trading physics

[slothman]

I just discovered "physics". Nobody else has it and everybody is will to pay through their teeth to get it. Should I trade for it now or wait a turn or 2 with the possibly of getting "metallurgy", but getting less money if someone else get it first?

 

[smallstepforman]

Sell!!!! Everyone else will eventually get it. Give it to them now, and they'll lower their science rate to generate funds to pay for Physics. A few turns later, and you've entered the Science broker stage of the game. Easy win.

 

[Xevion]

Sell it! Make as much money as you possibly can, or else in 3 turns someone else will egt physics and they won't pay you nearly as much. When metaullargy appears, unless you want to start a war, wait untill more civs get it and look around for the best price.

 

[RAL2000]

I agree, sell it ASAP. If you wait a turn someone else may have discovered it and sold it to the rest and you are SOL.

 

[slothman]

I did sell it and got like 60 a turn and 300 gold from the various civs. The wierd thing is that as soon as I sold it other civs noticed, without waiting for their turn, and droped their prices. Plus they also traded "navigation" between themselves during MY turn. Another cheat of the AI.

 

[Thoth]

Originally posted by slothman
I did sell it and got like 60 a turn and 300 gold from the various civs. The wierd thing is that as soon as I sold it other civs noticed, without waiting for their turn, and droped their prices. Plus they also traded "navigation" between themselves during MY turn. Another cheat of the AI.

The AI values techs (in part) based on how many other civs possess the tech. Each time you sell a tech you reduce it's value to the remaining civs. This can be used to your advantage when buying techs from the AI. If you can wait until 6 or 7 other civs have the tech, you can buy it for a song.

The AI trading during your turn was implemented in the patch to correct the "Tech Whore" exploit (buying a tech from one civ and immediately selling it to everyone else for a solid profit). I like the change, it makes the bargaining table more of a level playing field.