GL query

[dalgo]

In my latest game I captured the Great Library while I still did not know Education so it gave me a long list of free technologies - 10 in all, right up to Magnetism and the Theory of Gravity. Not that I'm complaining, but I feel a little short-changed. I did not get Music Theory or any Industrial Age technology that was widely known (and yes I have met all civs in the game).

This is the first time I have used the GL tech bonus as a tactic in this way so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Is there some limit on the amount of free technology you can get in this way?

 

[Theov]

That was because the GL was obsolete by that time. It's obsolete after Education.
The limitation is that you must know 2 other civs that have tech and Education must not be known yet.

GL: Civilization receives any civilization advance already discovered by 2 other known civs for free. Expired by Education.

 

[Quintillus]

I'm pretty sure there's no limit. I once did a strategy where I stopped tech at after the first 3 in the Middle Ages, built up some gold, and then went and invaded the Great Library, which was by then defended by Riflemen with a 125% bonus (hills + fortify + size 12 city), with 100 Medieval Infantry/Pikemen transported by 50 Galleys. I got all the Medieval techs (except Music Theory, for some reason), plus Nationalism, Steam Power, and Communism.

That said, this strategy wasn't a smashing success. I probably overdid the troops for the invasion, as I still had 73 left when Madrid was captured - half as many would have been enough. As it was though, I was paying a fortune for my army. I had a Republic government for some stupid reason, and was paying 314 GPT in support with 36 allowed. I did go Communist once I had that tech, at least, but I hope your conquest of the Library was at slightly lower expense.

 

[dalgo]

. . . but I hope your conquest of the Library was at slightly lower expense.

Yeah I did it easy because I researched the bottom line of the tech tree so I could capture the GL with cavalry. Strange that you also didn't get Music Theory though.

I'm pretty sure I should have got Steam Power and Medicine as those techs were known by 2+ civs, however I can't absolutely rule out them being researched and traded around on the same turn that I took the GL.

 

[Theov]

I'm pretty sure there's no limit. I once did a strategy where I stopped tech at after the first 3 in the Middle Ages, built up some gold, and then went and invaded the Great Library, which was by then defended by Riflemen with a 125% bonus (hills + fortify + size 12 city), with 100 Medieval Infantry/Pikemen transported by 50 Galleys. I got all the Medieval techs (except Music Theory, for some reason), plus Nationalism, Steam Power, and Communism.

That said, this strategy wasn't a smashing success. I probably overdid the troops for the invasion, as I still had 73 left when Madrid was captured - half as many would have been enough. As it was though, I was paying a fortune for my army. I had a Republic government for some stupid reason, and was paying 314 GPT in support with 36 allowed. I did go Communist once I had that tech, at least, but I hope your conquest of the Library was at slightly lower expense.

Wasnt the GL obsolete by that time already??

 

[dalgo]

Wasnt the GL obsolete by that time already??

The Great Library doesn't work quite the way it is described. Yes it is made obsolete by Education, but that takes effect during the turn you discover Education, not at the time you discover Education. That is not the same thing, but under normal circumstances you will only get one advance in a turn so there is no difference.

However there is a possibility to get multiple advances by capturing the Great Library later in the game without having learnt Education. In my case all the Middle Ages techs were known but I had deliberately not researched Education myself. When I captured the Great Library I received Education, Banking, Astronomy, Democracy, Economics, Navigation, Physics, Free Artistry, Theory of Gravity and Magnetism. Only then did the turn end and the GL become obsolete.

This is a well known tactic that can be used at higher difficulty levels when you fall seriously behind in tech. In my case it was only at Demigod but in a famous succession game at Sid difficulty the players captured the GL when the AI were in Modern Times and they received every tech up to Fission, built the United Nations and won the game.