Short tip on Research (newbies)

[Tattila the Hun]

Originally posted by Drakann
No, you're absolutely right. It's waisting beakers waiting for the turn before. I read this later somewhere. it's better to do it two or three turns before if you can. good point Don Giovanni

If only one could remember it all the time... Somesort of reminder would be nice, or the tech slider directly on playscreen.

[Theseus]

Originally posted by Tripledoc
Also check the science slider if you meet new civs. They may have the tech you are researching and then it won't cost so much.

Also worth checking is if you INCREASE the slider a notch or two, do you substantially decrease research time.

[vmxa1]

So what is really being said is you need to keep an eye reseach. The more familiar you are with the game setting, the less effort it takes.

[lmtoops]

Adjusting the citizens will gain significant beakers, especially in the early game. In C3C, a scientist gets 3 beakers. So get that guy out of the fields and have him work his mind for a few turns. Especially if the citizen is working an unimproved tile.

Another way to look at it is to say that not all citizens have be be field workers. You have scientists, and entertainers...then later civil engineers and police. Use all the tools that are available.

I hate the micromanagement part, so I consentrate on my core high production cities. You can gain alot by managing all cities, but it's gets to be a bore.

Finally, remember the screens are just a keystroke away. The city manager is F1. So just get into the routine of checking every few turns.

[mkqest]

[SIZE=1] Finally, remember the screens are just a keystroke away. The city manager is F1. So just get into the routine of checking every few turns.

Especially when turns to finish are 6 or less. check it every turn.

[BigFree]

If you really wanted to MM you'd find the exact cost, in beakers, for each tech in a given game and then track which Civ's have it each turn and thus keep track of it's final cost as you close in on getting it. You could go as far getting the amount of commerce spent on beakers/research as exact by using specialists!

[vmxa1]

That is why I wrote an xls to track the cost and how many beakers I have each turn. I don't use it all that much, but I can.

[BigFree]

Originally posted by vmxa1
That is why I wrote an xls to track the cost and how many beakers I have each turn. I don't use it all that much, but I can.

In higher levels it could really help you save some gold throughout the game and may be the difference between winning and losing.

[vmxa1]

Well at sid the difference in winning is the way the AI deals with armies. It doesn't, that is how you win, ok MS does not.

Science is often set to zero for me, even after the GL is obsolete. I tend to get many of my techs the Soviet way, I steal them.

I have mostly been playing sid for the last 4 months, but if I play some other level, I don't use the tools any more as I have a feel for the rate from too many games of civ.

So I do no hold to the saving a few beakers to be life saving. The main use is the earlier techs. In the end, you are going to win.

It is as you say a way to save some beakers/gold and useful. The deal to me is that I may be able to see a spot where making one or two more scientist will allow me to get the tech a turn sooner.

If I am to play a game at emperor, I just don't sweat it.

[Barinthus]

Originally posted by Theseus
Two more short tips:

1) Depending on what version and / or mod you are playing, get to know what research choices the various AI civs make, and how to research techs that the AI does NOT... one easy way to do this is to NOT research what the science advisor suggests. As you get better at this, you will start to gain what we call a "branch tech lead" which will allow you to put the AIs onto a treadmill funding your ongoing research lead. This culminates in something dubbed the "Industrial Corridor" where you can force the AI civs into the rear.

2) Research hard!! Seriously, especially now with SGLs, you want to get good at this.

As in selling techs to AIs that they don't have?

[Jaguar]

Basically. You'll notice, if you pay attention, that about 80% of AIs will go for the same tech given the same choices. You go for a different one. If you're the only one to have it, you can sell yours and easily pick up all the AI techs plus money (eventually you'll get gold per turn too). Once you're getting gold per turn from the AIs, you can get to even more techs first, and sell even more to them, and eventually you have an easy lead in research.

[Aqualung71]

Originally posted by Jaguar
....and eventually you have an easy lead in research.

At Emperor and below, yes. From Demi-God onwards it gets quite a bit harder

[Jaguar]

I know what it's like to play Demigod or higher.

[vmxa1]

I find it very hard to get the tech lead at deity and sid. One reason is that I tend to play in Monarchy, but even when I do not and I am much larger than they are it does not matter.

The extra cities are eaten up with corruption and the AI cost is so much lower. Once we get to industrial age, I tend to stop researching except for one scientist and just steal what I need and maybe get in a trade with a tech that the second tier civs do not have yet.

I am do a deity game now and I have much more land and I am in first place, but I cannot research worth a crap.

[vmxa1]

WHOOPS. I just noticed the game I mentioned is actually a sid game, not Deity. No wonder I was having trouble with research, oh well I have it in hand now.

I guess I never changed teh selection and it was still at sid, senile for sure.