How the Heck do you guys tech so fast?

[FeelGood]

I too use some of the advice given by the others. The only thing I need to add is to build the science wonders. I know this is not in the ancient era. They can really boost your research significantly!! I know because I`ve experienced it. One of my cities produces 580 gold (in IA) if science is set on max. That`s equivalent to 4- 5 very productive cities.

It`s better if you have Colossus in that city because of the added gold from every tile worked. Also if it has another wonders that can be tourists attraction, those wonders too can generate gold if they stand for enough years (1000 yrs +).

Market and science improvement is needed too. Make sure all your productive cities build them. If corruption is too high, irrigate all relevant tiles and convert citizens into taxmen or scientists. This can reduce the unhappiness and may trigger WLKD which further reduces waste.

Other basic rules;
Trade with the AI. Don`t keep your tech unless it has something on it (wonder or advanced unit). Make the AIs your friends until you think it`s enough. Research techs that are given low priority by the AIs. These usually literature, printing press, music theory, free artistry and medicine. Unless you`re on higher difficulty, you will always be the first to research them. Trade as soon as possible for other techs and gold to prevent devaluation.

Build road on every worked tile.
More cities are good but this is not really compulsory.

That`s all I think.

 

[Shyrramar]

Argue the point of building every wonder if you want to, but it works fine for me.

:rant:



Sorry, had to do that It's fine in lower levels (and would be fine in higher difficulty-levels too) where you can still build them, but you shouldn't be too fixated on wonders in higher levels, as you more often than not get beaten by the AI - which only causes you to lose some shields. Other than that, keep building those wonders if they make you happy!

 

[davidcrazy]

Originally posted by Ranos
Most of my tech trading comes in Ancient times with the occasoinal trade later on. I almost always play civs that have the Expansionist ability. This gives me a scout to start off with which allows for finding goody huts which of course can have techs in them. Sometimes I only find one or two techs and have to do some trading early game. I have found as many as 12 techs from goody huts before! Usually its around 6 that I find. This gives you a nice boost on the tech race.
.

Wow Rano you are so great!!!
i normally can only popup 3 or less(usually less than 3 ) techs from goodyhut... maybe because i always play either small or standard map..

 

[Moonsinger]

Originally posted by davidcrazy
i normally can only popup 3 or less(usually less than 3 ) techs from goodyhut... maybe because i always play either small or standard map..

It's all base on the level of your game. The higher you go, the less tech you get from the goodie huts. At Sid level, the probability of getting a tech from any goodie hut is like ZERO.

 

[Ranos]

I always play huge maps, max civs and, like I said, usually an Expansionistic civ. I also, in the early game, build a warrior or two in every new city before anything else. I then use them to explore. The more units you have out exploring, the more goody huts you will find and the more techs you will get.

 

[rcoutme]

One of the things you guys have missed is the maximum turn to tech field. The very first tech that I research is the most expensive one available to my civ. I set the research bar to 1 or 2 (depending on whether or not 1 will actually assign gold to research) and make sure that I have the minimum amount of research necessary to keep up the per turn ticker. I then get my first tech for 40 gp (sometimes a little more if the slider requires 2 gp for 10%). This allows you to get about 400-800 gp for creating embassies or whatever later on. I have found that it is seldom or never that putting the research slider higher up will give me that much of a bonus anyways. I might get one of the lesser techs in 25 turns, but they are the first that the goodie huts provide anyways. If you start with Bronze Working, then research Iron Working at minimum level necessary to keep at least 1 gp per turn. If you don't have BW but have Alphabet, then go for Writing at the same level.

 

[Ranos]

If you use the trade for tech strategy, then that would be a good way of going about it but if you are trying to get techs on your own, then you are wasting time. If I understand what you are saying, it takes you 80 turns to get only two techs. This could change if you build enough cities but that is basically what you are saying. In that same time, I can research six or seven techs and find multiple others through goody huts. Can you trade for that many techs with the gold you have stockpiled?

 

[kb2tvl]

Other have given some good advice and I wanted to restate some points on trading techs.

- Tech costs for you and the AI vary by level.
- Trade deterimines income and research rates and cash luxaries.
- Trade can be increased by connecting luxary resources, trading for luxary resources, building structures which enchance trade or building roades.
- Smart tech trading separates to novice from the expert. 2 fers are always what you want to look for but required techs are more important than a 2 fer.
- If you research, research undesireable techs and trade them for more desireable tech. Do this at the initial part of you turn.
- A tech has a research cost and a value. That value varies based on level and how many civs know the tech that you know.
- Lower game levels encourage the player to research and higher levels discourage your own research.
- To accelerate tech rates, cheap trade or give away techs. Trading for luxaries is always a good option.
- Trading a sole owned tech just before researching another tech and maintain tech superiority while providing unknown tech.
- War and conflict reduces tech rates and hampers trading.

 

[hoplite505]

getting cities from ai's for peace is a main part of what i do
and yes, play on monarch or regent, i find that even if you have to rade for techs it is better than waiting fifty turns.

My favorite tech strategy is be a commercial of seafaring civ research writing while expandingget philosophy first take literature as your free tech then build the great library get map making for philosophy and start to make a lot of galleys by the time you get the great library your galleys will have hopefully gotten across the ocean and met other civs. on monarch the techs will roll in quickly and research construction first, the AI's will pay for that. This only works for the ancient age though

 

[DragonRunner]

An important trait of Expansionist is that it makes the minor tribes friendlier. So, you almost never get angry warriors, and you get more techs, gold, or maps.
Another reason that people get techs faster on the higher levels is-no offense-they're better. When I was playing Chieftan, I was lucky to make it into the modern times by the end of the game. Now, I'm at warlord, and research is flowing in well, and the techs come in faster. I also trade around a lot.

 

[alamo]

Government has an effect on research rate -

demo>repub>monarch>commie>despot>anarchy

(or somthing close) Also, being a sci civ helps.

Micromanagement of the sci slider pays huge $$.

When you get close (<4 turns) try turning down the slider 1 or 2 notches w/o loosing turns. Most of the time you can do this at 3-4 and 1-2 turns to go.

In a hurry? Turn up research into negative territory - you can reduce it again in the 3-4 turn range. Just remember that 4 turns is the minimum.

Comments about sci/econ improvements are also good - build them!

Also, good relocation of palace/FP can be huge.

One last thing - war alliances are good when things are too peaceful, especially when builder civs are isolated on another continent. Don't let them get cozy over there or you may never catch up!

 

[Gwil]

Relating to the roads tip, I recommend furthering the strategy and incorporating building "teams" of workers (say 5-10) to move in hoardes around your cities.

coupling this tactic with the use of settler cities you can raise the gold input dramatically by building quickly with a fast moving army behind to road all squares, mine as well on hills and mountains (together).. you can be out in 10 turns.

develop cities en route with high growth to develop more of these teams to link iron/saltpeter etc to frontier cities, just for defence and the extra point in negotiations ;P

you set yourself up in a nice position and usually relative peace, and a good science output to sell. with the cash fill in the holes in your tech knowledge (dont forget to sell these techs on where applicable again!).

very general points, but they seem to work for me on warlord ( i tried it on monarch but then got totally overran as i ignored defence, so i dunno - probably just the difficulty jump ...)