of the GL city).

 

[CIVPhilzilla]

Couldn't You also mass trenchbuckets, so that when you feel it is a good time to recapture the city, you have tons of artillery as well as a ton of calvary.

 

[Rik Meleet]

trenchbuckets

I assume you mean Trebuchets ?? Sure you can, why not. And don't forget spears to be upgraded to rifles.

 

[Gogf]

I think, once or twice.
THe GL sometimes doesn't do anything for me. The AI is ussually behind me tech-wise.

ONe time, as Persia.
I was in the modern age while pathetic Mursillis was in the Middle Age!
EDIT: Atleast you got free techs!

Chieftain or Warlord?

 

[Halcyon]

Chieftain or Warlord?

To be fair, even on Demigod you often get one backwards AI on an island somewhere, especially when they lack luxuries or excess resources which they could use to trade for techs when they fall behind.

Now, if he was two eras ahead of everyone..

 

[Minstrel]

Actually, I came up with the Great Library Gambit. Im glad to see someone actually uses it. Here's my post of it.

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?p=1211606#post1211606