No Tech Trading - easier or harder?

[alco75]

What's generally considered easier, tech trading on, or off?

I'm playing my first ever game with it switched off (thinking it'd make the game harder) yet I'm further ahead than ever before ...

 

[Refar]

That does depen on the level of difficultie somewhat. On Lower lewels where you can easily outtech the AI, "No Tech Trading" makes it a lot easier - not only they tech slower, they also dont have the chance to trade up a little bit. On somewhat advanced levels - perhaps Monarch and up it should make the game more challenging for you - the AI tech much faster, so they might outtech you, and now you will not have the chance to beeline a tech no one else got and trade you out of the hole.

 

[krille]

For my next game, I'll probably turn on the "No Tech Brokering" option. Right now I hate how whenever I trade my most advanced tech to any AI (other than perhaps the AI Tech-Leader Mansa) a couple of turns later everyone has the tech. And it may very well be an advanced military tech I just gave to my DP buddy. *SIGH*

 

[AljayBoy]

For my next game, I'll probably turn on the "No Tech Brokering" option. Right now I hate how whenever I trade my most advanced tech to any AI (other than perhaps the AI Tech-Leader Mansa) a couple of turns later everyone has the tech. And it may very well be an advanced military tech I just gave to my DP buddy. *SIGH*

Yeah, that was one of the biggest things that annoyed me pre BTS. I'd give some war type techs to my vassals so they might be useful when we are at war, then a few turns later they traded them for other ones with neutral civs, then a few turns after that my enemys have them.

So now no tech brockering is a must in all my games.

 

[Jabba]

Yeah, that was one of the biggest things that annoyed me pre BTS. I'd give some war type techs to my vassals so they might be useful when we are at war, then a few turns later they traded them for other ones with neutral civs, then a few turns after that my enemys have them.

So now no tech brockering is a must in all my games.

Of course, you could just not trade away the tech!

 

[Marigwen]

I think it would be very hard to play at the higher levels with no tech trading. I generally use it as a core part of my approach. I get alphabet as early as I can manage, and then don't bother with the techs that the other civs are getting and instead get the slightly unusual ones. I don't generally go for a diplomacy win, so then as soon as I've gotten a major new tech, I just start at the bottom of the list and work up, trading that same tech to every civ who can come up with something to offer me. I can generally cover most of the regular techs that way, plus I usually get a big chunk of money as well, as I extract all the extra money out of the other civs as I go by. Sometimes I can even make a second pass the next turn, as I trade something I've gotten from one civ to a different one that doesn't have it.

You have to be pretty careful about your choice of techs, but I've managed to extract myself out of some pretty deep holes using this approach, for instance, when it's taken me a very long time to find the rest of the civs, and they've accumulated a big tech lead.

You do have to watch the war tech, too. The AIs are sticky about trading those, and you can't afford to fall behind in that area.

 

[Infantry#14]

no tech trading is easy at low diff say monarch or lower, but harder on diff emperor and higher

 

[Sisiutil]

Yeah, that was one of the biggest things that annoyed me pre BTS. I'd give some war type techs to my vassals so they might be useful when we are at war, then a few turns later they traded them for other ones with neutral civs, then a few turns after that my enemys have them.

So now no tech brockering is a must in all my games.

That sounds to me more like one more reason to leave it off, as free tech trading creates more of a level playing field.

 

[JustinianVII]

No Tech Brokering. The AI trade freely with each other, but will always screw and exclude you, the human player, at every opportunity. This levels it at least a little bit.

 

[Sisiutil]

No Tech Brokering. The AI trade freely with each other, but will always screw and exclude you, the human player, at every opportunity. This levels it at least a little bit.

Sorry, but that's inaccurate. When No Tech Brokering is on, that rule applies to the AI civs as well--they can't trade techs "freely", they can only trade away techs that they themselves have researched, just like you.

I'm gradually finding, as I try them out, that the custom game settings do not benefit the AI. On the contrary, the AI seems designed to operate best under the standard rule set, and custom settings, in my experience, tend to "throw the AI off its game".

 

[krille]

So, what do you think, No Tech Brokering - easier or harder?

 

[AljayBoy]

That sounds to me more like one more reason to leave it off, as free tech trading creates more of a level playing field.

It's not about being fair, and it's not supposed to be level - there are winners losers and superpowers and vassals. The incentive for researching anything at all for yourself is reduced if the playing field was level.
If I have put the effort into getting a tech then I want the rewards, getting techs without putting the effort - now that isn't fair.

 

[zeolite]

You do have to watch the war tech, too. The AIs are sticky about trading those, and you can't afford to fall behind in that area.

That can work to your advantage because if you trade a war tech to an AI and they are reluctant to trade it with anyone else then that leaves you free to trade it with any other AI's you wish. It also means that you can trade it with an ally and not have to worry so much about it ending up in enemy hands.

 

[Wodan]

I generally like having some mix of tech progress among the AIs. It's like having 3rd world countries.

As has been mentioned, the AI trade techs around like the clap.

Anyway these days all I do is play with both trading and brokering off.

Wodan

 

[Marigwen]

So for those folks who play with tech trading and tech brokering off - who plays at Prince or higher this way, and how do you deal with the AI's natural tech lead?

 

[Wodan]

The AI does not have a "natural tech lead".

A human can intelligently lightbulb and build economic infrastructure much better than the AI can. Thus, the human inevitably gains a tech lead and stays there. Unless he or she is blatantly ignoring economy such as protracted warring, large WW, REX, large unit maint costs, or too much of a focus on production.

Wodan

ps I play on Emperor.

 

[Wodan]

That said, some of the AIs will do better than others. Cyrus, Mansa, and Hannibal are examples.

Wodan

 

[alco75]

I don't have BtS; what's 'brokering' as opposed to 'trading'? Is this where you sell techs for cash, rather than trading them for other techs?

 

[Wodan]

No brokering means you can only trade techs that you researched yourself.

Wodan

 

[krille]

The AI does not have a "natural tech lead".

A human can intelligently lightbulb and build economic infrastructure much better than the AI can. Thus, the human inevitably gains a tech lead and stays there. Unless he or she is blatantly ignoring economy such as protracted warring, large WW, REX, large unit maint costs, or too much of a focus on production.

Wodan

ps I play on Emperor.

Try a Deity OCC.

So for those folks who play with tech trading and tech brokering off - who plays at Prince or higher this way, and how do you deal with the AI's natural tech lead?

Escape + Retire worked pretty well last game... (Deity OCC.)