is the great scientist too powerful?

[Ahriman]

Academy is 5 science base. Game lasts what, 330 turns on king? So thats 1550 science max (not counting bonuses from buildings).

From that I would say that up until the renaissance, academies are definitely better. Especially when paired with building bonuses.

You're ignoring the opportunity cost. At 1550 science, you're also giving up (say) 660 gold from a trading post on that tile (more since gold is increased by golden ages). Which is, among other things, at least 2 research pacts.

 

[ShaqFu]

I'm more unhappy with some of the straight-shots on the tech tree. The ease of going from Gunpowder->Rifling-> is just obscene.

Who the hell voted 'too weak'?! Haha.

Someone must really love Babylon.

 

[DaveGold]

If you use great scientists immediately for whatever is available then they might look average. If you hold off a few turns and start looking at the tech tree to see what you can get from a few turns research and then the scientist ... they look very good.

 

[Lyoncet]

You're ignoring the opportunity cost. At 1550 science, you're also giving up (say) 660 gold from a trading post on that tile (more since gold is increased by golden ages). Which is, among other things, at least 2 research pacts.

That in addition to the opportunity cost of not slinging yourself into an immediate advantage, which has a cascading effect as the game wears on. Slingshot an expensive wonder technology for a game-long bonus, or slingshot Steel/Rifling for an extra 10 turns or so of an enormous advantage on your enemies, or slingshot yourself into a new age for the bonuses. You miss all those opportunities on top of what you lose by not having a standard tile improvement. And getting your longswords out that much earlier (and by extension getting you rifles out that much earlier etc.) is usually more than worth a few beakers by the end of the game.

 

[Ahriman]

That in addition to the opportunity cost of not slinging yourself into an immediate advantage

Agreed. The improvement opportunity cost is one that applies to all great person improvements, the slingshot ones apply to the broken-ness of the great scientist free tech and the ease of beelining in the tech tree.

And of course, there is also the Golden Age opportunity cost. 6 turns of golden age or so is generally worth way more than any of the great person improvements (particularly if you're lucky enough to be in plains rather than grasslands).

 

[Supr49er]

My biggest drawback is that I get seduced into picking the Tech with the longest turn time and get distracted from my path.

 

[Duo]

I think it's overpowered. They either need to make it so you can't choose the tech you pop, or that they're just slightly harder to get, imo.

 

[stii]

Def overpowered. Great enginner at least is still pretty powerful, rushing wonder is good, just getting one in the first place requires a wonder or working awful buildings. (patched to +2H apparently though)

Interestingly I've had GE rush the full wonder and fail to give all the hammers on another try. Anyone know why this miight be, only thing I could think of was year. Rushing UN if it matters.

 

[the streak]

Probably stuff like the UN and Apollo Program don't get rushed to completion since they are victory conditions. My UN also rushed to about 50% completion.

 

[Sainhann]

Well it really depends on what level you are playing since if you are playing Deity then they may not be powerful enough since the AI will out Tech you.

 

[ShaqFu]

Now I'm curious as to how the AI uses its Great Scientists. I've seen Academies around AI lands, so I suspect they're not using them for slingshots like a human does (and not using them to their potential).

 

[jshelr]

i think the research agreement is too powerful also later in the game when the human player has a tech lead and usually gets a better tech from the agreement at a bargain price.

 

[dubrown]

Probably stuff like the UN and Apollo Program don't get rushed to completion since they are victory conditions. My UN also rushed to about 50% completion.

The GE has a cap on how many hammers it can give (just like in CivIV), thus late game wonders tends to be more hammers and thus a GE can't fully complete it. As an example, I couldn't complete the Louvre with a GE, got about 2/3 of the wonder with the GE.

I guess if the GS had a cap to beakers it gives as well it'd be more balanced when using it to bulb techs.

 

[Scarwood]

If everyone knows that GS is a must in every strategy, then it is balanced they are easy to get.
But against anyone who do not use GS it is way too powerfull.