Science slider at 80%?

Shiber · November 19, 2002, 16:40

We finally have a real chance of researching a tech, medicine, before the AI does. However, to ensure that we research this tech first, we must increase the science slider to 80%.
Doing so will result in a loss of roughly 30 gold per turn over three turns of research. However, the payoff can be tremendous and be certainly more than enough to cover for the expenses.

It is true that I've made a real switch from supporting 0% in the last poll to proposing 80% now. I have reached my conclusion after a careful examination of the situation, like I did last week. Last week, we were several techs behind and had 10 libraries less. This time however, we are almost in par with the tech leaders (we're only missing nationalism, which we can get in exchange for medicine) and we have a real chance to finish researching a tech first - a chance that can be nearly assured by temporarily raising the slider to 80%.

What are your opinions on this matter?

joncnunn · November 19, 2002, 17:09

Sounds good to me.

Note, that there's a very good chance that on the last turn reseraching Medicine that the science slider could be lowered somewhat without increasing the time needed to reserach.

DAVOUT · November 19, 2002, 17:38

Bravo Shiber for your smart switch.

roadcage · November 19, 2002, 17:58

If one of the big boys is researching medicine, it won't help. If none of the big boys are researching medicine, it isn't necessary.

If we get it first, be it 3 or 4 turns from now, it doesn't matter. We will be able to hawk it for about the same amount.

Our current approach of slightly positive cash flow is the right thing to do.

GodKing · November 19, 2002, 19:38

I looked at it, and all I can say that is if it was a solo game I was playing, I would not do it. However, I have no strong objections.

realpolitic · November 19, 2002, 19:45

Absolutely

Once we get Medicine, we could reset the science slider to 50% to make up the difference, or we could make so much money techwhoring that we could have the make up the 3 turns of cash & same per turn surplus we have now at 60% or 70%, and we'll deprive one of the tech leaders of making money selling medicine.

Shiber · November 20, 2002, 02:59

Originally posted by roadcage
If one of the big boys is researching medicine, it won't help. If none of the big boys are researching medicine, it isn't necessary.

Roadcage, you have to make a mental switch and realize that we are the big boy now. We have 47 cities and lots of libraries. We are actually competing with Germany, Rome and the others, and 80% will give us that edge that makes the difference between completing Medicine first and making the jackpot and missing it altogether.

Originally posted by roadcage
If we get it first, be it 3 or 4 turns from now, it doesn't matter. We will be able to hawk it for about the same amount.

If we were sure we could get it first, it really wouldn't matter if we got it after 3 turns or 4 turns, but it does matter because we know we'll most likely research it second if we keep the slider at 60%, but moving it to 80% will most likely, in my opinion, give us the edge that is necessary to completing Medicine first and making a mint out of it.

Torkkeli · November 20, 2002, 07:18

Sounds great!

Let's do it so someone can give me some medicine...

roadcage · November 20, 2002, 08:33

Shiber, I repeat.

If any of the big oponents are researching medicine, they started several turns ago and will complete before us whether on 60% or 80%

If none of the big oponents are researching medicine NOW, we will beat them to it whether we set at 60% or 80%

Hence there is no benefit within the context of our current game situation to temporarily increase the slider furthur.

We still need infrastructure stuff which we are continuing to rush allbeit at rates and cash draws much lower than in the past.

Increasing the slider into negative cash flow will have to be made up and produces no net longterm improvement.

Delaying the rush of one library eliminates beakers which cannot ever be made up.

If you folks really want to increase our Science (and Lyton) output, you would be looking at what we are doing on the PW front.

We have many cities with tile developments in excess of pop. Adding back native workers up to developed tile levels or 6/12 building limits will have far greater impact on our research capability.

E_T · November 20, 2002, 09:15

There have been a few times that I've bitten the bullet in my personal game and suffered a shrinking economy for a few turns. It got me what I wanted and I didn't have to pay the A.I. for it.

I have my Bananas crossed, hoping that we get it first.

Even if we don't get it first, we will be so close that buying it will be MUCH cheeper (it was that way with Theory & Magnetism) and we can start on the next Tech. Or we can wait to get it the rest of the way ourselves and not feed the AI money machine.

FYI, with most of the cities needing WF changes, our income has increased by a fair some and we'll be loosing 28 LPT not 37 LPT after these changes (a couple left to do). Thought you should know.

E_T

Shiber · November 20, 2002, 09:44

Roadcage, I still think that with 80% we can beat the AIs to it if they're researching medicine, even if they started it one turn earlier. In fact I'm willing to bet on it.