When to shut off science?

[Exsanguination]

I've seen it over and over, where in games Monarch+ players hut off science at a certain point and just buy techs from the AI. I've heard some players do it from the start, and some do it a little later on. I tend to shut off after chivalry (knights :tank: :tank: ), unless I can run a massive surplus. If you shut off science early on, you don't run much of a surplus, and unless you are lucky with huts, you won't get enough to buy so much as one tech until 0 AD.

When do you shut off science? From the start? Later? (I play on Monarch currently) Why?

 

[BCLG100]

as sson as i build the great library i shut off science but other than that bout the same time as you

 

[philippe]

you must build roads everywhere or else its useless!

 

[skaternate]

As said by others, as soon as you can build the Great Library.

 

[Exsanguination]

Ha! Great Library? That thing is useless (at least in my games). Once its built, I'm usually well into the Middle Ages. I only build it if I'm waaaaaaaaaaaay behind in tech, or if I get a great leader early (then its a must!). I rarely ever build any ancient era Wonders (except for Colossus) because they take away from your most productive cities at too critical part of the game. Eve since I stopped, I've been much much more successful.

 

[BCLG100]

it isnt useless i can normally have the great library built in the time it takes to research one of the early techs (40 turns) and it allows you to speccialise up the tech tree if you dont shut off science

 

[skaternate]

Ahh young one for you see their are two great anciant wonders, pyrimids & great library, and I can usually build them both in the same city on any level up to emporer. You see their is a great advantage to a granary in every city that is quite obvous to see, double growth. Yet the Great Library is even better, it is Great! You can turn your luxeries up a little to allow for greater growth while have cash at 80-90% bringing in enough money to make rush many of your cities, or upgrade units, depending on the strategy you use; builder or warmonger.

 

[Graeme the mad]

I do nt generally get the great library and generally shut off tech some time in the late industrial however people ofte dont realise the benefit to be had in getting late techs before others.

When i built TOE in my current game and got atomic theory and Electronics I sold both of them to every civ and then completely shut off my CASH (science 100%) - I still had 800 gpt coming in and I discovered the next tech faster than any other civ which I swapped with one civ for the tech the AI had discovered (why does virtually the whole AI get a tech anyhow - do they sell it?) so I was even with that civ in tech and then sold the new tech on - this meant I was gettin 1100 gpt with gold set to 0

Now though I've had to drop the science as I got into modern age (scientific civs got their bonus against me) and am getting 1700 gpt with no science

 

[skaternate]

early on I find no need for techs before the AI, with the exception of military tradition that is. I prefer a tactic I think Aeson first came up with, I study till Literacy then shut off science, I build great library, and tons of chariots & horseman when the time comes. I build unit, settler, unit settler, in every town, rushing when the town is just to corrupt. By the time the AI learns chivalry, unless they learn education first then I have to learn chivalry, I normally have around 3-5K, this allows me to upgrade on average 40 knights, the same turn chivalry is learned. This many "modern for their time" units all at the same time can sweep the AI on any level. Then keep bringing in cash to ruch units and improvements in conquered cities.

 

[col]

But how do you do that on an archipel map? You can build the knights but getting them anywhere fast enough to be effective is something else.

aka GoTM 9.......at Emperor level

I've had science shut off most of the game and have bought all my techs....

Struggling along desperately hoping for a world war where every other civ takes down every other civ and leaves me to slip through the ruins....

 

[Lt. 'Killer' M.]

back to the question of Exsan:

I use different styles depending on the map size. if i can go for a quick conquest, i set science to zero early and simply sweat the ancient techs out of my victims. Otherwise, i keep it at 100% as long as possible, then operate without profit until i have such a huge empire that i can gain a profit ans still outresearch anyone. This works well with a warmongers attitude

Aside from that, cutting science is practicable for the middle part of each age. the big techs at the beginning (Feudalism, Nationalism, Steam Power) are too expensive to buy, same for those that lead to the next age (Construction, Magnetism).

 

[BCLG100]

also the AI in my experience does not research many techs that they dont have to e.g. advanced flight and chivalry

 

[Knightblade pDM]

I turn science down immediately after meeting my first civ. On a Small/Standard Map, that's normally only 5-7 turns so I rarely ever finish my initial tech. I've had luck with early goodie huts so the extra gold always helps.

I check with that civ every other turn and once I see them pulling ahead in the tech race and by score..I choose other civs who need techs..get thier gold/res/lux and turn around to buy techs from another civ. It's been working better and I'm not attacked early on.

 

[skaternate]

col you see I can't answer your question on this forum since it would be a spoiler, but I did build both pyrimids and Great Library in my capitol. But the knights trick is useless on this map, but not due to lack of boats to travel, other reasons that are considered spoiler info. Shipping large forces of units is easy simply find a fast crossing point have 40 some units on one side & 6 galleys. Split the use of the galleys so every turn three gallies pickup & three drop off, it makes things more difficult but doable.