The AI and Technology Advances

[dakooch]

Can anyone tell me what parameters the AI uses for acquiring new tech? I am about to throw in the towel on a game in which I have the largest Civ in size and population and almost all the others are acquiring their techs at about twice my rate. I am a monarchy (Greece), they republics. It is not even 1100 AD yet and I'm fighting cavalry and frigates (including one Civ with 3 cities) with knights and galleys. My research rate has consistently been between 70-100%.

[Sheik]

The map type, map size, # of AI, and difficulty level can all effect the AI trade rate. If you made some poor diplomatic decisions then I am not surprised you are behind. Try an easier difficulty level or modify the one you were playing with the editor.

[Willem]

Staying in Monarchy when they're all Republics is part of your problem. You get an extra gold trade bonus for every road in your empire if you're a Republic. That amounts to alot of money you could put towards research. Plus try to make trades as much as possible, the AI does that alot between the civs. That's one reason they're all ahead of you.

[dakooch]

Originally posted by Sheik
The map type, map size, # of AI, and difficulty level can all effect the AI trade rate. If you made some poor diplomatic decisions then I am not surprised you are behind. Try an easier difficulty level or modify the one you were playing with the editor.

Playing large map with 8 competing Civs on same (not altogether large) continent at Monarch level at which I normally win.
I did continue this game and should note that a bug became apparent when one Civ that I had eliminated (Japan), but the AI did not recognize as such until many turns later a lone Japanese galley was sunk off my coast. Then my tech rate picked up and am now about three or four ahead of everybody.

What exactly would be "some poor diplomatic decisions"?

[dakooch]

Originally posted by Willem
Staying in Monarchy when they're all Republics is part of your problem. You get an extra gold trade bonus for every road in your empire if you're a Republic. That amounts to alot of money you could put towards research. Plus try to make trades as much as possible, the AI does that alot between the civs. That's one reason they're all ahead of you.

You're not altogether correct. I have always found it better to stay in Monarchy when, in this case, there were 8 other competing Civs on a not particularly large continent (a case of constant warfare being a little hard apparently on the psyches of the Republican populace). As to the trade possibilities, there was a point at which almost everyone instantaneously jumped ahead and I had nothing worthwhile to trade for. See reply to Prince as to possible bug in program that seemed to resolve itself when Indian frigate sank Japanese galley.

[Willem]

Originally posted by dakooch
I have always found it better to stay in Monarchy when, in this case, there were 8 other competing Civs on a not particularly large continent (a case of constant warfare being a little hard apparently on the psyches of the Republican populace).

Yes, it's a judgement call you have to make, the same thing will happen with Communism/Democracy. One form is good for warfare, the other for trade/research. But if you're at peace and you find yourself behind in techs, Republic is much better.

As to the trade possibilities, there was a point at which almost everyone instantaneously jumped ahead and I had nothing worthwhile to trade for.

Obviously there had been a series of tech trades at that point between the other civs. You should always try to have some cash on hand in case that happens so you don't get left behind. You don't have to trade techs necessarily, cash will do, or even a resource or two if it's possible. You can even do a cash per turn deal.

See reply to Prince as to possible bug in program that seemed to resolve itself when Indian frigate sank Japanese galley.

I'm not sure exactly what you meant there, but it isn't unusual to find a Settler in a ship if you think a civ has been destroyed. That's not a bug, it's feature.

I don't know for sure, but it sounds to me like you might be a little to concerned about your military. Spend a little less cash on units and you might find yourself in a better position trade wise.

Oh, and poor diplomatic decisions means breaking trade, peace treaties and military alliances before the 20 turns are up, that sort of thing. If you're reputation gets damaged, you're going to find it harder, if not impossible, to make deals with other civs.

[dakooch]

Thanks for the input, particularly on the settler . . . but then how can that particular Civ acquire wealth?

[Willem]

Originally posted by dakooch
Thanks for the input, particularly on the settler . . . but then how can that particular Civ acquire wealth?

If it happened to have gold per turn deals with other civs, those payments would still be made even though it doesn't have a city. It sounds to me that it was that particular civ which was trading to all the rest; as soon as it's cities were destroyed, it was no longer able to keep the lead and so you caught up.

[dakooch]

I'll buy you're "gold on the galley" explanation, but don't think it had anything to do with the development disparity. I went to war with two adjacent Civs (in desperation) and got five advances from one and two from another in return for not eliminating them. Japan-on-the-galley wasn't one - I traded advances to it for badly needed money. This got me to the Middle Ages, but inspite of my size and number of cities the competing Civs were pulling away. The Monarchy vs Republic argument would not account for this disparity. I finally put all my cities on producing wealth only, hunkered down with my knights/galleys vs cavalry/frigates and managed to pay off the rampaging (but perhaps war-weary) Romans . . . at this point I was about to throw in the towel as they could probably have taken all my cities. I went for Democracy ASAP in the Middle Ages, pulled even in the early Industrial and went ahead on whatever the Wonder is that gives you two advances. I'm now in the late 1800s, the Romans are essentially a Greek proctectorate and I have almost all the Civ advances (and four more than my closest competitor. But the score isn't very high . . . barely 2000.