Is it really possible to catch up on tech?

[Stalker0]

I've been playing prince for a while, and I have to say the AI's tech extremely fast. Now I can do okay if I'm committing entirely to research, but I find even when running representation with good science cities and high science output that I'm really only holding my own.

It makes it impossible to go high culture for a while, as you fall behind in tech and its very very hard (almost impossible in my opinion) to catch back up.

Am I just playing wrong or am I right about this?

I know that once a civ has researched a tech, it is now a little easier for others to research it. I think that amount should be increased since that is the only way to catch up on tech with the removal of tech spying and acquisition through conquest.

 

[jar2574]

I've been playing prince for a while, and I have to say the AI's tech extremely fast. Now I can do okay if I'm committing entirely to research, but I find even when running representation with good science cities and high science output that I'm really only holding my own.

It makes it impossible to go high culture for a while, as you fall behind in tech and its very very hard (almost impossible in my opinion) to catch back up.

Am I just playing wrong or am I right about this?

I know that once a civ has researched a tech, it is now a little easier for others to research it. I think that amount should be increased since that is the only way to catch up on tech with the removal of tech spying and acquisition through conquest.

Do you use cottages much? At the beginning of a game they don't help research all that much, but mid and late game, villages and towns are critical to research.

 

[shadow2k]

Yes.

It depends how far into the game you are, and how far behind you fell. There are way too many things that affect science to sit here and list them out though. You should post a save game, that would be much more helpful.

I hope you are doing the obvious things like building science buildings in all your best commerce cities. I build the cash buildings in all of them as well, so that I lose less money when researching below 100%. Obviously beelining for techs that allow research buildings will help build your momentum. Nat Wonders like Oxford and Forbidden Palace. Courthouses everywhere. Civics changes can have huge impacts.

You actually don't need all that many cottages to keep up in science. You just need the proper infrastructure in place, and maybe some help from some wonders. Most of them will affect science in some way, although it may be indirectly. Just because it isn't the GLibrary doesn't mean it won't have an effect on your economy.

Heck, even religious shrines, cash from wars, pointy stick research (techs for peace)...there are so many different ways you can help (or hurt) science.

But it's hard to tell you how to fix it if we don't know what's broke.

 

[GoSkins]

I play on noble and can never get ahead in technology - actually, I'm usually just slightly behind. I played a game where I was isolated on my own continent and was 4-5 techs behind the average. Does anyone have ideas on how to get a good tech boost during the early game?

 

[Oho]

Well I dont know if its is a game speed or leader thing but playing Lizzie on Monarch I tended to loose space race, only won once with spy in the city where the last component was being built.

Swicthed to Romans/Caesar and epic, voila played aggressive with Praetorians and ran away with tech. Last game I won with healthy teach lead dominating around the turn of the 20th century.

 

[flytyer]

Some of this depends on what CIV you play, your opposition, etc of course...but overall I have found that if you fall very far at all behind in the tech race, you will not catch back up. I think this is mainly due to the fact that to catch up, the AI must either slow down or stay complacent.

 

[warpstorm]

Do you trade for techs? It seems not from your description.

 

[Tavenier]

I always play customized games and always disable tech trading. AI will hardly ever trade with you, or against ridiculous prices or resources, making them stronger then before the trade. And between AI-civs they almost trade any tech amongst eachother. Only a few small civs are left out of the tech trade, but most of them do. With tech trading disabled you and two or three other civs are the tech leaders, making for a more interesting game (to me, at least).
This way yoo also get more specialized civs. Builders really lack military tech, because they emphazise on techs that give buildings and military civs have lot's of high tech weapons but lack culture in their cities. To me this is more realistic and a lot of fun. I hate it that each and every tech gets traded right after one of the civs has researched it.