The Planetary Datalinks

[timotheus4]

Originally posted by Mead

Unless I am playing as a badly tech deprived faction PDL is useless to me. Even as a bad researcher I will develop and maintain an ample probe force.

Usually, I get so far ahead of the pack it does not give me any techs.

I actually like someone else having it. It makes my tech costs cheaper. I guess I could sell the techs more often for extra cash as well.

Generally, I will not trade my killer techs (such as airpower/fusion/orbital) with anyone, so I am able to enjoy the exclusive use of the killer techs until someone else gets them on their own. So long as I keep good probe defense security and do not trade the killer techs I will be the sole owner and will have the exclusive use of these techs for a relatively long time.


Mead

But, you are effectively researching for yourself and the other people. I get PDL as more of a safety measure. Basically, when you get PDL, you are guaranteed technological parity with at least three factions.

[gwillybj]

The way I play my SP games, if I need The Planetary Datalinks, I'm too far behind in tech to get to it before another faction builds it. If I am able to build it, I don't need it - and likely won't need it - but sometimes I build it anyway so no one else can

[Datajack Franit]

It's not useless at all when the Believers get it

[Enigma_Nova]

How does the PDL techstealing work?

I guess that once you have an infiltrator you can leech Tech, but observing that the PDL only steals from 3 factions, how does the game determine which faction to steal from?

[Nakar Gabab]

The PDL is identical to the Great Library of Civ3. Yet the Library is considered invaluable and the PDL is considered useless. The reason is timing. Simply put, you will NEVER reach Cyberethics early enough that you'd not have all the techs you need to grab a commanding lead in the game, or at least in the tech race. I guess you could beeline to CybEth at the start... but why?

[Nubclear]

Can't one simply change the PDLs prereq?

[Hercules]

As Tau Ceti

The PDL shows its true powers in MP games with 6 or 7 players, especially in team games.

Even in 4 or 5 player games: if players gang up against the leading faction and the leading faction has the PDL, care needs to be taken not to gift the leader with the latest and maybe critical tech that the other factions thru accelerated tech trading have acquired.

So not the most important SP especially in Sp games. And in MP games it can be useful to scoop up those techs on the tech tree that tend to be left to near the end.

[timotheus4]

Originally posted by Nakar Gabab
The PDL is identical to the Great Library of Civ3. Yet the Library is considered invaluable and the PDL is considered useless. The reason is timing. Simply put, you will NEVER reach Cyberethics early enough that you'd not have all the techs you need to grab a commanding lead in the game, or at least in the tech race. I guess you could beeline to CybEth at the start... but why?

For the tech windfall. I usually do if playing as hive/beavers

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Originally posted by Nakar Gabab
The PDL is identical to the Great Library of Civ3. Yet the Library is considered invaluable and the PDL is considered useless. The reason is timing. Simply put, you will NEVER reach Cyberethics early enough that you'd not have all the techs you need to grab a commanding lead in the game, or at least in the tech race. I guess you could beeline to CybEth at the start... but why?

Not quite. Great Library IIRC allows techs to be garnered if any two other civs have the tech its effects expire with electricity (I think). PDL requires 3 other factions to have the tech and its effect never expire. The requirement to have 3 other factions gain the tech is teh big difference. 2 factions/civs having the tech is a relatively easy feat whilst 3 factions/civs normally assures that any techs garned are lower tier (speed bump) ones that you normally bypass in your tech beelines.