Real World vs. Civilization World

[I'mNowCivilized]

I was playing a game today and I noticed that when I got the ability to create fighters and bombers it was 2021. I am curious, is this generally the way it goes? Or do all you really good players get technologies even before it would have occured in the real world. I am wondering is there any thing I can do to speed up learning new techs? Other than devoting more money that is. Likewise, is there a way to keep your cities from growing too fast?

[bobbo008]

I use the editor, and so usually techs come a lot faster the way I play.

[I'mNowCivilized]

How do you use the editor?

[vmxa1]

Even at the highest level you can get all the tech before 2021 and even in a huge map, where you are trying to slow the tech rate down.

So yes a reasonable expectation would be to have bombers in the 1900's. If you are playing at the lowest level, you will actually take longer to get tech. This is because the AI will not be able to help you and you will have to do most of the research on your own.

[Tassadar500]

What would you want your cities to slow down growing?

[I'mNowCivilized]

Originally posted by vmxa1
Even at the highest level you can get all the tech before 2021 and even in a huge map, where you are trying to slow the tech rate down.

So yes a reasonable expectation would be to have bombers in the 1900's. If you are playing at the lowest level, you will actually take longer to get tech. This is because the AI will not be able to help you and you will have to do most of the research on your own.

In what ways does the AI help players get the research that they need? Could you go into a little more detail? Thanks.

[Tassadar500]

They help because you can trade other techs for your techs, thus increasing the speed of getting techs.

[I'mNowCivilized]

Originally posted by Nuclear Master
What would you want your cities to slow down growing?

Because with some of them it seemed like I was going there every other turn to handle no food or unhappy workers. In some cases I had to restore order at 4 or 5 cities at once.

[Tassadar500]

That means you're doing something wrong. It could be many possibilities. No/lacking MP, luxury slider, prolonged war, drafting, forced production, etc.

[Solomwi]

I think Warlord, huge map, 8 civs is the settings set that I found most closely resembled a real world tech timeline. On Monarch, my bombers typically come in the early 1500s.

As vmxa said, the key is how much research you have to do on your own and how much help you get from the AI. There are 83 techs, including all the optional ones. You start with 2, leaving 81 to be acquired. Let's assume for a moment you get no tech from huts (a minor effect anyway, unless you're expansionist) and research at an average, over the whole game, of 6 turns per tech. That's a pretty dang fast average research rate, and it places your discovery of Integrated Defense at 1996 AD. Remember, you haven't traded for a single tech from the AI, because you've been ahead of them the entire game.

Now, let's say you have seven opponents, and you trade for one tech per era per opponent. You now only have to research 53 techs and, at the same six turn average rate, discover ID in around 1640 AD.

[I'mNowCivilized]

Originally posted by Nuclear Master
That means you're doing something wrong. It could be many possibilities. No/lacking MP, luxury slider, prolonged war, drafting, forced production, etc.

With wars I try to end them as quick as I can, unless of course I am bound by a mutual protection pack. Forced production? You mean the workers really don't like it when you sacrifice them to pump out those units and/or city improvements. Who would have thought that the workers would take it so personal once I tell the advisor to get out my whip?

[vmxa1]

Originally posted by I'mNowCivilized



In what ways does the AI help players get the research that they need? Could you go into a little more detail? Thanks.

Solomwi covered it. If you are able to trade for techs a few times, you do not have to research those. If you have more civs that know a given tech it makes it cheaper to research.

At lower levels the AI will often not be able to research anything after the second tier of the ancient age before you. These means, you have to research the rest all alone.

You can get some helps still if you are not at war and sell techs for cash. This lets you research a bit faster.

One good indication that you are not really on top of things is if you play at Warlord or Chief and are not first to all or nearly all of the techs after the ancient age. Even if you are kicking the AI around, you still have more to learn (presuminig a decent location).

[vmxa1]

Originally posted by I'mNowCivilized


Because with some of them it seemed like I was going there every other turn to handle no food or unhappy workers. In some cases I had to restore order at 4 or 5 cities at once.

Yes this is not a good thing and probably you are in the wrong government for long wars or more likely you have not done the kind of job required to build up the empire.

That is not to say it can't happen to anyone, but it should be rare and short lived.

[I'mNowCivilized]

Originally posted by vmxa1


Solomwi covered it. If you are able to trade for techs a few times, you do not have to research those. If you have more civs that know a given tech it makes it cheaper to research.

At lower levels the AI will often not be able to research anything after the second tier of the ancient age before you. These means, you have to research the rest all alone.

You can get some helps still if you are not at war and sell techs for cash. This lets you research a bit faster.

One good indication that you are not really on top of things is if you play at Warlord or Chief and are not first to all or nearly all of the techs after the ancient age. Even if you are kicking the AI around, you still have more to learn (presuminig a decent location).

Well, I was able to do that for a time being. And I always try for Great Library, I think that helps some. This was actually the first game where I realized what the sliders were and how you can move them. Even then I probably only had it about 40% approx. 2/3 of the time. I was prety much ahead on all or most of the techs during the better part of the game. Also something I tend to do alot of, maybe more of my share, is giving techs to my allies. But from the beginning of the game up until about the time I discovered fission I was way ahead on techs. Also I had all but about 5 wonders. And today was the first time I tried sabotaging. That works good, but it can get expensive. Is it possible that I was losing some of my techs to espionage. Is there a way to tell? I sure miss that Hunter-Seeker Algorithm. Oh, one more thing, by the time you get to magnetism and/or electricity, about how much money per turn are you pulling in? Oh also, I don't usually go after fascism or communism either.

[Tassadar500]

What government are you usually in?