Researching
- Thread starter Jamesmor
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Yzman
Deity
Depends what level. On Monarch I research in the early age but then quickly start to buy techs after the first 5. On all lower levels I just research myself and can stay far ahead.
I'm trying to work a plan for research while playing on deity
These are my findings:
- At the beginning you can research any first science (even better if you are commercial).
- Then you can only get reasonable results if you either know all/most of the AI or after literature (and libraries everywhere)
- Some research with libraries at the ancient age late stage techs (like currency or construction)
- Min science until education (try the low branch of the tree, the AI postpones that)
- Research as hard as possible after universities have been built (goes until steam power but if you can buy it, the earlier, the better)
- Min science towards rep parts and espionage, buying everything you can.
- After Intelligence Agency steal tech (in communism - you get veteran spies - i'm not 100% on this).
Like I said I'm still working on this. And of course get maximum from trading (learn the low priority techs for the AI: engineering, chemistry). At the beginning of the modern age you must get something, there are so many techs there that you must get one that the others don't have.
I'm happy to see your comments on this but won't be around to answer them for a couple of weeks.
These are my findings:
- At the beginning you can research any first science (even better if you are commercial).
- Then you can only get reasonable results if you either know all/most of the AI or after literature (and libraries everywhere)
- Some research with libraries at the ancient age late stage techs (like currency or construction)
- Min science until education (try the low branch of the tree, the AI postpones that)
- Research as hard as possible after universities have been built (goes until steam power but if you can buy it, the earlier, the better)
- Min science towards rep parts and espionage, buying everything you can.
- After Intelligence Agency steal tech (in communism - you get veteran spies - i'm not 100% on this).
Like I said I'm still working on this. And of course get maximum from trading (learn the low priority techs for the AI: engineering, chemistry). At the beginning of the modern age you must get something, there are so many techs there that you must get one that the others don't have.
I'm happy to see your comments on this but won't be around to answer them for a couple of weeks.
Gothmog
Dread Enforcer
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Also playing at Diety:
Early on I make sure and get crucial techs: Bronze/Iron Working, Ceremonial Burial, and Pottery. Best is to trade for them very early on when your inital techs still haven't been discovered by everyone, but sometimes research is necessary. Then I tend to slog towards writing so I can negotiate properly. After that unless I can broker effectively I fall way behind in techs, research at min third or fourth, try to buy or trade if possible. I will often get some techs from an early war. I try to build up my scientific improvements so that later in the game I can research and trade techs and hopefully catch up sometime in industrial times.
Early on I make sure and get crucial techs: Bronze/Iron Working, Ceremonial Burial, and Pottery. Best is to trade for them very early on when your inital techs still haven't been discovered by everyone, but sometimes research is necessary. Then I tend to slog towards writing so I can negotiate properly. After that unless I can broker effectively I fall way behind in techs, research at min third or fourth, try to buy or trade if possible. I will often get some techs from an early war. I try to build up my scientific improvements so that later in the game I can research and trade techs and hopefully catch up sometime in industrial times.
Sullla
Patrician Roman Dictator
When playing on Deity, you will almost certainly need to research a tech or two yourself in the first 20-30 turns, critical starting techs that you lack such as Bronze Working, Pottery, or Ceremonial Burial. After that, you are almost always better off in setting science to 10% for 40-turn min science work on one tech, Writing generally being the best choice. You can use your income made over this span to buy (and hopefully broker) contacts, found embassies once you get Writing, and buy techs you missed at last-civ prices. I personally like to run a second 40-turn min science strategy on either Literature or the Republic after that, since both are expensive techs that are critical to have.
By this point in time, you are a long way behind in tech but that's perfectly natural for Deity. During the Middle Ages you either build up your civ infrastructure or fight a war to gain more territory, possibly both if you are lucky. I usually am trading away excess luxuries and resources (and even non-excess ones) in exchange for techs at last-civ prices. By the time the Industrial Age rolls around, you should have a chance to begin your own research, going after techs the AI usually ignores like Sanitation, and trading them around to stay caught up in tech. By the late Industrial Age, it's possible to get a slight edge on the AI civs, although you will never be able to leave them in the dust on Deity unless they are absolutely crippled by intercine warfare.
The basic strategy though is to reasearch one or two early techs at full tilt, then buy techs for a very long time while running a min science strategy or two, finally turning on research again at some time in the Industrial Age and staying in the lead or close to it. I have no trouble staying ahead of the AI on any level other than Deity, so I'm not going to mention them here; you can likely follow the same strategy to good effect on the other levels.
By this point in time, you are a long way behind in tech but that's perfectly natural for Deity. During the Middle Ages you either build up your civ infrastructure or fight a war to gain more territory, possibly both if you are lucky. I usually am trading away excess luxuries and resources (and even non-excess ones) in exchange for techs at last-civ prices. By the time the Industrial Age rolls around, you should have a chance to begin your own research, going after techs the AI usually ignores like Sanitation, and trading them around to stay caught up in tech. By the late Industrial Age, it's possible to get a slight edge on the AI civs, although you will never be able to leave them in the dust on Deity unless they are absolutely crippled by intercine warfare.
The basic strategy though is to reasearch one or two early techs at full tilt, then buy techs for a very long time while running a min science strategy or two, finally turning on research again at some time in the Industrial Age and staying in the lead or close to it. I have no trouble staying ahead of the AI on any level other than Deity, so I'm not going to mention them here; you can likely follow the same strategy to good effect on the other levels.
