Early research for builders/hybrids at higher difficulty levels

[Arrian]

Hmm, sounds like what I do as Rome. I build a large number of vet warriors (last game, ~25, which is a lot for a standard map), upgrade them to legionaries, add in a few of horsies (~5), and go kill. All unit production after that goes toward horsies... so eventually the horsies catch up to and pass the legionaries in numbers (usually around the time they become knights ).

-Arrian

[Yahweh Sabaoth]

Originally posted by Arrian
There is a cap on the maximum time it can take you to research a tech. That cap is set at 40 turns (there is also a cap on the other end - 4 turns).

Therefore, so long as you put 1 "beaker" toward science per turn, you can get a tech in 40 turns. If the tech is sufficiently expensive and your civ is small (early game), you may not be able to muster enough beakers to research the tech any faster. Therefore, spending more than 10% science on it is a waste of cash.

Still, this makes little sense to me. I had 2 or 3 cities, all on rivers, and sure, they were small, but shouldn't 100% research net me something more like Alphabet in 38 turns, not 40? I don't get why my income/deficit changes slightly due to tax adjustment, but my research at this level didn't change AT ALL.

I notice that, playing as commercial civs, I can boost the tech level to 90% or so and have significant increase in my research rate, in the early game...

[Arrian]

On larger maps, the techs cost more (to adjust for the fact that you will have more cities and less corruption). So writing on a huge map is VERY pricey. 2-3 cities, probably with relatively low populations, just aren't gonna pump out enough commerce to get it in less than 40 turns.

[Yahweh Sabaoth]

Originally posted by Arrian
On larger maps, the techs cost more (to adjust for the fact that you will have more cities and less corruption). So writing on a huge map is VERY pricey. 2-3 cities, probably with relatively low populations, just aren't gonna pump out enough commerce to get it in less than 40 turns.

Huhn. Are all second-tier techs this pricey? How can I tell the "absolute price" of a tech?

[Arrian]

I think you should be able to find out in the editor. IIRC, Writing is one of the most expensive 2nd-tier techs, perhaps THE most.

In the editor, the techs each have a value (1, 2, 3, 4, etc). You need to multiply that value by a certain number which currently escapes me for the total beakers. In fact, that multiplier varies based on map size, IIRC, so even if I did remember, I'd be remembing the numbers for a standard map. ALSO, bear in mind that above regent, the human player has another multiplier to deal with (Monarch = 10%, Emp = 20%, Deity = 40%?).

Anyway, you can deduce the beaker cost by moving the slider up & down and observing the change in time required to discover the tech.

-Arrian

[joncnunn]

Also don't forget that the price is modifed by the precentage of civs that already have the tech.

[Arrian]

It depends on whether or not you have contact with them, though. So the discount will only kick in once you meet a civ that has the tech in question (or a civ you already know acquires it).

-Arrian