Game harder with tech trading turned off?

[bob_x]

I usually play with tech trading turned off, because I hate the micromanagement of checking the diplomacy screens every turn, and the cheesiness of being able to take advantage of the AI players.

So it seems to me, the game is harder with tech trading turned off, because with it turned on, human players are able to keep on par with the computer players even though they are lagging in research.

I think this explains why I find Immortal level so difficult. Without being able to trade techs in the early part of the game, you hopelessly fall technologically behind the computer players.

Or maybe I just suck at Immortal. I just tried a game at Immortal with tech trading turned on, and I lost a space victory to one of the AI opponents, but I don't think I would have made it that far with tech trading turned off, because the tech trading allowed me to build up good relations with the AI so I didn't have to get clobbered by them in a war.

 

[Phoenician]

I almost never play with tech trading on. It negates the whole point of playing marathon speed. The whole point of marathon speed is to get the full flavor of every era and not have your army go obsolete so quickly. I hate jumping from one era to the next before I am prepared for it.

 

[JonathanStrange]

Tech trading si, Tech brokering no.

 

[Stoney the I]

Tech trading no, Tech brokering si.

 

[FlyinJohnnyL]

In my experience, tech trading turned off makes the game easier. Even with their bonuses, the AI techs horribly for the most part. It relies on trades more than the human does. So with tech trading off, once you get your infrastructure in place, you should be able to outtech the AI, even on Immortal I believe. Plus, the fact that the AI never prioritizes military techs, now they are going to mindlessly research useless techs they could otherwise trade for. You as the human know better, and just skip these techs altogether.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

Interfering with AI-AI trades is pretty advantageous to the player, if the player's goal is merely to win. It changes the tech path strategy a bit though. However, it also opens up GAPING military holes in some AIs.

 

[cj7loop]

What's the difference between tech brokering and tech trading?

 

[GooglyBoogly]

with brokering on a civ can trade techs they have accquired via trade, with it off a civ can only trade what is has researched itself.
Tech trading is a more general term, allowing the trading of any tech you have discovered (if the other civ has the prereqs)

 

[bob_x]

Tech trading tends to cause everyone to tech faster. This makes the game harder for the inexperienced human player playing on easy levels, but easier on Immortal where the computer players can tech a lot faster than you, and you can keep pace by trading.

 

[JonathanStrange]

So tech trading off is advantageous to the human (because the AI is said to choose research badly leaving it vulnerable to "GAPING" hole in military techs that it would usually trade for) and teching trading on is advantageous to the human (because the AI techs a lot faster and the human can then make better trades for the AI's techs); either way is better for the human? Hmmm...I'm only sure that with brokering on, everyone soon has "my" tech! The joys of Civ!

(btw, concerning a different but related subject: if one turns off Tech Trades, how can one still have Tech Brokering? )

 

[Turquoiside]

So tech trading off is advantageous to the human (because the AI is said to choose research badly leaving it vulnerable to "GAPING" hole in military techs that it would usually trade for) and teching trading on is advantageous to the human (because the AI techs a lot faster and the human can then make better trades for the AI's techs); either way is better for the human? Hmmm...I'm only sure that with brokering on, everyone soon has "my" tech! The joys of Civ!

(btw, concerning a different but related subject: if one turns off Tech Trades, how can one still have Tech Brokering? )

No. Tech Trading on is advantegous to the A.I., even if it helps the played a bit. The A.I. usually benefits more than you, only not so in the rare exceptions.

Brokering off is adventegous to the A.I. also; you can work circles around the A.I. with it on, better than they can to each other.

 

[nullspace]

I benefit from trading techs much more than the AI does. On levels like immortal it can be very helpful for keeping up with the AI's bonuses and in particular it helps mediocre civs keep up with the top civ. The top civ can't really sell his techs because nobody has any tech that he wants to buy or enough gold (bribing his friends to war is about the best he can do with monopoly techs). But the mediocre civs can trade among themselves to keep up. On hard levels, the top AI is the one who might actually win before you can prevent it, you've got to use the other mediocre civs to get yourself to number one position. The human player is also likely to have the lowest military rating, so the diplomatic benefits of trading and giving techs help you avoid being everyone's preferred target.

But tech trading on isn't always easier. It's most advantageous when you know which techs the AIs generally avoid, and it requires that you're on a map where you have some good trade partners. If you're all alone and the AIs are in a lovefest on one continent, then tech trading off would be easier. And sometimes an AI forgets to research gunpowder so you have better units even though he has more tech than you. But in general, tech trading is another tricky area where a human can out-think the AI. And personally, I don't like turning off the features that let me be more clever than the AI

 

[Phoenician]

I can see it two ways.

Some argue that it makes the game easier with tech trading off. Because you are neglecting the A.I. from teching with each other.

On the other hand, the few games I have played with tech trading on (no tech brokering)-I found myself at the same level or at a tech lead with the A.I. --BUT--I moved through eras way too fast for my liking and my military became obsolete faster. This doesn't mean that I don't like to be advanced, but say for example you have a large army of muskets and cannons but you have little gold on your treasury. All of a sudden you do some tech trades and then you find yourself on the doorstep to rifles. And then a rival of yours ends up in that situation as well.
So maybe if I fight with this musket army I might get slaughtered in the middle of a war when my rival turns his knights and longbows to cavalry and rifles after I take a couple of his cities. Then BAM-army obliviated. I've actually hit this situation a handful of times before.

So the way I see it, tech trading is annoying aspect of the game I would rather not deal with.