Manage Science Rate - Grow Gold

[henry296]

One strategy that I try to remember use, is to manipulate my science rate when I am close to a new tech. For that last turn you can turn down your science rate to about 20% and get about 200 gold and still complete the research on your next turn. Part of me thinks this is an abuse of the system, but it can help build your cofers for unit upgrades and rush building.

Todd

[Stuie]

Re: Manage Science Rate - Grow Gold

Originally posted by henry296
Part of me thinks this is an abuse of the system, but it can help build your cofers for unit upgrades and rush building.
Todd

Why's it an abuse? The extra science that would have gone toward your next tech is paid out in gold instead. It all evens out in the end.

[Iconoclast]

From what I know, extra science beakers do not go to the next advance either way. So might as well spend as less as you can for the same amount on time, since any extra spent is wasted.

[henry296]

I truly believe it is beneficial and will help me do better, but I am not sure if the AI even considers making that change. Based on the gold levels I see when trading, I doubt it. Maybe Soren, should add that to the code. Plus, the computer will never forget.


I tend to play games like this within the Spirit of the game, which usually means not doing things that the computer can't consider because it isn't human. Things like IFE.


Todd

[IronSpam]

Yeah, I do the same kind of micromanaging with production when building in my cities.

In the city Philadelphia (with factory, Hoover Dam, Iron Works), production is 84 shields per turn. A tank costs 100, so it would take two turns to build. But when the second turn comes around, the extra 68 shields go nowhere, which sucks when you think of the production waste.

Enter micromanagement. As it happens, my military consists mainly of infantry and cavalry. Since the infantry have a good defense rating and can still be upgraded later on, they're still useful. But the cavalry are essentially outmoded with the onset of the tank, and can be disbanded during this upgrade process.

A cavalry unit as it turns out yields 20 shields when disbanded in a city. So this extra boost, coupled with the city's production, will make me a tank the next turn. And as long as I keep disbanding a cavalry unit in Philadelphia, I can keep cranking out tanks at one unit a turn! I just have to figure out what I'm going to do when I run out of horsemeat.

Wouldn't it be nice if you had a city that generates say twice as many shields per turn as the cost of a unit, that it makes two of those units? Think of it -- I could make like two swordsmen per turn in Philadelphia. But why?

[Conquesticus]

One of the Few Perks

Don't consider it abuse. It's a perk as a human. You should be rewarded for your micromanaging prowess, right? When an AI warrior thrashes your elite cavalry, you'll be happy that you pocketed that 200 gold.

[barefootbadass]

Firaxis made attempts at reducing micromanagement in this game from previous civ games, but this does not mean that judiciously managing your resources on a turn by turn and city by city basis is abuse of the system. By doing such you are simply being more efficient. And you need every ounce of efficiency you can get in this game especially since corruption 'simulates' inefficiency already.

I disagree that micromanagement and stuff like IFE is not in the 'spirit' of the game. All the tools are there in the game and involve no cheating like reloading or peeping at the map or making your own map where you will certainly win. And also, there are plenty of advantages in fast expansion and production, for the ai to give you a challenge that requires you to do what needs to be done within the game to win.

[Zanzin]

Don't feel bad about it doing this! The AI can do things we can't, so something like this evens things up a bit!

It's good strategy, thanks for posting.

[barefootbadass]

Another note, I have been doing this type of management of science rate since I figured out that beakers do not carry over, and it never even entered my head that it was some kind of abuse, but then, I was one in civ2 who would build two super cities on two distant islands and run caravans so that I got 1 discovery per turn in fundamentalism and loads of gold.

Both of these kinds of things are just playing by the rules of the game. A bit masochistic perhaps, but fair.