Is it worth while to give techs to beggars?

[Glinka]

Keep in mind, the civ that gets the tech will in all likeilhood turn around and exchange it for other techs if it can, so that means your tech is going out in general circulation. If you do give the tech away--and I think there are some very compelling reasons stated here for it, by others--then consider immediately trading it to everybody else you know.

 

[gdgrimm]

This is somewhat off topic, but....

Some have been suggesting giving military techs to mid size civs that dislike a big civ that you're really competing with.

That can be risky. If a war were to break out between those 2 AI civs, the mid size one may include the military tech in a peace settlement. Now, you've effectively handed your enemy the military tech advantage that was once yours.

A safer move might be to build units using the tech advantage, and gift them to the mid-size civ. Playing arms dealer in this way will help the mid-size civ in a war against the big civ, but without any chance of your military tech lead being lost in a peace treaty.

 

[Fragment]

but if they're competing with you in tech, then you way want to take advantage of the good diplomatic relations and try to ask them to gift you a tech of their own

I tried this several times, to bad result. Gave away a 2000 tech, got "thanks a lot", asked for a 1000 tech, got "are you bollocks??".

Didn't work for me.

Regards.

 

[Caradoc]

Other factors to consider is whether they might be able to get the tech elsewhere and whether you are willing for them to spread it around to others.

When I do give a tech, I immediately shop it around before the AI does.