Gundam
Chieftain
Never research until medieval age...just build your infrastructure until then -works like a charm on emperor+ levels-
U can win a war even on deity
P
U can win a war even on deity
P
I like to play monarch sometimes emperor.
I start with min. reseach a 40 th tech. I choose a level two tech like Iron working, horsemanship, or writing. Explore like mad and find other civs. I always trade. Always.
The second tech is writing if I played anything other than a comm civ, because then it is Literature. Same 40 turn research.
After this I may increase my tech rate, but never more than the first break. The first time it moves from 40 to something else.
I start real reseach after my government change and sometime in the beginning of the Middle Ages.
I start with min. reseach a 40 th tech. I choose a level two tech like Iron working, horsemanship, or writing. Explore like mad and find other civs. I always trade. Always.
The second tech is writing if I played anything other than a comm civ, because then it is Literature. Same 40 turn research.
After this I may increase my tech rate, but never more than the first break. The first time it moves from 40 to something else.
I start real reseach after my government change and sometime in the beginning of the Middle Ages.
Gothmog
Dread Enforcer
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Hades: Never research or research at min? In a recent game I was lucky to broker between 3 civs early in the game (like the first 20 turns) and I got all the 1st level techs. Then before I could spit the other civs were like 3 techs ahead of me and even Jonie wanted all my $ plus all my gpt for writing! Researching at min gave me Iron Working and I finally bought writing (for 175 gp) but by this time they all 5 techs ahead. How do you fight an early war without archers or swordsmen?
Ribannah
Fighter Druid
A better tech to research at minimum science is Polytheism. The AI will ignore it for a long time and once you get it, you can make spectacular trades. Iron Working is too cheap to spend 40 turns on.
If you are militaristic you could build archer from the start; if you are commerical, you could build spearman from the start. If I were neither, I would trade my start up techs to get either one of these. I usually just get warrior code and start killing people with my archers then buy bronze and iron working from other civs at ALL cost. Once I have iron working, I don't have to trade tech for a while since they won't be obsolete until musketmen! I would just buy them when they get really cheap. But I would try to get tech to build temple, courthouse, and marketplace.
Gothmog
Dread Enforcer
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Hades: Sounds like we actually handle this in a similar fashion. Though I do tend to go with min research, I figure 40 turns at 1-3 gpt is worth a tech. If I am on an island, or only have contact with one or two other civs then I am forced to research a bit more. In my current game I am 7 techs behind, but I have the ones I need. Still I am researching Republic at min, costing me 3-4 gpt. Fudalism is around the corner and I will have to trade/buy/take that ASAP.
Does anyone have a definitive (as far as is possible) guide to which routes the AI takes to research.
Generally there's little point researching along the same route cos you can always buy those techs more cheaply than you can research them.
Taking the little used routes can bring you a hatful of money.
Has anyone sat down and sketched the AI preferred routes??
Generally there's little point researching along the same route cos you can always buy those techs more cheaply than you can research them.
Taking the little used routes can bring you a hatful of money.
Has anyone sat down and sketched the AI preferred routes??
Rebannah:
I was listing level 2 techs, because that is the highest one can research at to start with.. Polytheism is a level 3 tech, it follows mysticism.
The simpliest way to put it is for the first tech (Writing, Iron working, Horsemanship, Mysticism, or Mathematics) one of those is normally your best choice. Take the one you're able to because it will be limited by what civ you play, but I try like made to make writing my 2nd tech at least. If I'm not a commercial civ I find one and give them whatever they want for Alphabet.
I keep reseach to a min. because I want cash to trade. I have never had to reseach a starting tech yet, but then I've never been standed on an island either.
I was listing level 2 techs, because that is the highest one can research at to start with.. Polytheism is a level 3 tech, it follows mysticism.
The simpliest way to put it is for the first tech (Writing, Iron working, Horsemanship, Mysticism, or Mathematics) one of those is normally your best choice. Take the one you're able to because it will be limited by what civ you play, but I try like made to make writing my 2nd tech at least. If I'm not a commercial civ I find one and give them whatever they want for Alphabet.
I keep reseach to a min. because I want cash to trade. I have never had to reseach a starting tech yet, but then I've never been standed on an island either.
Arrian
Warlord
The AI will go up the top of the ancient tech tree - gunning for construction. They will also go for republic (getting code of laws/philosophy on the way). They will go for literature if the GL hasn't been built. They also make a point of getting map making, so they can go nuts with map trading.
Generally speaking, the Monarchy route is the one they go for the least... but having a couple of expansionists on your continent may screw that up too.
On Monarch, I typically research Bronze, Iron, Wheel, Warrior code, and Horseback Riding. Then I unleash my hordes and beat tech out of my neighbors until the early middle ages. Then I ramp up my own research and hopefully blow the AI away in tech.
-Arrian
Generally speaking, the Monarchy route is the one they go for the least... but having a couple of expansionists on your continent may screw that up too.
On Monarch, I typically research Bronze, Iron, Wheel, Warrior code, and Horseback Riding. Then I unleash my hordes and beat tech out of my neighbors until the early middle ages. Then I ramp up my own research and hopefully blow the AI away in tech.
-Arrian
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