No Science Necessary?

[prokkos]

Wanted to get some thoughts on this.

I basicly put science spending to 0 pretty quickly in the game. I jack up happiness spending and usually can get at least a few cities into celebration mode. Then I use cash, maps, contacts, goods, etc. to trade for improvements. Up until mid-game, I'm usually right up there, maybe a one or two advances behind in science. At mid-game, I start to drop three or four back but can cathc up with a lucky break or two on trades.

Any thoughts on this?

[ZionBlade]

I usually put mine at 50% and am still an advance or two behind


Do you have any cheat codes?

[Monoriu]

Prokkos what level do you play on?

I play on Monarch level now and my rule of thumb from middle ages onwards is to adjust the science level so that I always discover a tech every 4 turns.

[Kc7mxo]

I been playing on regent, and I didn''t do any research until the modern age. It is much more finnancially viable to simply purchase techs from the ai, and then sell them to those he doesn't know.

I find that the key to power is to prevent the ai's from meeting eachother. don't sell communication. meet everyone as soon as possible. :-)

being a tech broker is fantasitcally proffitable.

[Rasputin]

Originally posted by ZionBlade
Do you have any cheat codes?

good to see some one knows how to beat the game !!!

[Fistleaf]

I was behind in tech on Monarch level all the way until the industrial age.
It was then that I concentrated only on researching the most advanced tech that nobody has yet. By trading these advanced techs, I can get 2 older techs for the price of one. This helps greatly in catching up with technology.

[Badtz Maru]

In ancient times it seems a lot quicker to not spend any on science and spend the excess cash on buying techs from the opponent. I have found I am able to get almost all ancient techs for under 100, many for under 50. Many times they will give them to you for your territory map, even if you just gave it to them a few turns before. I have less luck buying techs once I start getting towards the end of the ancient era, but if I can make contact with a couple of civs early on I can maintain a tech lead for some time without researching anything on my own.

[prokkos]

I usually play on level 3, can't recall the name of it.

It seems like a good strategy that I am going to stick with until mid- level game.

I just realized that I may be further behind by mid game than I realized. The computer often has more advances that you may think. It seems like certain advances which enable subsequent advances are not shown on the computers technlogy screen until you get the first advance.

Once I make the trade for the initial advance, the computer shows the additional ones. It had them, I guess I was not advanced enough to even realize it.

[Sava]

That might be a wise strategy for keeping up with AI's, but once MP comes out, you will get annihilated. It's better to be ahead in science rather than behind or keeping up. Here why:

I discover the Wheel first so I can see all the horse resources. If there are Civ's nearby, I prevent them from getting their horse untis. When I get Horseback Riding, I begin massing Horsemen and I conquer everyone within reach.

Then I discover Iron Working so I can see all the iron resources. Then I prevent the AI's from getting their pikemen units. Then, by the time I get Chivalry and have knights, they won't have pikemen to defend their cities. My knights make quick work of spearmen. Once I get military tradition before anyone else. The game is over. I mass Cavalry and take over the world. Using IFE, I can make as many Cavalry units per turn as I have cities. That's 20 per turn if I have 20 cities. 6 turns after Military Tradition, I have 120 Cavalry. I kill your cities one at a time, and send your workers back to my empire to IFE even more (read my thread on IFE to find out what it is).

If you want to win, you have to be first in science. It lets you plan a strategic victory faster. Your people might be happier in the ancient era, but my people will be reading about them in their history books in the modern era when I conquer everyone!

[Blaupanzer]

The AI does not reveal advances it has that you cannot study. Thus, the AI can finish a Wonder related to a tech none of them have ever shown to you. This can be VERY frustrating. Your strategy might work early game. However, in the late game on your strategy, the two civs left alive will trade you no techs as their modern armor and mech infantry eat your infanty and cavalry for breakfast, recapturing all those IFE workers.