Thought I'd seen everything

[Greyhawk1]

I was two techs ahead of everyone else (checking on Diplo screen) peaceful, no anarchy or war researching at the maximum rate of 1 tech every 4 turns. Got 30% of the map and 30% of the population.

All other civs are polite to me. No problem - I should cruise ahead in techs as usual by this time.

I check again about 10 turns later and the Egyptians and Iroquois have both gone ahead of me in techs by two whole techs. The Egyptians have been in a war and had an Anarchic period plus they had no money or resources to trade (I kept checking as I wanted a gpt deal for a tech I had).

I didnt bother checking anyone else but its a sure fire bet that everyone else is also two techs ahead of me.

I'd have traded techs but up to then nobody had any to trade since I'd been ahead since the early AD's in techs.

How can they possibly have gone ahead??? I dont understand it at all....this is on Warlord as well where the AI is somewhat hamstrung! I know there is intertrading but even by the AI's standards nobody had anything worthwhile. I wouldnt mind but Egypt was the smallest civ by a large margin as well...earlier in the game they were an entire era just about behind.

Its just crazy. I cant figure it out at all.

 

[Chieftess]

What era are you in? In the ancient and middle ages, there's a bunch of techs that can be researched. It's very possible that the AI had a massive trading session. Do you have a before/after save? Also, does another AI have the Great Library?

 

[KaNick]

The only thing that I can think of is six different civs research six different tech and the all traded.

 

[Greyhawk1]

I'm at the crossover from Middle Ages to Industrial. That's how I knew they had gone ahead - their leaderheads had changed to Industrial.

I just stared at the screen. I couldnt believe it. I have the GL but it only netted me Education since I didnt meet anybody for a long time. Nevertheless I was on a par with the Incas then surged ahead with Astronomy etc. I only popped one goody hut with a tech since I started with the Americans on my island (who I killed off).

I'm playing the Dutch by the way. My wonders list (if it matters) - Great Library, Collossus, Knight's Templar, Copernicus' Observatory, Magellan's Voyage. Currently building Adam Smith's Trading Co., Newton's University, Shakespeare's Theatre and J.S.Bach's Cathedral. I know I'll only get one of those if I'm lucky but hey...

I just got Metallurgy and started on Magnetism (4 turns). Iroquois and Egypt had already got Metallurgy, Military Tradition and Magnetism.

I hear about pro players saying they leave the AI behind in the tech race but I just honestly dont have a clue how the hell they do it when there is nothing to trade since you are ahead. I was so peeved I nearly abandoned the game.

This whole intertrading thing really spoils the game for me. OK if the AI trades at your rates but this preferential trading rate really does my head in. As you can tell I'm a bit cheesed off.

 

[Chieftess]

Maybe there were some civs you haven't met yet that were way ahead. (A gamesave would help)

 

[ybbor]

also, a scientific civ could have gotten a free tech at the begging of the era, and traded it around, thus creating the 2 tech thing

 

[Commander Bello]

Did you reload from an autosave recently? I am pretty sure that the AI gets techs, if you do so. Most probably a feature to counter the load-reload-load-reload-trick of the human.

 

[ybbor]

no, that has no effect, it must have happened to you by coincidence

 

[Greyhawk1]

OK. I've calmed down a bit

I managed to build Adam Smith's and Newton's and bought Magnetism from the Egyptians for 500 gold, Horses and a Map.

Here's a save. Go easy on me >cringes<

http://gr3yh4wk.50megs.com/Files/dutch.SAV

Game Details:

Game: Conquests v1.15
AI Settings: 6 Civs, Less Aggressive. (1 Destroyed).
Map Settings: Huge map, Archipelago (70% Water (I think)), Random age etc. Raging Barbarians.
Difficulty: Warlord
Civ: Dutch
Strategic Resource Situation: Iron, Horses. No Saltpeter (again).
Luxury Resource Situation: 3 Gems, 2 Furs.

 

[Commander Bello]

Hey, Greyhawk1,

there you have quite some options....

The Iriquois will give you Military Tradition, world map, 280gpt and all the gold they currently have for your Medicine.
This will bring both of you in the position to race for Scientific Methods, but since you can spend their gpt for your science (and they can't, for obvious reasons) this shouldn't be that big deal.
And the Egypts would give you Wines for it, as well.

If you'd irrigate the cow at Middelburg, you will be able to have another mine at the hills there.
Near New Vinca (Incas) you should try to get the second Furs. As far as I've just seen, there are only 2 available on the whole map, so you would have a monopole on them.
And if I might suggest the next time to build cities like New Leerdam on top of the hill to the north? Then it would have another plain tile for irrigation and could grow a little bit more...
Well, and if Haarlem would've been set one tile further to the west, then you would have had the space for a nice additional town a little bit north of the line Haarlem-Amsterdam.

But overall, it looks quite like a win...

So, just move one and prove that you're the best!

 

[tomart109]

Another possibility could be that one (or more) AIs could have gotten SGLs... there's no way of knowing that, is there?

 

[HamaticBabylon]

If babylon is in the game then that would explain very thing!

 

[KaNick]

Originally posted by Commander Bello
Did you reload from an autosave recently? I am pretty sure that the AI gets techs, if you do so. Most probably a feature to counter the load-reload-load-reload-trick of the human.

Are you sure. That kind of makes the Autosave pointless since it was put there for a reason I doubt they would punish you for using it.

 

[Endureth]

I seen a house fly.
I seen a dragon fly.
I seen a needle that winked it's eye.
But I done seen about everything,
when I seen an elephant fly.

 

[Xen]

marshal your troops and prepare for war! force your own techlead back upon the ususpecting AI civs!

 

[Commander Bello]

Originally posted by GrandMasta Nick


Are you sure. That kind of makes the Autosave pointless since it was put there for a reason I doubt they would punish you for using it.

I recall an incident of some weeks ago, when I was going to sell Steam Engine or Medicine (don't remember, which one it was, but it was one of the first techs of Modern Age) to the AI and suffered a power failure during a thunderstorm. At that moment I was just checking with the other civilisations to whom I should sell it at first.
After reloading the autosave I continued checking (note: the same turn!) and was shocked, since they suddenly had this tech!

It might be, but I don't recall this exactly, that I did the reloading twice, since I accidentally gold-rushed a university.

 

[ybbor]

no! it has NO effect

 

[Greyhawk1]

I'm not going to bother with Military Tradition since I dont have Saltpeter and the AI is on Less Aggressive. I have acres of Tundra so Oil shouldnt be a problem. Rubber might be though...anyway, I was going to try for Tanks before I started any wars.

Strat resources are a major pain in Conquests. I very rarely have more than a couple in my territory. Even one as large as this. Last time I played a Conquests game I had no Saltpeter, Coal, Rubber, Oil, Aluminium or Uranium on my entire island! Just Iron and Horses.

Fun game...suprisingly I still managed to survive repeated invasion attempts thanks to Riflemen and Guerillas. Didnt get as far as TOW Infantry since I got a diplo victory.

 

[Commander Bello]

Does that mean you wouldn't go for selling your Medicine?

 

[Greyhawk1]

Originally posted by Commander Bello
Does that mean you wouldn't go for selling your Medicine?

Not for Military Tradition, no. When Nationalism gets researched by someone (and the time is right) then yes. Thats why I researched it cos the AI never does straight off the bat. A pity the AI never trades one for one. I'll have to give up a ton of money plus other stuff as well as Medicine to get a decent tech while the other AI's will get it almost for free.

Annoying...