Techs

[Torakami_Bltzen]

hi i look throughout the war academy but i see no definitive guide for getting ahead in techs... is there any helpful posts outthere cos i'm having a difficult time with getting good at techs

 

[Thrawn]

Trade with the ai. Democracy is the best tech for researching. Build roads, libraries, universities, etc. Increase your science rate. And if you start to get a lead, don't sell techs to the ai unless your really far ahead. Any kind of help?

 

[dominox]

not really a way to get ahead, but at harder levels (atleast emperor/deity) it's better to skip research at all, and just buy/trade the resources from the enemy.
Late in game, when techs get EXTREMELY expensive, use your spies

 

[Ribannah]

There is only one way to get ahead in science: build up your economy, so you can afford it.

Otherwise and before that, trying to get ahead is simply not a good strategy, you'll be much better off by trading tech or even by lagging behind an buying everything cheap.

 

[Pembroke]

AI likes to trade with other AIs, even with very minor ones. Therefore after eventually an inferior nation has acquired some techs you want, attack and kick them until they are ready to talk. Then blackm... kindly ask them to share their wisdom in exchange for peace. Repeat when bored.

This style is similar to the GL strategy in that it is best to concentrate your research to tech paths the AI does not favor and then fill the gaps with trade or war.

 

[ainwood]

I find that at times the AI is more willing to be completely wiped-out than give you a tech for peace, especially if you have a bad reputation. And I find that stealing techs is prohibitively expensive.

The Theory Of Evolution is a good thing to use to catch up, and capturing the Great Library (or building it yourself) is extremely useful at higher levels.

If you can actually bee-line for Scientific Method, rush the TOE (Or build it even), you can then swap the techs you get for most of the ones you've missed.

One thing I will say is that having a good reputation is very important - trade often with the AI, even if its just selling your world map for 1 GP - it pays off later.

 

[Civanator]

sometimes the AI will trade tech for tech. In my game i was using egypt and i traded Banking for astronomy cause i was researching Economics. But in 320 AD the game froze on me so it made no difference .

 

[Republic_Outlaw]

Was it a scenario you were playing or was it a regular random map? Because my game also freezes when i change the rules in a scenario O well i usually trade for techs if not send most funding to science. ie:Because im usually loaded with cash

 

[DaDoo]

it all depend on what difficulty you are playing.

warlord or below: You might get away with researching most of your tech. Definitely trade with AI's regularly just to check up to see if they got a tech you don't have then trade them.

regent or above: There is no way you can get ahead in tech in the beginning unless you can somehow get your hand on the Great Library(either build it or capture it) or trading it extensively. If you are lucky enough to be able to corner the market on 1 luxury resource, trade THAT to AI for tech and money and their first born.

 

[solarjetman]

The thing about a tech lead, is that it's not always necessary. Look at a lot of techs in the Ancient Age; Mysticism, Polytheism, Construction, Currency. If you want to wage war, you basically only need Iron Working, though Horseback Riding is nice. If you can get the GL you can get up into the Middle Ages without researching anything but early warfare techs and Literature. And even if you can't, once you've pounded an enemy into submission, you'll get a lot of those techs you missed AND a good deal of territory. And more territory means a larger economy which means more research.

I also find that if I devote the early industrial age to building railroads, hospitals and factories as fast as I possibly can, I can get a good sized tech lead (at least on Regent) and be the first to the money techs: Replaceable Parts (get this early enough, and you don't need no stinking Nationalism), Mobile Warfare and Computers.

 

[Yzman]

Umm actually I think it should go more like this.

Cheiftan-regent: Research the tech for yourself, you should get far ahead unless unadvanced player

Monarch: You can research or buy. I preferably research all my techs. It is still rather easy to keep up on this level. Just trade often and have a slightly larger civ so you have more money.

Emperor-deity: Buy all your techs, there is no way to keep up early on so you might as well except you are going to be far behind.

Hope that helped.

 

[Jimcat]

One valuable strategy I've found is to research things that the AI isn't researching. They will almost always research Nationalism, Steam Power and Industrialism (and often Communism as well) before Medicine and Sanitation, but they will pay through the nose for the latter techs. So when you hit the Industrial Age, just go straight for Medicine. You'll get other techs in trade, and possibly enough money to pump up your economy and allow you to put a lot more money into R&D.

A similar strategy applies to Ecology and Recycling in the Modern Age.

 

[algonacy]

Jimcat - nice signature. Know a little bit of latin but not enough to make sense. Studied it and was stumped - took to the net and found out what I think it means.

I've got a big gun (catapult in this case). Give me all your money or I'll shoot you in the head.

Sweet!

 

[Jimcat]

The literal translation would be something like:

"I have a catapult. If you don't give me all the money, I will fling an enormous rock at your head."

A good word-for-word dissection of the Latin can be found on this page.

 

[algonacy]

thanks Jimbo er... cat

 

[tyguyx12]

On regent I find it easier to buy all your techs from the AI until the industrial age. Just put taxes to 100 or 90 with 10 on luxuries and buy from the most powerful civ. (with the exception of having Great Library) It is pretty hard to get ahead in the tech race at higher difficulty levels.

 

[slothman]

On my current 1.29 Monarch game I was behind in all the ancient age. I just set my sci rate low and traded contacts and maps for tech. Now in the medival age I can actually get techs in 7 turns. I just have to have alot or roads, libraries, and universities. I usually try to guess the route the A.I. will go and research a different tech. It actually worked with me getting Engineering and the A.I. going fo Feudalism and Theology.