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  • #1

    Free extra library

    I just saw this thread on CivFanatics... It's an important strategy read.

    http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=146163

    How would you like a free library in every city you own?
    You can get that effect (up to ~30% research) just by making CONTACT with other civilizations. When you research techs that other civilizations know, you get a bonus to your beakers. But to get this bonus, you have to have met more civs.

    Also, there's a 20% bonus for tech prerequisites and optional prereqs. Also a useful tip if you don't let yourself fall behind.

    Horizontal research is definitely a lot cheaper than vertical...
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  • #2
    Nice find Simplicity - A very good source of beaker to research info.

    Personally I don't mind the extra 20% to research for having extra optional techs but I really don't like that bonus for knowing a civ that has a tech. Frankly there are enough penalties for starting on your own island that there doesn't need to be this additional one... Not only can you not trade techs, you can't trade resources, you can't get extra trade commerce in your cities... but you can't even research any tech as fast as the people on continent who have met most of the other nations!!! With barbs as bad as they are, is there any bonus at all to being alone?

    Even if you don't care about the penalty to the nation who is alone on an island, the other problem I see with this is this "known tech bonus" forces all the AIs down the same research path. I guess that's why you see AIs always having the same techs as everyone else practically even with no tech trading on... This kind of bonus causes all the AIs to research all the same things, because its quicker. Even though all the AI's have different "flavours" of research in the XML files they will inevitably get the same techs because of this beaker bonus. At least that's what I've noticed and I guess this explains why.

    IMHO you should need some sort of "research alliance" in order to get this bonus (like good old MOO3... one of the few good things from that game). Oh well... its a minor issue.

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    • #3
      This particular bonus, or some variation thereof, has been around for a while. It was in Civ 3, for certain, but it's been so long I can't recall if it was in 2 or the original game. The idea is fairly simple, when you have contact with another culture that possesses technology you don't, you learn a little about it just from observation. That helps you research it yourself. That's why it's a little easier to play catch-up than to lead the pack. The more people that know the tech, the easier it is to research. I don't think it will give you any discount on trading for it, though.
      Age and treachery will defeat youth and skill every time.

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      • #4
        One good thing that comes from this phenomenon though (that the Ai tends to research what the others have)...

        In a recent pangaea game I played, where i didn't trade either Writing or Alphabet, none of the AIs had Alphabet until after 1000 AD.

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        • #5
          Sure thing...tech following has been a staple strategy since at least the SMAC days, and on the harder levels, it can certainly be a godsend.

          Still, ultimately, the goal is to be the tech leader, so this is not a game long strategy, but more of a stopgap to help your reserach along until you're in a position to assume the driver's seat.

          -=Vel=-
          The list of published books grows. If you're curious to see what sort of stories I weave out, head to Amazon.com and do an author search for "Christopher Hartpence." Help support Candle'Bre, a game created by gamers FOR gamers. All proceeds from my published works go directly to the project.

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          • #6
            It's definitely not a game-winning strategy to follow the leaders in tech, but it does help for picking techs to research.

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            • #7
              I thought this were about some kind of spam in the ancient times. The equivalent of "Free PSP" or some such.
              (\__/) 07/07/1937 - Never forget
              (='.'=) "Claims demand evidence; extraordinary claims demand extraordinary evidence." -- Carl Sagan
              (")_(") "Starting the fire from within."

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              • #8
                Originally posted by The_Paladin
                Personally I don't mind the extra 20% to research for having extra optional techs but I really don't like that bonus for knowing a civ that has a tech. Frankly there are enough penalties for starting on your own island that there doesn't need to be this additional one... Not only can you not trade techs, you can't trade resources, you can't get extra trade commerce in your cities... but you can't even research any tech as fast as the people on continent who have met most of the other nations!!! With barbs as bad as they are, is there any bonus at all to being alone?
                It's more realistic this way. Think of RL isolated civilizations. They are often far behind in technology.

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                • #9
                  That's a very informative article.
                  Jon Miller: MikeH speaks the truth
                  Jon Miller: MikeH is a shockingly revolting dolt and a masturbatory urine-reeking sideshow freak whose word is as valuable as an aging cow paddy.
                  We've got both kinds

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                  • #10
                    Looks like I need to start playing with a calculator on the desk.

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