Zero Research Gambit

[scoutsout]

...I must have been drinking...

Some friendly advice: Don't drink and play as Ottomans when Sipahi are available. I did that once, and had to pass the game on to another player a turn early because I was ripping through Carthage so badly I lost track of stuff (like where the Carthaginian capitol had jumped and what I wanted to sack next... )

May it be possible that they are not willing to sell me because I do not have enough money?

Most likely. Try this next time they won't sell you anything. Drop your science slider to ZERO, and see if they'll take gold-per-turn for the tech. Sometimes a little slider jiggling will free up just enough cash flow to buy a tech or a lux or something. With a tech, if you can get some of your GPT back brokering it to other civs, you might be able to take that research slider right back up.

 

[Paradigne]

I just tried a variant of this on a Monarch game. The Americans started REAL close, so after I got literature, I started build GL, dropped my tech to zero and started pounding on them. One city rushing settlers, one rushing workers, and the rest building my army (and the highest production city on GL). I took the whole continent, got the GL and got caught up on tech...

 

[Alexsy]

just wanted to share ... i just won my first ever monarch game, score of 3300 or so, by winning a space race victory in 1822 AD. i never switched out of republic, got stuck in some major international intrigues, had a four-continent empire, and generally speaking, had a blast. best game i've ever played, hands down.

this discussion of zero-research tactics basically sealed the victory for me. thanks to all who contributed.

I played as the persians. next game: the germans!

 

[scoutsout]

@Alexsy: I love reading posts like that, congratulations on the win!

 

[andrewlt]

I did a 10% minimum research gambit on monarch using China. Looking back, I should've dropped it to 0% and created a scientist as soon as I got a non-settler factory city have a good number of citizens. I researched pottery and mysticism (got ceremonial burial from a hut) the researched polytheism for 50 turns. I'm not sure if that was ideal, however.

 

[scoutsout]

I did a 10% minimum research gambit on monarch using China. Looking back, I should've dropped it to 0% and created a scientist as soon as I got a non-settler factory city have a good number of citizens. I researched pottery and mysticism (got ceremonial burial from a hut) the researched polytheism for 50 turns. I'm not sure if that was ideal, however.

That's actually a pretty good gambit. If you can get a monopoly on Polytheism, you can trade it to great effect... especially if a couple of rival civs are still down Mysticism.

 

[bed_head7]

I wanted to back up what scoutsout said about the Jumpmasters SG. I am one of the once Regent level players looking to make the jump to Monarch, and I have learned a lot and am now comfortable enough on Emperor, though I haven't had time to play a full game other than GOTM33. But in the few games I have started, falling behind in techs and hopelessly weak hasn't been a problem at all. And maybe if popular demand dictates it, there will be Jumpmasters 2A, B, and C.

 

[andrewlt]

I don't exactly remember what happened but I think some of the AI civs got it earlier than I did. I did manage to trade it to some of the AI civs but those were mostly the poorer and technologically backwards ones. The gambit didn't work as well as I hoped. I just researched literature afterwards as fast as possible and traded it to the AIs and I managed to get GL in the process and catch up.

 

[scoutsout]

I wanted to back up what scoutsout said about the Jumpmasters SG. I am one of the once Regent level players looking to make the jump to Monarch

Hehehe... yeah... we recruited you into that and then told you it was an Emperor level game. :devil2: But that's okay, you're holding your own.

...falling behind in techs and hopelessly weak hasn't been a problem at all.

This is one of Ision's main points in his "Great Leap" article. Learning to play from behind.

And maybe if popular demand dictates it, there will be Jumpmasters 2A, B, and C.

We'll see where it goes. I think the concept bridges the gap between a "training day game" and simply throwing someone into the fire.

For those that don't know what bed_head and I are talking about... the thing started as an idea between me and Bede... "let's find a strong player, invite a couple of Regent level guys along, and have a friendly little Emperor level SG".

From there it grew into THREE SGs (and me typing several PMs to find players) and Mad-Bax cooked up some maps and suggested a "No-Research" variant...

But the basic concept was inspired by Ision's article. If "Monarch to Emperor" is "the Great Leap", then 3 Emperor level players oughta be able to take 3 Regent/Monarch guys and have a "Jump School" in a SG.

And.. for those stronger players lurking this thread... yes, that is a hint.