Which Techs Are Exempt From Monopoly Restrictions?

[NihilZero]

I've noticed that when semi-isolated with a single AI you can always trade for Monarchy. There are other techs for which the AIs also seem to ignore the monopoly restriction. What are they?

Possible ones I have not confirmed: Monotheism, Alpha, Scientific Method. Are there any others, and are the reasons for this known?

 

[Kallikrates]

I am not sure about "always". But I think if the tech does not unlock any wonder or military unit the monopoly rules do not apply. I believe Currency is another tech which is traded freely.

 

[NihilZero]

I'm not sure about "always" either. But clearly, something is different about these techs as you can often (usually) trade for them when you really shouldn't be able to.

Maybe you're right about the wonders/units.

I don't think Currency is one of them, though. Perhaps because it enables a building?

 

[BornInCantaloup]

Perhaps because it enables a building?

Exactly. No buildings, no military units unlocked = tech will be offered for trade even when it is a monopoly.

Alphabet, Monarchy, Printing Press, Replaceable Parts come to mind.

Note that each AI has a different cap to offer a tech for trade.
It is a % of the number of Civs that the AI knows that have knowledge of the tech. Details are available here.
("Will trade techs that don't unlock units or buildings to human when XX% of the other AIs also know the tech")

 

[NihilZero]

I've known all about most of the tech trade restrictions for years, so I'm amazed at myself for not realising sooner about this.

I noticed that if I knew only one AI and they knew Monotheism, that they would be willing to trade it. But I speculated to myself "Ah, that AI knows that somebody else founded Judaism first, so it knows that Mono is not a monopoly". I never could come up for a theory about Monarchy, though.

I'm quite surprised at Printing Press and Replaceable Parts. Those are dangerous techs to be passing around, considering that they lead to Rifling.

 

[MegaLurker]

Whether an AI will trade a monopoly tech and unlocking a religion or winning a free Great Person are two different things. An AI will stop prioritizing a tech if the religion or GP has already been claimed. This is why bulbing Philosophy ASAP on higher levels is so strong. Not to trade it or for the religion, but to give yourself more time to get to Lib first.

 

[simishag]

Any tech which unlocks a Great Wonder will probably be hoarded, and definitely if the AI is attempting to build that wonder. This is fairly obvious because all the AIs will offer you that tech right after the wonder gets built.

 

[Packers5280]

Any tech which unlocks a Great Wonder will probably be hoarded, and definitely if the AI is attempting to build that wonder. This is fairly obvious because all the AIs will offer you that tech right after the wonder gets built.

Not to mention you can tell if they are going for it if they say "We have our reasons."

 

[Doshin]

In the whole game, there are 10 techs not undergoing any restriction except the required attitude is not satisfied or WFYABTA is blocking all further tech trades:

1. Fishing
2. Agriculture
3. Animal Husbandry
4. Monotheism
5. Monarchy
6. Liberalism
7. Printing Press
8. Replaceable Parts
9. Scientific Method
10. Chemistry

In the past, I asked questions about the same RNG diplo action. Few answers, but some interesting insights...

.....

 

[NihilZero]

^ Amusingly enough, the last five of those are some of the very the techs that I often hold onto jealously if I have a monopoly on them.

- Lib because it leads to Communism for the great spy;
- Printing Press because it leads to numerous things you don't want the AI getting: Democracy and the dreaded Emancipation, Replaceable Parts -> Rifling, Scientific Method for the great people;
- Replaceable Parts for the aforementioned reason;
- Scientific Method for the also aforementioned great people;
- Chemistry because it opens up Scientific Method!

This is all quite useful information, and something to think about.