Strategy Help (or perhaps I'm just useless?)

[mimi]

Ok... is it just me or does the AI usually get most of the techs researched first in the first era and usually the second? Is it possible to compete with the AI in research? I never tried 'cause I thought I understood that I don't have a chance of out researching the AI unless I pick a tech the AI didn't go for...

Does the AI also get the same odds on a SGL as we do? Is the AI gonna use them primarily as wonderbuilders?

If so, is there some "technique" I'm not aware of that will allow me to keep up in research? 'cause, if not, I don't know how I'll get any of the early wonders?

[Stuie]

Well, the old trick used to be go down the Polytheism path, because usually the AI stayed in the upper branches of the tree. But with Artemis that may change....

So now it's going to be a matter of figuring out what techs the AI seems to pass over, and trying to snatch them first.

[Arrian]

What level are we talking about here?

One's research power depends greatly on several things:

Difficulty level
Terrain (rivers? gold? coastal towns?)
Development of that terrain (good REXing and use of workers, lot's of 'em)
Government type (republic for research)

Being scientific will help in that you get the free techs at the beginning of each era and the 1/2 cost libraries and unis, but I think commercial is probably just as valueable, since it:

a) provides you with extra income
b) reduces corruption
c) starts you with the alphabet, which gives you a leg up on the road to republic, and is a valueable tech to trade upon first contact with the AI. If commercial civs in Conquests still start with the alphabet, this also means you're one expensive tech closer to philosophy and the tech bonus associated with it.

-Arrian

[Jack_www]

Well I have found the expansionist trait help get a lot of the early techs for free. And now with how you cant trade maps to much latter and contacts, this will help even more to get ahead tech wise early in the game.

[vmxa1]

Yes given a good start and a good location you can do just fine at emperor in the tech race. I did a run on a large map as England and basically was never behind in tech. The scouts go lots of tech and I grabbed lots of land and got to Republic.

I do less well with less land and a non expansion trait on the tech in the ancient era.

[joncnunn]

In classic Civ 1.29f, the AI heavily weighted reserach towards whatever was cheapest, with minor bonsus for # allowed techs and # unbuilt wonders on the path and a penalty for optional tech. I don't know if Conquests changed anything.

[Ragnar_84]

All the above. Also The Great Libirary(I never build it but if your behind it would be helpful), build roads, obtain luxuries and trade, trade, trade. New to Conquests, beeline to Philosophy(if behind techwise), the first to research it gains a free advance!

[alexman]

Originally posted by joncnunn
In classic Civ 1.29f, the AI heavily weighted reserach towards whatever was cheapest, with minor bonsus for # allowed techs and # unbuilt wonders on the path and a penalty for optional tech. I don't know if Conquests changed anything.

This is not accurate. It's slightly more complex than what you suggest. The AI considers about 33 things when selecting the next tech to research, not no mention that there is also a random factor. There is no bonus for allowed techs, but there are some major bonuses for other factors like units.

[Yahweh Sabaoth]

As this thread is in the Conquests, and not the Strategy, forum, I'd like to throw in my 2 cents and say that developing a tech lead now seems much easier than it once was, in the ancient era at least.

OK, maybe you don't want to compete with everyone for Iron Working or Horseback Riding. But it seems like a clever (and not totally unfortunately) player might be first now to MapMaking, for example, and certainly to Philosophy - out of 4 short-lived trial games, I've gotten Philosophy first 3 times, and not by playing a scientific civ - merely by sending my little boaties everywhere or plowing the fields and REXing like mad.

In fact, my gut feeling is that Seafaring and Agricultural might be TOO POWERFUL in terms of getting ahead in tech and will eventually be toned down.

But you shouldn't listen to me, you should listen to the experts. Once they recieve their copies of C3C that is.

[vmxa1]

You may be right YS, I have only one game so far, but even with no attempt to be a tech leader and no attempt to Rex out, I was the tech leader. I was near the bottom in score as I only built Colossus and have been at war (what else a lot) and have fewer cities.
As the Dutch I have seen basically the whole map in the before getting out of Ancient age.

[Yahweh Sabaoth]

That's been my experience too: tech leader without trying to be. And maybe not the whole huge world... but half of it, at least.