Please help needed with research

[Kurgan]

It does not matter what I do, I am always behind in research. I have tried to go straight for monarchy, but the problem is that when you go in line it is always 32 turns, and then I become even more backward. Any idea?, because sometimes it does not matter if I put 10% to research or 100%, it takes the same time .

[Kekkonen]

32 is the maximum time it takes to get an advance. No matter how puny your science output, you'll get a new tech every 32 turns.

Going straight for monarchy is probably not a good idea. The prerequisites take a pretty long time to get, they are very expensive. Sometimes it pays to stay in despotism for a good while and get the smaller stuff. You can then trade the small stuff to the AI civs for other advances. The AI civs trade among each other, and unlike Civ2, they're also willing to trade with you. If you don't trade, you'll lag behind because you're doing all the work by yourself. Alone on a largish island is no longer the best starting position.

[Der PH]

Go for Literature and build the Great Library as soon as possible! This will take away some of your troubles. At least it did for me.

[Kurgan]

Thanks to both, I will try that

[Kekkonen]

Yeah, the Great Library is still one of the best wonders in the game. It ensures that you're never behind in tech, but it expires a lot earlier in Civ3 than in Civ2.

That being said, it's _the_ early wonder to shoot for IMO. I think it also gives more culture points than just about any other wonder.

[solo]

Look for luxuries and found cities next to them. Connect to AI capitals ASAP by road and trade luxuries for techs. You'll be surprised how quickly you can pick them up with a trade-based strategy. As you pick up new ones, trade them to other civs for other techs you may not have. If you don't, an AI will beat you to the trade. Why waste shields building the Great Library when active trading will net you advances just as fast? Incidently, unlike CivII, acquiring many techs off the path to Monarchy does not slow down your research leading to it.

By the way, a luxury can be traded even if you do not have any extras. You can trade the one your cities are using if it is not needed to maintain happiness.

Later in the game, after science improvements and wonders are in place, you should be able to research as fast, or faster, than the AI, picking up advances every 4 turns, but don't stop trading just because of this.

[vmxa1]

It is only useful if you are behind in tech.

[Admiral PJ]

build lots of cities and libraries, going scientific can help a little, you get nice cheap libraries which also give very nice culture(3 as opposed to 2 for temples).
I got monotheism free playing as the germans which helped.

[Skanky Burns]

Originally posted by vmxa1
It is only useful if you are behind in tech.

LOL as i discovered that.

In both games where i got the Great Library, i was also ahead in the tech race. I ended up getting a total of *2* tech advances through the GL!! But at least i got the culture value from it

[Kekkonen]

Don't forget, if you have the Great Library, the AI doesn't. In Civ2 it was one of those wonders you wanted to build just to keep it out of an AI civ's hands, but I don't think that quite applies to Civ3 anymore.

[War4ever]

Originally posted by Kekkonen
Don't forget, if you have the Great Library, the AI doesn't. In Civ2 it was one of those wonders you wanted to build just to keep it out of an AI civ's hands, but I don't think that quite applies to Civ3 anymore.

i disagree only one one aspect..... the culture for GL is 6 which makes it the highest for a wonder or tied for top spot i think.....

either way it has more culture than many wonders and early building of a wonder does "wonders" for your culture rating.....

Personally i don't build it...it was fun one time when i got it but i only got 5 techs though i made ALOT of cash......

i don't build wonders until i get a leader or unless 2 of my three cities have kicking food tiles....

i one turn build my wonders with the leader..why waste all that building time on wonders when you should be out expanding , making contacts , building temples and barracks.....and then launching a war machine on some poor fool to acquire more land if it is good or just razing his cites for workers if the conditions are not up to snuff.

if i can do all of this and dedicate one city to the wonder then i will spend the time to actually build one.....

early temple culture and a strong military are essential to keep the ai less hostile towards you...... otherwise they will all gang up on you with those crazy MPP's

a great early wonder is the pyramids......or oracle......

pyramids will make the rushing of troops via population sacrifice easier with normal land and ludicrous with kicking food tiles..

oracel expires quickly but allows for larger population which makes rushing quicker in the sense that if you rush at size three or four you can rush again in two turns....whereas at size two and a rush, you need a minimum of 7 turns and it could take 10 to grow.