Closest Space Race

[sk8boardbob2]

I just finished up a 5CC Space Race as Greece on Regent. I was ahead in tech most of the game and thought I had it in the bag. My main opponent was India who was the runaway AI for the latter half of the game.

After I finished the first 7 or 8 components for the spaceship, I planted a spy to find out how far the Indians were. I still needed lasers and robotics for the last two pieces. India had both and was currently building the last 4 pieces they needed. I was pretty sure they were going to launch first since they had a head start for the last few pieces. I investigated all of their large cities and saw none of them building any spaceship parts. When I finally won, I looked at CA2 and saw that they had 9 pieces built and the last one was being built in a hopelessly corrupt city with 6 shields per turn. Had one of their larger cities built it, I would of surely lost. Whew.

Oh yeah and they had 65% land and 67% population. I'm surprised they didn't try go for domination.

 

[Quintillus]

Wow! That is a runaway AI! Too bad the AI doesn't realize where it's smart to build stuff - they show the same tendency when launching nukes. Tiny tundra city near aluminum - nuke it 5 times. Huge megalopolis - nah, it's no threat.

 

[Bllasae]

Close race for sure.

 

[Mathias]

I still needed lasers and robotics for the last two pieces.

It might not have been so close if you had researched Robotics before Satellites and Superconductor. In games such as this one, where an AI actually has a chance, they will likely pick up one or both of the latter, which you can then trade for. Taking advantage of the AI's prefered research, you should be able to launch with a monopoly on Robotics.

 

[Sharwood]

65% land and 67% pop? Sometimes the AI's stupidity brings a smile to my face. They should have repeatedly molested you for fun with that much power.

 

[sk8boardbob2]

Actually I was three techs ahead of India when they got into the modern ages. At first I thought his large empire researched everything faster than me but now that I think about it, he might have stolen the techs. Does the AI use espionage?

 

[Sharwood]

Actually I was three techs ahead of India when they got into the modern ages. At first I thought his large empire researched everything faster than me but now that I think about it, he might have stolen the techs. Does the AI use espionage?

It does, but not usually very well.

 

[capnvonbaron]

Actually I was three techs ahead of India when they got into the modern ages. At first I thought his large empire researched everything faster than me but now that I think about it, he might have stolen the techs. Does the AI use espionage?

Not sure how well it works for 5CC, but I've found one way to keep out AI spies is to keep them broke. If you can manage any tech lead at all, get the rich civs to pay out the nose for your techs. This will break their bank and cause them to research slower, while bolstering your commerce and allowing you to research faster. You can even buy a tech off a friendly rival and pawn it off to all the other civs for lotsa gpt. Its generally possible on regent in the later part of the game... there have been times where I was getting upwards of 500gpt from two or three powerhouse civs, as well as 1000+ gold from each of them on the initial trade.

Not saying its always possible but handy when it works. It requires you to stay out of war with them too, unfortunately

 

[Turner]

It's called 'Economic Warfare', and can be quite devastating to the other AI when done properly. I've kept the AI on tech parity with me, but because of that they end up having weak units and I generally roll over them when it comes time for military action.

Generally this works on Regent or above, as the AI has the gold and tech to keep up with you. I haven't seen it so much in Warlord, and never in Chieftain.