Does the coimputer get a research advantage with tech trading off?

[DarkSchneider]

I was really starting to wonder about this... Certainly the computer, with a 10% production and research advantage and a worker from the onset, probably can outresearch me up until a certain point, but I'm suprised I haven't caught up by the end of the middle ages. In fact I think every computer player is ahead or even with me in tech.

Does the computer get an additional research advantage on Monarch difficulty with Tech Trading turned off? The whole reason I turned it off was so that I could keep my tech advatage once I got ahead....

I know part of the reason may be because I started isolated on an island, so I didn't get the research bonuses from contact with the other civilizations, but still...

 

[scooter]

Yup, everything above Noble gets a bonus, and the bonus gets bigger as you move up in the difficulty levels (the exact values could probably be found in the XML).

 

[vale]

I think the question he is asking is there some additional bonus given to the monarch tech-trading off ai above and beyond the base one that any monarch ai receives and of which any reader of this forum is aware. To possibly answer, I strongly doubt that is the case, because I believe in most instances tech trading off is a handicap to the player and there would be no reason to further handicap them. I think what you are experiencing is the fact that those bonuses really do add up and that lacking the ability to backfill via tech trades is forcing you to spend much more time than you would initially expect catching up to the ai.

Keep in mind, I am not a coder and have never actually played with tech trading off so this is just an answer that seems logical in my mind.

 

[scooter]

Ah, that question would make more sense. I agree w/ what vale says, the AI does tech trade frequently, but the human is and always will be better at it, so I think that's what your seeing then.

 

[KMadCandy]

... but I'm suprised I haven't caught up by the end of the middle ages.

I know part of the reason may be because I started isolated on an island, so I didn't get the research bonuses from contact with the other civilizations, but still...

I think what you are experiencing is the fact that those bonuses really do add up and that lacking the ability to backfill via tech trades is forcing you to spend much more time than you would initially expect catching up to the ai.

i haven't seen your game, guessing here. adding those two things together, i think your isolated start is a big part of the reason.

isolated starts of course make you start out slow since you have no contact bonuses. add in that in my experience, the best way to catch up from an isolated start is to lightbulb or focus on a path that will get you a good tradebait tech that most of the others don't know, so that you can do a lot of backfill trading. backfilling is far more crucial when you're isolated. you never got that opportunity. how you handle backfilling of course varies by playstyle, maybe that isn't something you do in isolated starts even with tech trades as on option.

in any case, good luck and have fun .

 

[DaveMcW]

Cottages!!

 

[DarkSchneider]

I did build a lot of FloodPlain Cottages, right from the start, although thinking some more about it, I think the reason I got behind might lie in the fact that I never got a great scientist to build an acedemy in my main city, which was producing the lion's share of my technological research. For most of the game, it was producing as much or more tech than all of my other cities combined (since it's cottages had the most time to grow) Also, I think I might have overestimated the bonuses I was getting from the University of Sankore, since my empire wasn't nearly the size that it would typically be in a non-island start.

So I think I will try again and this time I will actively try to generate a great scientist instead of all the Great Engineers from the last game.

 

[KMadCandy]

today's fun fact: a search by user for DaveMcW on "cottages!" finds 9 that are just that one word. and four other posts that contain that word but are only one sentence long.

i've learned a lot from you but i had to tease ya .

edit re: your reply: *gigglefest* i didn't even see that one coming! hahaha

 

[DaveMcW]

<--- cottage spammer.