Is it better to delay Scientific Thinking for as long as possible?

[lobster]

Scientific thinking unlocks a lot of juicy techs, but it also obsoletes monasteries (2 culture +10% beakers can build missionaries), so should it be delayed for as long as possible or be researched ASAP?

 

[acidsatyr]

well if you need it then yes, otherwise no.

 

[Antilogic]

I used to delay significantly, but now it's only to research a few loose ends. The fact is, Physics gives you a free scientist if you are first to discover it, and Biology gives you an incredible boost to your food production--both require the Scientific Method. Those two reasons alone are enough to forge ahead for me. Really, though, the Biology boost is great, especially for great people farms and working more mine tiles in production cities.

 

[Wodan]

Often, it's a good idea. Be careful you don't lose the Kremlin, though.

Wodan

 

[Phrederick]

I often delay getting Scientific Method, both because I don't want to lose monasteries and whatever wonders it obsoletes, and also because at that point in the game, I'm usually focusing on military techs like Assembly Line and Steel.

 

[Welnic]

Scientific thinking unlocks a lot of juicy techs, but it also obsoletes monasteries (2 culture +10% beakers can build missionaries), so should it be delayed for as long as possible or be researched ASAP?

Monasteries still put out culture and you can still make missionaries with them. I just make sure that I still have at least one monastery for each religion that I might want to spread before I discover scientific thinking.

It's even more of a dilemma if you have the Great Library.

 

[CivDude86]

And its get worse if you built the Univerisity of Sankore and the Spiral Minerat. I usually put off cuz I lose about 200 per turn from researching it.

 

[cabert]

At some point you'll need scientific method. What is combustion good for without oil and uranium? it's the current state of the art of my university of sankore + great library civilization, making irncalds my best attacking boats
i'm researching around scientific method for a while, but will have to go for it now since it's really stupid to research useless techs to avoid it (like i said combustion without oil is )

 

[shivute]

I used to delay it due to the loss of the monestery bonus but now I think it is much better to research it as soon as.

 

[MrCynical]

With the great library and monasteries I may delay it slightly, but biology in particular is too important a tech to let slide for long, and you need sci method for it.

 

[RobertTheBruce]

With the great library and monasteries I may delay it slightly, but biology in particular is too important a tech to let slide for long, and you need sci method for it.

I tend to research it pretty quickly especially if I don't have the great library. I only build monasteries in a few science cities so their loss usually costs 20-30 bpt. I may postpone if I want the GS points for a another scientist. Biology gives enough pop boost (more worked towns and scientists) to offset the loss of monasteries. Communism also requires scientific method. If you have a large empire, state property is another tech which will give a huge economic boost.

I often beeline to Chemistry for frigates and grenadiers but have started researching economic and civic enabling techs afterwards. I can usually live with grenadiers and catapults for a long time.

 

[dutchfire]

It depends, if you can think you can win with grenadiers and riflemen and cannons and cavalry, you shouldn't research it, but if you think the game will last longer (space ship for example) then you might want to pick it up faster.

 

[Stolen Rutters]

You can still build missionaries from an obsolete monestary. I just rush one or two monestaries in newer religions that I think I may want to spread to my border and beeline for biology (or physics).

I heartily agree that biology is much too big a benefit to delay Scientific Thought. You make out sooo much better in the end by NOT delaying it that even losing the GL benefit and monestary science benefit should be quickly overcome by all the extra population growth.

 

[Alexfrog]

I often have great library, and thus delay it. I usually go for the stuff up the path to it, like education, and thne focus on things that work towards railroads and factories for a while before getting it.


I think its very stupid that developing the scientific method would REDUCE your science output...

 

[Stolen Rutters]

I often have great library, and thus delay it. I usually go for the stuff up the path to it, like education, and thne focus on things that work towards railroads and factories for a while before getting it.


I think its very stupid that developing the scientific method would REDUCE your science output...

Upheaval in the religious scientific community causes a short term reaction? The science output isn't reduced for very long at all.

 

[flytyer]

just make sure you have at least 1 monestary completed for each religion you have founded so you can spread it and earn the money that goes along with having the founding building.

 

[bassist2119]

Few cases when delaying SM is good, though they are common. Delays should not be too long though (i.e. it's the only one left)
1.) have spiral/sinkore combo
2.) getting decent research from monastaries/GL AND focusing on a war strategy. By this point in the game, you should have your victory condition outlined, and if conquest/dom/diplo through dom are in the equation, getting cannons, rifles, etc. w/o losing monastary research is better.

 

[50_dollar_bag]

You have to research Astronomy first so your observatories should be up and running by the time Sci Meth is finished so it's not too bad a loss, unless you have TGL.

 

[cabert]

well, i had the GL + sankore + loads of monasteries, and i postponed scientific method : big mistake leading me to research (maybe faster) useless techs like combustion without oil revealed

 

[UncleJJ]

well, i had the GL + sankore + loads of monasteries, and i postponed scientific method : big mistake leading me to research (maybe faster) useless techs like combustion without oil revealed

That leads to the question, which is worse: researching Scientific Method and knowing where the oil is (but not being able to use it) or being able to use oil having researched Combustion but not having any oil?