The hides caravan is 4 moves away from Bombay and still has movement left, so it will get there in 3 turns (800ad). To avoid wasting beakers, we should either complete research on Medicine by then, or else be somewhere around 1/3 done so the delivery can finish the job. If we go with the recommended tax rate of 40%, well probably be about 75% done and the caravan will be stuck in no-mans land for a couple turns waiting for medicine.
Thats no good.
Decisions, decisions, decisions!
Heres my dilemma: Should I suggest we go after this the way I probably would do it myself, or should I stand firm on protecting the turf of the Science Ministry?
To heck with turf, lets have fun.
Im changing my mind and
voting for the 0% science option although Id actually prefer to keep 10% just to keep things moving a little. If it does end up being 0%, just make sure we have an Einstein to push techs over when/if camel deliveries fill the box.
We have a lot of things we want to build just to get our infrastructure set up. We have a lot of improvements in progress in cities that need to build other stuff. We want 7 settlers. We arent able to capitalize on the things we know now, so Ive come to the difficult conclusion that rushing to complete research on engineering and sanitation will do us little good. Once we get a sewer in Dou, well want to start celebrations soon, but without Shakes that will be difficult to grow more than a few more citizens. Even at 60% luxuries, it takes a specialist to keep the redheads away in Dou. When we do start to celebrate Dou, we should be ready to bring at least a few more cities along with it. We definitely are not ready for that.
So I now think we need to just bite the bullet and spend the money to improve the infrastructure. Weve got about 600g worth of rushbuys, just to finish the improvements in progress, not counting any camels or settlers. That doesnt even begin to address bribing barbs.
This goes against the grain for what a Science minister is probably supposed to do, but I think we should pull back the research for now. Only the Indians are close to us in techs, and even theyre not that close. Lets put this thing away now.
If we have a hundred-or-so gold per turn to spend, plus the caravan deliveries when they start coming in, we should be able to get most of what we need before too long.
So I say
Rush the Dou caravans!
Complete the in-progress improvements!
Start the camels walking!
Get those settlers shoveling!
Rush Newton and Shakes!!! (probably with camels)
Establish internal trade routes!!!!
If any AI starts getting close to any critical techs, we can turn on our science at 60-70% and jump back ahead in just a couple turns. In the meantime, we just become stronger.
My Deputy Science minister will probably try to get me impeached
for essentially abandoning research at this time, but thats the way Id play if it were my game. Id rather get the trade routes and SSC wonders now instead of trying to do it a little bit at a time. More research doesn't help us if we're not prepared to take advantage of it. Half measures rarely work well. If were going to improve internally, we may as well commit to it wholeheartedly.