Quick Answers

[Ginger_Ale]

1. Well, there is no way to accurately predict how long it will take them, but you can use your criteria and factor in the "Cost Factor". On Monarch level, the cost factor is 9. That means something that takes you 10 shields to build will take them 9. A tech that requires 100 beakers will only require them 90 beakers. However, since the AI isn't as smart as a human, when figuring out tech research rates, I would add ~5-10% to the cost factory (making Monarch 9.5 - 10). They just aren't as smart when it comes to building the right improvements, and limiting their military. So a Monarch level AI might research that tech in about the same time as you (at the most).

2. It depends. If the rich AI has an important tech, I would go for the tech right away before your tech's value goes lower as you sell it around. Money can't do much, techs can do a whole lot more. You can then sell your tech and the AI's tech you aquired for even more gold than you would get. It's just trading to maximize your benefits.

 

[Whomp]

I just traded 9 gpt for tech and then hit "enter"....they asked for tribute (even though they are at war with another already). If I decline and they declare is there a rep hit? I assume not but want to make sure.

 

[klopolov]

Well, what I meant was:
Say I have Steam power and three of the AIs have nationalism. AI #1 has a lux and lots of money, AI #2 has a lux, but almost no money, and the AI#3 has no lux and no money, but they all have Nationalism. Should I get the lux and as much money as I can from AIs #1 and #2 and get nationalism from the third one?

 

[Ginger_Ale]

I just traded 9 gpt for tech and then hit "enter"....they asked for tribute (even though they are at war with another already). If I decline and they declare is there a rep hit? I assume not but want to make sure.

No, there would be no reputation hit. They were the ones to declare war, not you. You could have units in their territory, and when they declared war, and you attacked, you still wouldn't've gotten a reputation hit.

Well, what I meant was:
Say I have Steam power and three of the AIs have nationalism. AI #1 has a lux and lots of money, AI #2 has a lux, but almost no money, and the AI#3 has no lux and no money, but they all have Nationalism. Should I get the lux and as much money as I can from AIs #1 and #2 and get nationalism from the third one?

No, I would get the tech first. The more and more civs that know the tech, the less it will be worth (and you might not be able to get Nationalism if you trade it to #1 and #2 first). Techs are worth more than luxuries, so you can always get those after selling your tech for techs and money.

Example:

If only one civ knows Steam Power (you), on a Standard Size map (7 opponents) and on Monarch, the tech cost of Steam Power is 2971 gold. If 3 of the 8 civs total know Nationalism, it's cost in gold is 2514. Therefore, sell it for Nationalism and get ~400 gold too, and then sell it for all the gold and luxuries you can get. Once you sell it to a second AI, it will only be worth 2742 gold (it depreciates as more people know the tech).

All calculations were done with Grey Fox's TechCalc and done assuming any additional AIs hadn't put any research into the 2 techs.

 

[Whomp]

They may not do it because you've traded it to the other Civs so it carries less value. You may have to give cash or more techs or both to pull olff the last trade.

 

[klopolov]

ok, thanks!

 

[Whomp]

Good thanks Ginger! They have their hands full already.

 

[a4phantom]

Whomp, if I understand your situation you're very lucky. You just got a free tech, since the civ is invalidating their own payment (9gpt from you)? Wow.

 

[Whomp]

On Demigod too!!
I turned around and traded for Iron working11 gpt with babs. Question is should I get an embassy and get a MA with the Babs....they are at war with the Americans too!?!

 

[Whomp]

BTW I made peace without a encounter with Americans. Traded Horseback and 45 G for CoL and Map Making
Now....two turns later....Babs want 3 G. THEY DECLARE!!!
I just had another 17 gpt freed up!!! UNREAL!! I will have to battle this time though.

 

[gmaharriet]

Hi! This is my first post here. I've had vanilla Civ III for about a month, playing chieftain. This board has been an enormous help in learning how to improve my play. I hope these questions don't sound silly, but I think they should be quick and easy.

1. Is there any way to put the game on hold while I look at my email or an online site without saving and quitting the game, then reloading it to start again?

2. I bought the game new, and I can't find a version number (like 1.17 or whatever) on the box or by looking at the program with windows explorer. I've read this entire thread and can't always understand the explanations if they refer to a specific version.

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[Flintlock]

1. You can hit the windows button, the one in between Ctrl and Alt, which opens up the start menu, and then run a program from there.

2. On the screen with the menus (not sure what it's called ) the version number is in the bottom left.

Thanks in advance for the help.

no problem

 

[gmaharriet]

Thank you, Flintlock! I have version 1.29f and the game is up and running right now.

 

[sausnebb]

Do you get a rep hit by destroying a civ? Do anyone know about an article or something about the reputation? I have just moved up to Emperor and I believe the rep. is more important at this level.
Thanks

 

[Ginger_Ale]

You don't take a reputation hit (as long as you declared war honestly - no sneak attacks while in their territory, RoP rape, etc.)

From, this article by Bamspeedy about AI attitude:

-1 to -3 for each enemy unit (of common enemies) you destroy and tiles you pillage, -7 for razing an enemy city, but all of this is temporary - AFTER the war or the civ is destroyed, you will get the +1 penalty for each razed city added back on, plus the +1 penalty for declaring war (even if you had joined the alliance). Any damage you did prior to signing the alliance (but during that same war) gets immediately added on. The total effect seems to cap at -15 for doing damage and having an alliance, -13 if you do everything else, but don’t have the alliance in place. This decays at -1 each turn, unless you destroy a unit or pillage a tile each turn to keep it at the maximum. So when peace comes and the -15 ‘temporary’ points is automatically taken off, it may seem like you took an attitude hit by signing peace or destroying the civ, because the other AI have a worse attitude towards you.

So it might seem like you got an attitude hit, however.

 

[The Fjonis]

Ginger Ale, I just tried DyP for the first time - and WOW!!! That's simply incredible. So many new techs, units, concepts etc, it's just like a completely new game! Thank you for telling me about it; I'm going to look at ginger ale (the beverage) with completely new eyes from now on!

 

[sausnebb]

Thanks a lot GA! I have allways believed the opposite. So the attitude hit concerns all of the known civs then?

 

[Gogf]

Yes, it does.

 

[Ginger_Ale]

The attitude of the AI's that you know of will sometimes be a bit better during the war if they are at war with a civ you are at war with also, and then back to around normal after the war.

 

[sausnebb]

BTW, if you attack a civ of which you have just made peace with, then you'll get a rep hit right? But then, how do know if you have a such peace treaty if not counting the turns?