Can someone confirm to me what "slingshot" means?

[agentkirb]

I'm new to these message boards and I hear this term used a lot. From context clues I assumed it meant someone that just went directly to a certain technology so they could quickly get started on a wonder or whatever, but that definition doesn't always fit the situation people use it in.

 

[Ahriman]

Basically using a great library or great scientists to get an expensive powerful tech (with a powerful military unit, or a new era for unlocking civics) which would normally take a very long time to research.

The idea is that you're exploiting the fact that a free tech gives *any* tech of your choice that you have the pre-reqs for, even one that is way ahead of what you'd normally be able to afford to research.

 

[delra]

Slingshot means using Great Library or Great Scientist to immediately research a valuable tech that's in a next era and would take centuries to research otherwise. For example constructing Great Library and in the meantime researching Trapping to be able to "sling" at Civil Service in the Middle Ages and get huge food bonus associated to it.

 

[agentkirb]

Well that makes a lot more sense.

 

[SuperJay]

Well that makes a lot more sense.

For a good explanation of a slingshot in action, check out this thread: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=382651

 

[JesusOnEez]

First time I heard the term was in the early days of Civ IV before a patch killed it. You could build the Oracle early, leave one 1 turn remaining while you got other needed pre reqs, complete the Oracle and slingshot to Civil Service for super early Macemen/Bureacracy/Irrigation allowing you to go on a rampage for years before Civs started getting Feudalism for Longbows.

Thinks that roughly how it worked...it was a while ago. I think they killed it when BtS came out with new techs.

 

[happyturtle]

I'm new to these message boards and I hear this term used a lot. From context clues I assumed it meant someone that just went directly to a certain technology so they could quickly get started on a wonder or whatever, but that definition doesn't always fit the situation people use it in.

Going directly for a specific tech is called beelining. Slingshotting is as described above by others, when you're exploiting a free tech.

 

[CorporateGoth]

I just played a game going for science victory - I must have gotten at least 10 free techs by building the oracle and the copious amounts of great scientists I got. Literally as soon as I got to the modern era, I slingshotted right up to mech inf and beyond - as soon as I got to future, I slingshotted ALL the SS techs. I just saved my great scientists through the game until they could give me those huge tech bonuses.

It really is a broken mechanism, but I'll abuse it till it's patched