Stealing Technology

[mkorin]

I find it almost impossible to catch up on technology if the AI gets 5 or 6 ahead. As far as I can tell, there is no way to steal technology. Am I missing something? If not, this needs to be addressed by Firaxis as it destroys the gameplay.

[johnmcd]

The more people that have a tech the cheaper it will be for you to research, also, just asking the AI for a tech as a gift works far more often than in previous versions.

[Blake]

Doing your own research is far more important in this iteration of Civ. This is a deliberate design decision.

You can play No Tech Trading so the AI's can't trade with each other and to learn good tech beelines.

You can (and should) research deep into the tech tree, the AI tends to research cheaper techs first, going for a broad base of research. By going deep you can get techs that you can then trade with all the AI's, often getting 3-5x the techs value.

[yin26]

Re: Stealing Technology

Originally posted by mkorin
I find it almost impossible to catch up on technology if the AI gets 5 or 6 ahead. As far as I can tell, there is no way to steal technology. Am I missing something? If not, this needs to be addressed by Firaxis as it destroys the gameplay.

Here's an easy tip (if you aren't already aware or doing this manually): Make sure your cities (or at least some key ones) are set to prefer Great People creation. The computer creates Great People like crazy, and it's one of they ways the AI is killing you on tech if you aren't doing the same.

[mkorin]

All good suggestions for staying ahead, but if you fall behind and you can't research tech that the AI wants, there is no way to catch up. You can't create GPs as fast as it does. It seems to me that a five or six tech deficit is as good as I've overcome. Anything more than that and the game seems pointless. I'm now playing at Prince level and would like to develop the strategies needed to move up, but the tech issue seems to be a big block. Hopefully they will include some type of tech stealing in the future patches. My favorite was the free tech when you took a city. Maybe a % chance to steal tech when you took a city would be could. This % could go up if it had an academy or great scientist living there.

Mike

[Strategist83]

One way to 'steal' techs from the AI is to wage war against it and accept techs as 'bribes' for the peace treaty. Then you wait 10 turns for the treaty to end and do the exact same thing one more time. Note: You need a convincing military force to do this, and even that will sometimes not be enough: Even when down to a single city surrounded by your forces, the foolish AI might reject your proposal.

[Strategist83]

Originally posted by Blake
You can (and should) research deep into the tech tree, the AI tends to research cheaper techs first, going for a broad base of research. By going deep you can get techs that you can then trade with all the AI's, often getting 3-5x the techs value.

I suppose what you mean when you say 'deep into the tech tree' is to the point that you will be the only one with the tech (until you trade it). I certainly would not recommend 'bee-lining' too deep - you will fall behind in too many other fields of research if you do.

[mgdpublic]

Enemy civs have to be willing to trade more tech for peace. I've gone through games where I absolutely crushed them and they wouldn't give up a thing. Even at the deathblow.

[Hedgie2]

I miss the old civ days where when you conquered a city, you could choose what technology you wanted.

I dont understand why they took that out, it was a perfectly legit strategy.

[Urban Ranger]

Because it makes no sense?

Because this lets you concentrate on building military units and aquire technology by conquest, which makes warmongering too attractive and easy a route.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
Because it makes no sense?

How does it make no sense? How did the Soviets and Americans acquire rocket technology? We conquered it from the Germans. When the Mongols conquered the Chinese, China didn't fall into a dark age as if all old technology was lost. Yes, often times when barbarians conquer civilizations, technologies are lost, ala the fall of Western Rome. But not always.

There should be a chance of picking up a tech, at any rate.

[Dis]

yeah what Che said.

I say maybe a 5 or 10% chance of aquiring technology. No higher than that.

This would help the AI as well. As they are usually behind in tech. Attacking a more technological but military weak human could get them caught up.

[Adagio]

There is a mod that allows you to pick a tech when conquering a city, like in the old Civ days. I haven't tried it though, I prefer it this way

A 5-10% chance of getting a tech (or maybe just some tech beakers for a certain tech, in the later ages) sounds good

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
How does it make no sense? How did the Soviets and Americans acquire rocket technology? We conquered it from the Germans.

Yes, that's after the Allies and the Soviets had more or less complete control of Germany. Also, after each sides had grabbed a whole bunch of scientists, there was research left to be done. It wasn't like rocketry was found neatly stored on a computer tape somewhere.

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
There should be a chance of picking up a tech, at any rate.

Perhaps if you a) capture the capital b) completely conquer another empire.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Adagio
A 5-10% chance of getting a tech (or maybe just some tech beakers for a certain tech, in the later ages) sounds good

Beakers could be good.