AI doesn't need Alphabet to trade techs?

[petermarkab]

In some cases I would trade alphabet along with other 'choice' techs. Eg My rival has a tech lead. the best way (IMO) to cut it is to prevent her from trading with other civs. Trade them all alphabet and massive tech trading ensues, bringing everyone up to a higher tech level. thus tech leader's advantage is vastly diminished!

Also you could take an odds-on chance that your new best mate civs won't all research the same thing, so an element of multi-tech research results. (assuming they'll trade techs with you first)

This requires keeping an eagle eye on th F6 screen.

re. Azuarc.
The trade summit would resemble a polo match

[Azuarc]

I was amazed at a game I played the other day. 5 Civs in the game, and for all the research they did, they seemed to be *avoiding* alphabet. One that refused to trade with me was out-teching me and had a Code of Laws, Philosophy, and Feudalism that they *could* have traded me, and the one tech I had they didn't? Alphabet. (And subsequently Drama and Music.)

[LordShiva]

Originally posted by Azuarc
What's wrong with you? You would trade them the secret of alcohol for horseback riding?

That's a very bad idea. Don't drink & ride, it's not cool and can get you hurt.

[Shaka II]

Originally posted by Cort Haus
Don't trade away Alphabet unless your life depends on it. It's one of the fastest ways to blow a hard-earned tech lead short of giving all your techs away. In fact the latter might be better, as at least you get some diplomatic positives from it.

This is interesting since I have always traded it just to catch up. But I think you're right. Maybe the best way is to research alphabet, see what everyone else has, and then research an alternative tech to allow trading. There's a risk in letting someone else be the trader of alphabet though.

So perhaps a bee line staight for alphabet along with one parallel tech that can be used for trading up. Keep the monopoly on trading alive as long as possible.

[Tventano]

The other weird thing I noticed. When one of them has alphabet and no one else, they refuse to trade anything So they keep their monopoly.

Why research alphabet when you do not want to use it?

[Shaka II]

Originally posted by Tventano
The other weird thing I noticed. When one of them has alphabet and no one else, they refuse to trade anything So they keep their monopoly.

Why research alphabet when you do not want to use it?

Maybe it depends on other factors such as wonder techs, diplomatic views. I haven't figured out why sometimes the AI won't trade anything and a few turns later they will, but it's probably they have been working on a wonder, and just completed it or got beaten out.

But it does seem to work nicely to discover alphabet and other parallel or more advanced techs to allow back filling. I'm research construction now and am under monarchy, while still maintaining a monoploy on tech trading. Now if the whole game would go this way.

[Enigma_Nova]

Originally posted by Son of David
Early technologies don't require the ordinary mass of people to be able to read, just the elites; who then tell the masses what to do.

Reminds me of this game I've been playing lately.
Can't tell you more about it, there's already multiple discussions about it on some website I'm browsing in another tab.

[Azuarc]

The AI often does not trade a tech that fewer than two rivals have.

[Shaka II]

I tried not trading alphabet this time, until after civil service 560AD. I traded alphabet for calendar and iron working to two Civs. It has worked very well. I recommend it. It really slowed that ancient tech trading down, producing a marked difference in technological development. Two Civs are advanced, while the other four are not, so it's a perfect situation to exploit in various ways.

Maybe next time I won't trade it at all. The AI doesn't always research it. I've only been beaten to it once.

[Enigma_Nova]

Who counts as a Rival? Every other civ? Civs it's not friendly with? Any civ that isn't in a perma-pact?

[Axxaer]

I would imagine all other civs, because even in an alliance one always wants to be the dominant one.

[Enigma_Nova]

I quite prefer to be an underdog who makes all the plans, with a figurehead as a scapegoat.

[Simon Appleton]

I tried not trading alphabet in my latest game (Prince, epic, terra) and it worked a treat. I got bronze working, Judaism and oracle then went for alphabet. The AI took a long time to get it and I had a lot of success backfiling my tech tree through controlled tech trades, which then set me up for a dominant tech position. It was only around the time of gunpowder that an AI faction started getting techs before me and refusing to trade.

It does not always work, but in my present game it seemed to give me a big edge.

[Azuarc]

Originally posted by Enigma_Nova
Who counts as a Rival? Every other civ? Civs it's not friendly with? Any civ that isn't in a perma-pact?

Any Civ, human or AI. Obviously, it depends on heavily that Civ values that tech and what you have to offer, but if an AI is gonna hold back, they're gonna hold back until the tech is at risk of becoming public domain.