Good Research Strategys

Dramas not crap either.
Lots of people tend to overlook its value as trade bait, the opening up of researching Music and allowing the Philosophy bulb, and its access to lots of happiness from Theatres+culture slider as well as the very useful Globe theatre.
It can be very good early, although like many techs its usefulness can vary considerably.
 
To me drama becomes much more useful if I have a lot of food. Then I can keep stacking whipping unhappiness, and offset it with theatres and the slider. And every once in awhile I even get around to building the Globe with overflow.
 
Globe Theatre is a great building (once I learnt how to use it appropriately). A rifle a turn under Nationhood? Yes thanks!

Both drama and music can have good use, particularly for new cities if you don't have access to monuments any more. A theatre is cheap and gives 3 culture iirc. Then there is straight building culture with music.
 
One annoying aspect about trading techs is that as you move up the difficulty ladder you get less and less back in trades. Early on we can get about 1:1 trades, but later on this gets considerably worse. It's not the most fun to trade away for example a 1000 :science: tech and only get 750 :science: back. Still, you're better off than doing the whole thing yourself.

Trading techs at a disadvantage with a ruler who is more advanced than me only helps him in the long run. But sometimes I can sell an outdated tech to a ruler who is less advanced. Even if I sell dirt cheap, I have nothing to lose.
 
Trading techs at a disadvantage with a ruler who is more advanced than me only helps him in the long run. But sometimes I can sell an outdated tech to a ruler who is less advanced. Even if I sell dirt cheap, I have nothing to lose.

Sometimes you will want to trade with someone who is more advanced than you. Trade a tech to as many AI as possible once you decide to trade it. Otherwise someone you traded it to will trade it to the leader anyway, giving you nothing in return.
 
OKay, so not to indtrude, but I'm having some late game issues on emperor with the space race. I always accidently go militrizing my forces instead of the science route. Damn warmongering tendancies. . .
 
ya, johnny just pointed out the most important aspect of trading! without this technique, trading can become disadvantageous very quickly, indeed!

@pisskop:
how are we supposed to help you? jsut dont let these "accidents" happen again, i guess... are you implying that you are preparing for a war declaration on you from an AI which then never comes, wasting your investment into military and thus slowing your economy?

if so, you need to learn how to prevent DoWs by managing your AI opposition. you can often predict if an AI is about to declare war on yourself. by making the AIs fight amongst each other by bribing someone in on another AI, negotiating trade embargoes, switching yourself or an AI in or out of a particular religion, adopting certain civics, you can manipulate the odds of a DoW against yourself very effectively.

diplo is one of my weaknesses as well, but I have become a bit better by watching out for these kind of things a little bit more
 
Also, don't let the price of bribery scare you. Sure, the AI may want 4 techs to declare on someone, but if it slows them and the war opponent down, while also allowing you to be safe, its worth it.

Getting over "what seems fair" in regards to trade an AI relations can jump someone from noble to monarch pretty much by itself.
 
It's an annoying thing with these "unfair" trades, but it's something I have to try to get used to. It's still "free" tech in a sense, so we're better off trading, but it helps the AI more of course, as they get more beakers back than they're trading away.

4 techs for bribes feels very steep, but as you say, if it slows them down long-term it is perhaps worth it. I've heard it's easier to bribe them into war on marathon settings though.
 
making the AIs fight amongst each other by bribing someone in on another AI, negotiating trade embargoes, switching yourself or an AI in or out of a particular religion, adopting certain civics, you can manipulate the odds of a DoW against yourself very effectively.

I have never been able to manage this sort of diplomacy. I find most things are non-negotiable. Can you outline the steps more clearly, please?

Anyone who needs 3 to 4 techs from you must be pretty backward. How is he going to help you? He may probably back out and leave you in the lurch.

If you have Organised Relegion, giving up your religion is a big loss!

I am seldom even able to trade a tech with more than one civ. Even if they don't have it, if their techs are non-negotiable, what can you do?
 
I have never been able to manage this sort of diplomacy. I find most things are non-negotiable. Can you outline the steps more clearly, please?
...
If you have Organised Relegion, giving up your religion is a big loss!

yes, what you say is true in many cases... thats why its absolutely imperative to choose your initial relision wisely and sometime not adopt ay religion at all! religion is one of the biggest aspects of early diplo, most likely THE biggest. in the eraly going, top, you cannot afford to adop a religion in most cases unlss you are surrounded by peace-mongers only or by people that all have the same religion.
once somebody is only at cautious or even annoyed, he will often not be bribed into war by you. some people like shaka, will be easily bribed even at cautious, though. which makes him very easy to manipulate, once athetics and alpha are in... also their stance towards the other AI can be important. justianian for instance, wont ever declare on someone they are pleased with. shaka wont care, tho, so long as the price is right...


Anyone who needs 3 to 4 techs from you must be pretty backward. How is he going to help you? He may probably back out and leave you in the lurch.

war-like AIs are almost always a threat to another AI, although they are bhind most of the time. due to their high units spam, their attacking stacks are much bigger than from peaceful AIs. simply putting them at war, will slow both down, will make them hate each other, will make it more likely that another AI joins that war and in turn keep you safe pretty much... also if you have bribed them, they are now more advanced and thus the bribing potential for other advanced civ shrink significantly to the point where they cant come up with a big enough offer. this keeps you even safer!

I am seldom even able to trade a tech with more than one civ. Even if they don't have it, if their techs are non-negotiable, what can you do?

again, thats an effect of your poor diplo! i assume you found religion or at least adopt one early? dont do that! it will make everyone hate you!
 
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