No Tech Trading

[ElConejo]

Does anyone turn on "No Tech Trading"? Why do you? What sort of game does it make for? Harder or easier? Slower or faster? I just dont know the full effects of turning it on and am just wondering at this point.

[Adagio]

I turn on "no tech trading" simply because I'm tired of the AI asking me to give them a tech each turn, even though I can kick their ass

[Hobie819]

I tyurn no tech trading on but it's because I play noble. at Noble, the comp kills me with technology advances mainly because they trade technology with each other, even if they hate each other. For teh purposes of technology, it's like every computer is on a team against you.

And like the poster above stated, the AI is always asking you for technology, usually outrageous technology (technology far ahead of them) and if you dont give it to them when they either demand or ask for it, you take a faction hit with them for either not giving them tribute or not helping them when they need help.

[Tokyo Sexwale]

I often turn tech trading off. As others have said, it certainly makes the game less frustrating and easier on the diplomacy front. It also slows down the game quite a bit. With tech trading on, you'll see tanks etc. by the 1800s, but that's unlikely with it off. That's another reason I like it.

Like resources and other options, it annoys me that the AI can "red-out" newly-acquired techs so YOU can't ask for tribute, even if you're much stronger, but you don't have that option.

Tech trading is just a bit of a headache that often I'd rather not deal with.

[MightyTiny]

I too sometimes turn off tech trading, just because I get tired of being constantly bugged by the AI to agree to some trade or the other, or to give away tech.

And I too am bugged by the fact that you can't "red out" your techs or resources, so that the AI couldn't even ask for it. It gets a little tiring when you refuse that iron-for-corn trade offer the hundredth time, only to know that the AI will offer it once again in another dozen or so turns.

[MightyTiny]

Just thought of a simple improvement suggestion for tech/resource trading, or for any other agreement offer :

How about, instead of having just one refusal option, you'd have two:

"Not in a million years!"
or
"Not right now, try again later."

Then if you select the first option, the AI can NEVER offer that same exact trade again; if it wants to make an offer for that resource or tech, it'll have to put something more on the table; change the offer.

If the latter is selected, the AI can behave just as it does now on refusal, and offer the same again later.

[JackRudd]

Originally posted by Hobie819
I tyurn no tech trading on but it's because I play noble. at Noble, the comp kills me with technology advances mainly because they trade technology with each other, even if they hate each other. For teh purposes of technology, it's like every computer is on a team against you.

Don't give 'em Alphabet then. The AIs don't rate that technology too highly, and it'll be ages before any of them research it if you don't sell it to them.

[Blaupanzer]

Their constant requests for aid and tribute to the human player make me suspect that they do that to each other as well. However, I don't turn off tech trading because it helps me adjust the balance of power among the AI. (I know, if you give to one they'll all soon have it. However, the military techs move among them more slowly, and I like to keep them at one another's throat throughout the game.)

[vilemerchant]

Originally posted by Blaupanzer
Their constant requests for aid and tribute to the human player make me suspect that they do that to each other as well. However, I don't turn off tech trading because it helps me adjust the balance of power among the AI. (I know, if you give to one they'll all soon have it. However, the military techs move among them more slowly, and I like to keep them at one another's throat throughout the game.)

They don't do that to each other because the AI's never have "-1 You refused to help us!" between each other, only to the human player. I keep tech trading on as tech trading has been an integral part of civ in all its incarnations. The only time I prefer not to have it is for multiplayer games. Also, bribing AIs with techs is about the only way to get them to join you in a war. When the #1 military power sneak attacks you, I like to have the option to bring others into the fray.

[Gatekeeper]

Hmm. Could disabling tech trading lead to one or two AI powers having good military technology while no one else (save for the human player) does? In turn, could that lead to an 18-nation map more quickly ending up as an 8- or 6-nation map as these dominant AIs pick off their lesser rivals?

As for me, I have yet to toggle tech trading off. I might try it once or twice, though, just to have fun pitting my modern armor unit against a spearman in 1999 AD.

Gatekeeper

[Unimatrix11]

is there a way to make the AI trade less with each other ? like modding somewhere ? i´d appreciate that alot - thanks.

[Prussia]

Uh, yeah, make their techs cost twice as much.

[Dis]

Amazingly, it doesn't seem to have much effect on my games. I can get a tech advantage on noble either way.

I prefer tech trading on, so I can gift useless techs to help my reputation out.

[Ming]

I like tech trading so that I can trade my old but still valuable sciences to other people for all the low level stuff that I never bother to research

[ElConejo]

Originally posted by Dis
Amazingly, it doesn't seem to have much effect on my games. I can get a tech advantage on noble either way.

I prefer tech trading on, so I can gift useless techs to help my reputation out.

I suppose I have a long way to go then.. seeing as the only way I can keep up right now is buying or bouncing techs around the AIs.. but then again I did have a terrible start.. but still I feel like I need to work on my tech grabbing..