Russian Research Rate

[Corm]

I may be being daft here (or paranoid of the AI's tricksy ways) but is the Russian Civs research rate tweaked in anyway to make their research slower. I don't qualify as a Giga empire (yet) so im wondering why everything is a chore for me to research even with Library s, Monasteries and Science specialist's in my 5 or so cities? I have decent income and a Science rate of 80% (and making a 3gp profit a turn) yet im being whipped in the tech stakes by every other Civ except Mongolia.

 

[onedreamer]

I'd rather think the land is responsible. Many forests, no sea tiles... I built a lot of windmills and watermills, and assigned some cities to produce research in turns (one thing you don't miss as Russia is production). Also trading techs with slower civs is a key factor. I won pretty easily with Russia (UHV), I was the first to build Apollo Program (Monarch level).

 

[simakis]

Just get all the good land to west before Germany at the start and you´ll have some good cities for science&money, rest of the land is plains and not good enough except for production.

 

[Theodorick]

Yeah land to the west is vital for research. The east is mostly just for production, and it takes a while to get it all formed right even for that. The exception is a bit of land far to the east, right above Mongolia. If you can grab that before Mongolia does, that's a good place to build a summer palace and spam cottages. But bring a sizable army there! Mongolia always seems to declare war on me right when I grab those lush grasslands above them.

Oh and another thing. Constantinople is right below you, so why not conquer it as early as possible? It seems everyone's after that city, from Turkey to Germany, and for good reason, especially in the 600 AD start. Unless the Greeks did something stupid like settle aegea, or whatever it is called, then Constantinople will be the most powerful city for much of the early middle ages, and if played right, right into the early industrial age.

 

[Lone Wolf]

Constantinople will be the most powerful city for much of the early middle ages

Oh, really? In RFC Warlords, Constantinople, Asia Minor, and Mesopotamia are usually most undeveloped settled land in the world - I even sometimes open the WorldBuilder and add some improvements there. It is usually a battlefield between Persians, Babylonians, Arabians, Turks and Barbarians. Since the Warlords AI has a tendency to pillage as opposed to taking cities (and also a tendency to manage its units really, and I mean really horribly) the result is quite sad. But RFC BTS sounds like a much better exprience to me...

 

[Tboy]

In BTS, Constantinople starts with Hagia Sofia, is fairly well-developed and often builds the spiral minaret in the 600AD start. That and its strategic location make it an important city to get.

 

[Whitefire]

Compared to Western Europe, Russia was behind the curve when it came to technological advancement. Although, I would agree that this is, perhaps, a bit too severe in the game.

 

[Theodorick]

In BTS, Constantinople starts with Hagia Sofia, is fairly well-developed and often builds the spiral minaret in the 600AD start. That and its strategic location make it an important city to get.

Oh yes Constantinople is VITAL in the 600AD start. If I'm in Europe I go after Constantinople even before Rome!

 

[Gunner]

I'm fairly certain that Russia's overall commerce rate is hampered in the code, as seen by its low financial stars rating. Much of the guide I wrote for playing Russia was concerned with overcoming this disadvantage.

 

[Corm]

I agree. Its still a good guide btw but maybe you could revisit it under BtS?

 

[Gunner]

I agree. Its still a good guide btw but maybe you could revisit it under BtS?

Yeah I guess I should. I might get around to it at some point.

 

[onedreamer]

Compared to Western Europe, Russia was behind the curve when it came to technological advancement. Although, I would agree that this is, perhaps, a bit too severe in the game.

don't know, Russia was one of my easiest UHV victories (I repeated it a couple of times), and it requires a good research rate... I think perhaps people colonize too much toward the east. I don't go beyond Omsk and I certainly do go after Constantinopolis... and the only wars I've fought were defensive wars (mostly vs Mongolia).
The main problem with Russia is that it comes later than others in Europe. And others have already traded most techs since they're all christian friends. You should find someone slower and trade with them, and research those techs the AI doesn't beeline to, then trade. From the end of the Industrial Age Russia should become a real power, especially in production. And you should use its production power to research (ie build research).

 

[Theodorick]

the key to russian victory is land development. I don't even enter Siberia until the 16th century. Before that I have serfdom on and all spamming workers, so every workable square is 100% developed by time I move into siberia. This turns my cities into a production powerhouse, and also I can easily switch this to research--also the Baltic area becomes a economic powerhouse. Constantinopolis becomes a great place to pump out units of all kind if you're fine with using slavery before you convert to serfdom. Also, 2 workers working at a time in groups under serfdom should be enough. That combo builds a road in 1 turn, and most improvements in 2 turns. I usually have 7 groups of two running around.

also prepare for communism. with your gigantic size, you'll probably want to grab communism asap--I usually get it by the 18th century, as I rush to it. I only get out of it after my rapid expansion is complete, and when I think I can handle it without communism, which is around the early 20th century. By then I have territory from eastern germany to northern japan!

 

[onedreamer]

fully up Theodorick, except for Constantinopolis. You just build Minsk with Pigs, Deers and Cows and that is a real food powerhouse to make settlers and workers, with much less maintenance problems and without having to defend a city in a very strategic position that many powers want for themselves.

 

[Theodorick]

fully up Theodorick, except for Constantinopolis. You just build Minsk with Pigs, Deers and Cows and that is a real food powerhouse to make settlers and workers, with much less maintenance problems and without having to defend a city in a very strategic position that many powers want for themselves.

Actually I've always used Minsk as a specialist city to slowly push German culture back, and give me a few easy GP to play with. Constantinopolis has always been a place to whip out settlers... though this does sort of ruin my game if I can't get that city, or if I lose it. But that's why I ignore siberia for so long... so I can defend, perfect my land, and try and destroy/neutralize Turkey. I've never had anyone else but Turkey be a problem down there, except for sometimes Germany. France and Spain are too busy with the Atlantic--or in some cases, fighting each other!--and Britian and Scandinavia are generally occupied with other matters too. Rome, typically, is either destroyed, or a shell of its former self. Greece is usually destroyed, or easy to topple. And the middle east rarely makes it there.

 

[onedreamer]

Interesting, I shall have a try

 

[Dunedein]

I found it exceedingly easy to gain a tech lead as Russia. I turned St. Pete's into one big commerce/cottage spam whatever, and built a couple cottages around Vilnius(west of Moscow east of Berlin), and I was pretty much fine. I looked for trades every turn. I even won the race for liberalism!
Just some decent city specialization and you should be fine.

And uh I built my obligatory three cities in Siberia required to fulfill that UHV in the 1400s no problems. I don't know what it is, but as Russia city maintenance seems to be really low.

 

[Rod]

See with the Russia the most fun is to go to East. There is simply soo much land there. Somebody has to settle it. That is why I play Russia. If I want to win without settling I can also play anything else.

In anyway. I always move Moscow one tile down(Ryazan) and I settle Kiev and Vilnius in the West early + a north of Moscow where I can chop rush workers.

Kiev, Moscow, Vilnius get cottage spammed and just from time to time, the plague will dampen you. Sibiria shall be settled as late as possible. and then you can expand slowly further and further into Sibiria ..