GL Strategy

[joncnunn]

Re: GL Strategy

Assuming that you aren't isolated:

Definately don't turn research off, but keep at least 1 scientist.

In the Ancient Era, pick whatever you want. Your best tech strategy here is the 1 scientist approach.

But in the Middle Ages; avoid prereqs to Education and Education itself like the plague. If on a low level (Monarch or below) or else you've already built the FP, you should probably be activing reseraching the Enginerring -> Invention -> Gunpowder -> Chemistry -> Metalurgy -> Military Tradition beeline until the GL expires. Otherwise use the 1 beaker tactic.

Don't buy any techs, but sell techs at reasonable prices on the rare occansions that you have the oppertunity to do so.

This will max out the benfit of the GL in most situations.

Note that if you are instead Isolated, you shouldn't have reserach off and should still reserach at a good pace during the Ancient Era, but when the Middle Ages arrive, avoid Education and it's prereqs.

And if the first civ to contact you has more than 1 contact, you should buy all contacts immedately.

Originally posted by minke19104
After getting the Great Library, what is the best way to go?

Should I sit and relax, turning research completely off to accumulate massive amount of money, or continue going for techs that the AI do not research?

Say If England has monarchy, but noone lese has polytheism. Should I "donate" Polytheism to other civs to sort of bump them up to let them buy Monarchy from England. Thus, granting me free Monarchy faster.

I'm just curious on how ppl use their GL. Do you keep the GL as a backup for free techs while keeping research high to get the good ones faster, or you solely depend on GL for techs while building, REXing, or massively building Army to crush oppositions.

Also is it a good Idea to end GL use early if your close to Education, so you can build them Universities and hopefully JS Bach and switch to Democracy earlier than anyone else?

Any inputs are welcome...

[TimHobbit]

I have a slightly off topic, but still related question. Often, after getting GL, I will get the tech currently researched. Then your research jumps to another tech. Is there a way to choose what tech your research switches to?

[DaveMcW]

You lose all your accumulated research whenever you switch. Change it to whatever you like on the same turn, you're not losing anything more.

[Konquest02]

@Tim: hit F6 and choose the tech you want to research next. As Dave said, do this on the same turn not to lose any more beakers.

--Kon--

[Master Zen]

This is a strategy I sometimes use:

Once I get the GL, my main objective is Military Tradition. Usually the AI takes the "high road" in the early middle ages, going towards Theology and Education and at the most reach Invention on the "low road". When they (and I) get Invention, I go for Metallurgy and Military Tradition which gives me a major military advantage which I use to kick my neighbour's butt at this time.

Of course, depending on the game situation is whether I use this strategy or not.

[metalhead]

Re: Re: GL Strategy

Originally posted by joncnunn
Assuming that you aren't isolated:

Definately don't turn research off, but keep at least 1 scientist.

In the Ancient Era, pick whatever you want. Your best tech strategy here is the 1 scientist approach.

But in the Middle Ages; avoid prereqs to Education and Education itself like the plague. If on a low level (Monarch or below) or else you've already built the FP, you should probably be activing reseraching the Enginerring -> Invention -> Gunpowder -> Chemistry -> Metalurgy -> Military Tradition beeline until the GL expires. Otherwise use the 1 beaker tactic.

Don't buy any techs, but sell techs at reasonable prices on the rare occansions that you have the oppertunity to do so.

This will max out the benfit of the GL in most situations.

Note that if you are instead Isolated, you shouldn't have reserach off and should still reserach at a good pace during the Ancient Era, but when the Middle Ages arrive, avoid Education and it's prereqs.

And if the first civ to contact you has more than 1 contact, you should buy all contacts immedately.

I'm not sure I understand the point of researching techs while the GL is active. It seems like a colossal waste of gold. Unless you are playing Chieftan or Warlord, assigning any 40 turn research will end up a waste, because you will get the tech for free before you finish research, and whatever resources you put into the research will be wasted. It isn't a bad idea to start researching Gunpowder if you get Invention from the GL, as that will probably not end up being wasted research, but the first tech worth putting any research into is Printing Press, as this is guaranteed not to be wasted.

If you are isolated, it does make sense to research as fast as possible, because you will be getting no techs until you meet the other civs. I would recommend researching along the bottom all the way to Military Tradition before contacting other civs. When you do meet the other civs, DON'T trade for contacts. This will likely cost you a lot of gold, or a tech you would rather not trade (Metallurgy/MT). Rather, the AI will sell contact with you to all of the other civs, and you will get the contact for free.

One warning - on the next turn after you have met another civ, check your foreign advisor to make they haven't sold contact with you to only 1 or 2 other civs. If they have, then go ahead and trade for the rest, but it will almost always happen so that all other AI civs will buy contact with you, and proceed to contact you, on the same turn.

[joncnunn]

When using the 40 turn one beaker trick, the most gold you can possible lose out on is 39.

This is generally a lot less than activity reseraching the same tech and getting it for free five turns into reseraching it.

[Bluefrog]

Originally posted by joncnunn
When using the 40 turn one beaker trick, the most gold you can possible lose out on is 39.

This is generally a lot less than activity reseraching the same tech and getting it for free five turns into reseraching it.

Actually, you could stand to lose out on a lot more gold than that, depending on what tile the scientist could be working.

But, I guess you could always find some backwater city with poor space to grab a scientist from.

[metalhead]

Originally posted by Bluefrog


Actually, you could stand to lose out on a lot more gold than that, depending on what tile the scientist could be working.

But, I guess you could always find some backwater city with poor space to grab a scientist from.

That's a good point. If you take a citizen off of a tile with no commerce, you aren't losing any gold. But, you are slowing (or stopping altogether) the growth of one of your cities, and are then missing out on any gold the extra citizens would give you. Not to mention, all tiles have the potential to provide at least one gold. You are also reducing the number of shields in any city you create a scientist in, both by the citizen you are removing from work, and the future citizens that you aren't getting because your city isn't growing. It just doesn't make sense to take away a working citizen to research a tech when that research is almost guaranteed to be wasted.

Now, if you think you have a shot at getting a tech first that you know you can sell for tons of cash, such as Monarchy, then research it full-bore. But 40 turn research is an absolute waste of resources while the GL is active.