balance

[Ailing Penguin]

Hi, does anyone have any tips on how to get a good research time while getting a reasonable income (100 gold per turn)

Thanks,

from an Ailing Penguin near you

 

[MadScot]

100gpt would be a massive income in the early game - there's been times when I've shut down research totally (with the Great Library picking up the slack) and STILL not got 100gpt!

Keys to generating a large income and research at a decent rate:

1. Roads and rivers: if you don't generate commerce from your tiles, you'll have neither research nor income. Road every tile you work. Work as many river-side tiles as you can.
2. Go to sea, young man! Coastal towns are bad for shields, but generate lots of commerce from coast tiles.
3. Lots of people. Get your population up, and get them working the commerce rich tiles. The more people you have, the more money will be generated.
4. Multiply that commerce. Libraries and Universities (and Labs, later) will boost your research, allowing you to set a lower %age for the same tech pace. Similarly Marketplaces and banks. Plus market places will keep people happier (with luxuries) allowing your entertainment budget to be lower.
5. Trade, trade, trade. Sell those techs you discover to all the AIs; squeeze them till the pips squeak. Do it right and the AI will be paying your maintenance costs, while you spend all your income on the next tech. Repeat until 2050AD or liftoff, at your choice.
6. Trade, trade, tarde (2): and those extra luxuries you have - turn them into $$$. two of the same does nothing for you, convert it to income by selling it to an AI.
A nice side effect of trading like a maniac is that it'll make everyone like you - reducing the risk of wars.
7. A free people is a prosperous people. Get into one of the 'nice' governments as fast as you can. Republic and Democracy have decreased corruption and increased commerce; both help to increase your monetary base.

Personally, I don't target a gpt income; I either go all out for tech pace, and only care if that means running a prolonged deficit, or go for zero research, and get as much money as I can. I'm not sure a middle ground approach is all that efficient.

 

[Speaker]

Very good advice from the MadScot. In the Industrial Age (and maybe late Medieval Age), it is easy to get 100gpt while researching at a good rate, if you research a tech nobody has and sell it for large amounts of gpt. Following the Theory of Evolution wonder, you can expect to make several hundred gpt while still researching quickly, if you sell Atomic Theory and maybe Electronics around.

 

[Brewster]

The nicest thing about being a tech broker is your ability to bleed the other civs dry. When they pay gpt for your techs, not only do you benefit from the gold coming in, but you slow down their ability to research at the same time. Once this happens, you will have them at your mercy.

 

[Darkness]

Originally posted by Speaker
Very good advice from the MadScot. In the Industrial Age (and maybe late Medieval Age), it is easy to get 100gpt while researching at a good rate, if you research a tech nobody has and sell it for large amounts of gpt. Following the Theory of Evolution wonder, you can expect to make several hundred gpt while still researching quickly, if you sell Atomic Theory and maybe Electronics around.

Very true. I'm in a game as the Americans where I've just entered the industrial age and I'm getting a new tech every 4 turns while I'm making around 500 gpt. And I'm not even selling techs to do that...

I think MadScot told you all you need to know to get a good tech rate and/or income...

 

[Ailing Penguin]

Ok, thanks everyone, I'm going to try these in my next game!

 

[Grille]

Yeah, MadScot hit the nail in general.
But you should also try to benefit from any occasion that occurs in a specific game.
As Speaker & Darkness said, you should try to get Atomic Theory & Electronics when you were able to build ToE, as these are the most expensive techs for you available atm. You should not "waste" ToE for nationalism or such (unless there's an emergency case).
Another occasion that might occur more likely earlier in game is trying to milk some civ's tech by signing/renegotiating peace.