Pros & Cons of Giving Techs to the AI

[Gatekeeper]

Everyone:

I'm a tightwad and badass when it comes to the technology tree. Ya want some of my technology, AI?! BITE ME.

About the only time I willing trade techs is when the AI has something I *need.* And, believe it or not, that situation does pop up now-and-again. If that isn't the case, the only way the AI gets tech from me is by declaring war.

Which really isn't a good idea. On the outside, I'm a pacifistic, scientific society. But on the inside is a *raging* fanatic who will one day use his scientific edge on the AIs to utterly CRUSH THEM UNDERFOOT!!!!!!!

MWHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Say, I think it's time to go and wipe the table with those pissant Romans. Then the Amazons. And last, but not least, a showdown with the Sioux Empire.

CYBERAmazon

------------------
Resistance is futile. Lower your shields and disable your weapons. You will be assimilated into the Borg Collective.

[SCG]

Especially when I am far ahead in the game, I will try and tailor the AI's to become better trading partners. I'll give them various non-military techs (well not not initially military techs) and sometimes even irrigate and railroad around certain cities to get them to grow. Depending on my moods, i might even teraform a hill or 2 into a nice productive farmland plains or grasslands - can't let them build up their military lest they get cocky

[The Mad Monk]

One thing I have noticed: if your engineers are busily making improvements on their territory (including building a railroad from the coast to their capital-heh heh) they are much less likely to be veiwed with hostility. Engineers that are "just passing through" unescorted tend to be the targets of treaty activations and sneak attacks. The same engineers, making improvements as they move, tend to be left alone.

BTW, I play at King level, mainly because I find the unhappiness problems of higher levels more "annoying" than "challenging"; to balance this lower level, I tend to give the AIs all the tech I can, at least up to railroad/explosives/refrigeration.

[rah]

Count me in with the "BITE ME" crowd. If they have a tech that I want, I will wait for them to offer it for peace or a cease fire. They will eventually.

RAH

[Venger]

I concur, the only way I give up a tech is in the smoldering ruins of my capital...

Venger

[Gatekeeper]

Campo, et al.:

**contented sigh** Whelp, just cleaned the table with the Roman Empire. Gosh, they got nice BIG cities — all conveniently mine, now. Boy, ya should've heard the caesar screeching when I overran the last of his "insta-capitals."

Damn Amazon Empire. Little freaks didn't connect all their cities will railroads. Buttheads. Those women are aggressive! Broke treaty after treaty! Boy, was I satisfied after flushing the toilet with them. Not many big cities, though ... them and their "live with nature" attitude.

The Sioux were fun. I landed 64 divisions of armor and howitzers on their soil ... and had to reinforce that with another 24 divisions in order to fully break their empire into tiny, scattered pieces. Am now mopping up ... well over a dozen size 20+ cities now under Egyptian dominion. Oh, yeah.

All accomplished without sharing technology with the AI, which was doing just fine on its own. **snort** Bastard Sioux blasted six of my howitzer divisions into oblivion on their initial counterstrike ... but the AI Sioux, being dumb butts, offered a peace treaty after reclaiming only one of their cities. And I accepted.

Then fortified and strengthened my significant presence in the Sioux heartland. Then I conquered the rest of their main cities.

CYBERAmazon (the one who doesn't share technology)

------------------
Resistance is futile. Lower your shields and disable your weapons. You will be assimilated into the Borg Collective.

[Alexander's Horse]

I always give the AI techs. I give them techs to get maps. I almost always trade in other circumstance, unless I'm building a wonder or solely hold a decisive military tech. Why? Saves me a lot of time. I assume I can always make better use of the techs I get than the AI can of the techs I give. This approach can really get you up the tech tree rapidly, especially if you can trade with several civs.

Its interesting to read the different approaches.

[jpk]

While I try not to give away techs, I will trade them.

Sometimes I want to deliver a caravan to an inland city and the AI civilizations will make a nasty comment. Rather than risk losing the caravan I'll usually give in to the demands.

I usually won't trade techs that will allow the AI to start a wonder I want to build. Other than that I'm inclined to trade. Sometimes it's hard to get the chance to work on an advance like Astronomy. If some AI civilizations gets it especially early Coperinicus can be gone before the human player gets a chance to build it.

[Hasdrubal]

I never give the AI anything. I refuse to pamper them with gifts to raise their attitude towards me.
Trading tech is an entirely different matter. I love the role of 'tech-broker', me trading techs from one Civ to the next. It saves a lot of time. I'll try to let the AI scrollheads supply me with all the necessary technology, while I concentrate on building some cold hard steel in the meantime.

------------------
Ceterum censeo Romanem esse delendam.

[Ming]

Being a tech broker can be fun. If you see that a civ is developing a science you have, that nobody else has, it's always great to trade it to other civs so you can fill in a few of those sciences you don't have yet. Heck, you might as well get something for it since the AI will trade it the minute it gets it anyway

[Paul]

In the old days when there was still doubt if I could beat the AI I loved to trade lots of tech. If you would research stuff the AI placed on a low priority you could get loads of other tech in exchange. I would first trade with the most advanced AI for something the other AIs didn't have and then to the next advanced AI and so on. I would sometimes get something like 10 techs for my one tech.

Of course now the AI won't ever get so far ahead that they have 10 techs that I don't have but it used to be fun at the time.

[Steve Clark]

There's lots of good discussion here. For my style of Single Player play, I can summarize as follows:

Bloodlust/Larger Maps - I don't give anyone, anything; reputation be d***ed. No reason for alliances, keeping others happy, etc. There are only two cases where I would trade. One, if I were to get a tech that I need for something that would have no impact on me. The other is where I need to get a short infusion of cash, particularly to rushbuild a wonder.

Bloodlust/Smaller Maps - A little more trickier. If there is a neighboring civ that you can't destroy early on, you made need to coddle them a little just to buy time.

AC/All Maps - The only goal is to launch and land a spaceship. That requires getting all of the desired techs ASAP. Trading especially works since you don't need all of the techs and associated wonders. With a number of cities building caravans and military units, you can hold off enemy civs while staying ahead.

OCC/AC - As in all AC games, the goal is to launch and land. With only ONE vunerable city, you got to keep others away, esp. if you have nearby civs on a small map. I think the key is to get to Space Flight first and start building those parts. Therefore, do anything to keep other pacified - give/trade/gifts/ally/etc. Anytime you have to stop and build defensive units will slow you down. Anytime you have enemy units sitting on city squares will slow you down. Anytime you have bombers and howitzers attacking your one city will slow you down.

OCC/Bloodlust - Don't know about that yet.

Just my ramblings for the morning.