Technology Trading Off - A Problem for Higher Difficulties?

[rsmithuf]

I've gradually increased my difficulty level over the past few months - now to Monarch and always with technology trading turned off in the game settings (BtS). It seems at easier difficulty levels, I almost always had a technology advantage over the AI players, so I wanted to ensure that would be the case by not allowing anyone to trade technology and catch up.

It seems now that on Monarchy+, it is really difficult to research all technology areas and still maintain a tech lead (usually parity) and makes it more difficult to win (usually play on domination victories only).

Am I the only one hesitant to enable tech trading? It seems that in all the good players on these forums at the highest difficulty levels always trade technologies, and are good at it. Any advice if I want to try enabling tech trading? Maybe my crutch will force me to relearn what techs are important and which are not - and should be traded for.

Maybe I should also turn back on barbarians

 

[Rusten]

I started a deity game with TT off this week actually, but I didn't get far enough to tell much yet. I was curious as well but I'd assume it's harder. Most of the time on immortal+ you aim for friendly allies to avoid wfyabta completely which means that you trade much more than the AI (even if their wfyabta caps are higher). The human player also trades for the costly techs--not fishing.

It makes a nice change from always following the tech path where it's easy to trade. I'm going to try an always war game when I have time too.

 

[oyzar]

I seldom play with tech trading on... But then again i mostly play mp . (in sp i mostly play with it on).

 

[DaveMcW]

When you find yourself playing catch-up, it's time to learn how to trade techs.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

The greater the amount of land you have, the more TT off is beneficial. Global tech rate is slower even with brokering off, let alone TT altogether.

To me, this implies beelining a military tech advantage (the AI is bad at this), and then taking as much land as you can afford. Monarch/emperor/whatever bonuses mean a lot less if you have more land than the AIs. I'd imagine the dynamics of TT off on high levels would be interesting though - massive tech differences between civs over time.

If isolated, you can go with economy techs and you'll actually have an ADVANTAGE for being isolated, rare case as you'll probably have a good amount of land to begin with, the ability to abuse trade routes, and no tech penalty for not trading...!

Edit: as DaveMCW says, tech trading = catch up. Lots of land and good trade strategy can put you in front lightning fast. Just research towards a tech that most of the AIs don't have, and trade whore it massively for HUGE beaker worth beyond what you spend on the tech itself. Selling resources is a plus too.

 

[r_rolo1]

Rusten, AW does not mean no TT ....

In spite of that AI in AW tend to shun alphabet.....

 

[Rusten]

Rusten, AW does not mean no TT ....

In spite of that AI in AW tend to shun alphabet.....

I know, that's why I said "going to"--as in some other time.
I just put it in there as other alternatives where you play a very different game--it seemed on topic seeing as the player won't get to trade any techs.

I seldom play with tech trading on... But then again i mostly play mp . (in sp i mostly play with it on).

That's what got me to tick the box. I wanted to play some games to the end without trading due to having started playing MP.

 

[TheDS]

I can barely imagine playing without tech trading, except as a horrendous handicap comparable to Permanent War + Aggressive AI + Raging Barbs.

Sounds to me like you need to devote effort to developing your spy network.

Turning off Barbs is another needless handicap. Free XP, man!

 

[TheMeInTeam]

It isn't free. I view no barbs as an advantage - I can easily ignore defenses I'd normally make at no cost until the AIs are more inclined to DoW. The AIs still make lots of archer escorts and such, slowing them down. It's even more of an advantage in isolation.

I'm not sold on tech trading off being a disadvantage. With just tech brokering off my emperor games go from moderately challenging to...easy...really easy. With the AIs branching their nonsense every which way it is easy to get a military tech lead even if you're 1000's of beakers behind. Then you take their cities and you won't be behind for very long.

 

[Joshua368]

I would say tech trading is a handicap for the AI (because of how stupid it is techwise), but I leave it on because I think it makes the game more interesting. Plus trading techs is simply fun. Sometimes I turn off brokering though.

Also anyone who turns off barbarians is a wimp. Go build the great wall if you can't stand them!

 

[MrCynical]

It's a major advantage on the higher difficulty levels to be able to trade tech. The AI is plain incompetant at trading tech, with the result you can often get whole techs purely by brokering - i.e. at no real cost to you. It's a lot harder if you can't trade as then you have to rely on pure research output, where the AI has the advantage. That said, once you do manage to reach tech parity the AI is never likely to overtake you again with tech trading off.

No tech brokering provides a good compromise between the advantage of tech trading and the dull diplomacy of turning it off completely.

 

[dubrown]

This may not be anything new that hasn't been said above already, but with no tech trading on the game will be harder on higher difficulties, atleast in the early stage that can make or break a game. On the other hand, using the no tech brokering option will make the game easier as you can abuse the AI in ways the AI can't do themselves.

Overall, a human that has mastered the art of tech trading will always benefit more from it than the AI, despite the AI trading left to right to friends and enemies alike.

So if you find yourself in a hard spot when going up a difficult level, try it first with "no tech brokering" on, that'll ease things up a bit.