Trading Tech. with the AI

Tireur isole

Warlord
Joined
Apr 10, 2003
Messages
53
Hey everyone,

I was just wondering do you trade techs with the AIs? Personally I never do unless I'm realy realy realy far ahead of them wich doesn't realy happen all that often. How about you?
 
Tech Trading is an incredibly important part of the game! The only way to keep up with the AI in tech (on the higher levels) is to trade, and trade often. ;)

Not only does it let you catch up in tech, but if you're thoughtful about what you research, you can trade that to the other civs for lots of $$$ !
 
Trust me, its vital even on the lowly levels I play on! Without tech trading I would be nowhere in my current Warlord game. ATM I am keeping up with the AI just about despite the awful start position.

I try not to trade wonder techs or unit upgrades if possible. On Archipelago maps I avoid trading ship enhancing techs but if there's no other way then I'll trade. They'll get the tech anyway so you might as well profit from it.
 
I think most of us make the mistake early in our "Civ career" of trying to hoard technology. At Regent and above it just becomes increasingly obvious that buying/selling/trading techs is the only way to go. The only time I hold on to a new tech is if I'm using it to build a wonder and want to keep the AI's from getting started on the wonder.
 
Hmm, well, I'm playing on Warlord now and I havn't lost yet with out trading but I think I'll move up, thanks for the advice. I'll be sure to trade alot. :)
 
Originally posted by Tireur isole
Hmm, well, I'm playing on Warlord now and I havn't lost yet with out trading but I think I'll move up, thanks for the advice. I'll be sure to trade alot. :)

On Chieftan and Warlord levels it is easy to get out ahead and stay there. Once you get to the higher levels, you have to trade or you fall behind quickly.

My last couple of Warlord games, as I recall, I got out in front early. And stayed there. Now, on Regent, I get out in front by the middle of the industrial age, and by the time the AI is in the modern age with me I have to trade techs to keep up. So I do get a lead, but it doesn't stay.

The human player just can't beat three or four AIs researching different techs and trading them. It's your one ever four turns to their four every four turns. . .it adds up. Quickly.
 
Up to regent level ( include ) i never trade tech, beause on those level i get a tech lead in medieval era. On regent level, i got half an age to full age tech lead in industrial time.

On higher level, a.i. research cost is cheaper than you, so you need to trade to keep up with them. You may get those tech with war too so it depend on situation.
 
Yeah, 'pointy-stick' research is always fun. :)

Renata
 
I would buy any tech available from ai that costs me less than what I earn in 4 turns with 0 research. On higher levels this is unlikely but I rarely have to research Code of Laws and Philosophy that way. (Except I am far ahead.)
 
I felt the same way at regent. Trade or sell tech to the AI? Forget it!

But in my first monarch game I found out that I'd either trade/sell or trail behind... even with the great library.

EDIT: Although my last game, I had an astounding run of luck in stealing tech from Persia, the leader. Every other turn, using the medium chance of sucess, until there was nothing left to steal from them
 
Can be hard to stay ahead in tech even on regent, especially if you play with LOTs of players cause they'll all trade among themselves and not let you in on any of their secrets.... bastards.

If you play with fewer civilizations you usually become several times the size of any AI quickly and they have no chance of keeping up. On regent that is... I don't like playing with "cheating" AIs. I wich they could make an AI smart enough not to have to cheat to win.
 
Trading is the only way to go. When playing with many civs it's a must. Plus there are always those who will pay through th nose for some tech. And those same civs never seem to catch up so you can keep using the money from them to keep your science high. Best of both worlds.
 
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