Random Start

[markusf]

Originally posted by rah
Still, the power of this knowledge is in the manipulation of it. Specifically in OCC games. You gift the Techs to the key civ to lower your own research. No one is gifting techs in MP. You might be able to influence your power ranking to make yourself the key civ, but I don't think that's easy to do, unless you're purple and you just stay supreme. So I really don't see this is having as practical usage in an MP game. And as you stated, the +- 20 beakers isn't likely to make that much difference in a 2x game. In OCC or turn record attempts it makes sense to try to use it.

RAH

Well often times it means you have to wait 4 more turns to go into monarchy or republic.

[rah]

It's easy to beaker max your cities trying to eek out an odeo year, (and easy to calculate), I doubt this would be as easy to manipulate and as quantifiable. And early in the game, I don't think the swings are that pronounced. (I mean have you ever taken more than 10 beakers to make your first tech)

RAH