How to best gain technological advantage?

[MrPhil]

It seems in my most recent game, I am at a technological disadvantage with some of my hostile neighbors (read Saladin).

Is there a "blue print" for keeping the technological edge?

Are resources like iron and copper key? Or is it just keeping ahead on research?

[GeoModder]

Trade, trade alot.

[Blake]

Research mostly comes down to cottages and scientist specialists - use the latter to generate Great Scientists and build Acadamies. The quicker you get an Acadamy in the capital, the better. Writing should be a very high priority, only Bronze Working is as important.

Financial and Philosophical leaders are naturally better at researching. You might be surpised at how much science you can get with a philosophical leader focusing on Great Scientists, build one acadamy and settle all future GS's as super-specialists. Make Literature a high priority and build the Great Library and National Epic in your capital, you'll be sorted.

Also more generally it never hurts to have a large territory with lots of cottages.

[MrPhil]

Thanks guys, I have taken notes, will do a little advacne studying of the technology flow chart adn will put this lesson to good use in my next game!

Appreciate it!

[Arrian]

Other things that can help are:

Coastal cities w/lighthouses + the Colossus.
If you have lots of coastal cities, the Great Lighthouse is also fantastic.
Libraries, of course.
Gold mines.
Silver mines.

Try playing as Elizabeth (FIN/PHI).

-Arrian

[DaveV]

An addition to Arrian's trade route tips: you'll collect a lot more money if you can make a few friends and sign open border treaties (and don't run Mercantilism). Foreign trade routes pay at least twice as much as domestic routes; another reason why Writing is valuable.

[Crossfire]

You also need to beeline deep into the tech tree from time to time so that you have lots of techs the AIs don't so that you can trade each one for a techs from a few AIs. Just wait until a few of the other civs have techs you want and trade the same tech over and over, or the one AI you trade it to will undercut you and that will be all you get for that tech.

[Willem]

Be careful not to over expand, city maintenance costs will drain your treasury very quickly if you're not careful, leaving you with no money for research. If your research spending is falling below 40-50%, it's time for a break until what you have starts paying for itself. Keep it even higher if you can but in the early game at least it's a bit of a trade off.

And build lots of Cottages. Unless you need the food to run a Mine or a Specialist, turn all you Grassland into Cottages, at least in the early part of the game.

Mind you, I'm one to be giving advice! I tend to be behind in my games as well. I haven't quite got the knack of being a tech leader yet, but I'm getting better. At least I'm learning what not to do.[

[Silver14]

Check some of the strategy threads out for ideas.

Vel's CS Slingshot Thread

Vel's Strategy Thread

[DrSpike]

Cottages + bureaucracy.

[Lord Avalon]

Originally posted by Arrian
Other things that can help are:

Coastal cities w/lighthouses + the Colossus.
If you have lots of coastal cities, the Great Lighthouse is also fantastic.
Libraries, of course.
Gold mines.
Silver mines.

Try playing as Elizabeth (FIN/PHI).

-Arrian

Don't forget Monasteries!

[johnmcd]

Originally posted by Lord Avalon

Don't forget Monasteries!

And they pay for themselves all over again if you get the Spiral Minaret.

[Urban Ranger]

Re: How to best gain technological advantage?

Originally posted by MrPhil
It seems in my most recent game, I am at a technological disadvantage with some of my hostile neighbors (read Saladin).

Is there a "blue print" for keeping the technological edge?

Are resources like iron and copper key? Or is it just keeping ahead on research?

You can also go on a rampage from time to time to aborb other nations. This way you get a bigger and bigger empire over time.

[One_more_turn]

I've used only one strategy so far: pick industrious civs, build pyramid, select Representation very early on, beeline for military technologies, crush a couple civs, bribe others with some resources, consolidate, and repeat.

[RedSox7]

Yikes, I just realized I'm undercutting my finances by being a bit of a Xenophobe. Is it reallly true that you don't get as many city-to-city trade routes if you have closed borders?

I think I have retained some of the territorial possessiveness from C3. Sometimes you can slow down someone else's growth I guess.