Civ choice for the "builder"

[peterfharris]

Originally posted by Dominae


1. When you're planning to play the tech trading game. That is, when you're not able/interested in getting a tech lead, but just planning to be as prosperous as possible.

2. When it would take you over ~25 turns to research the tech at maximum Science.

3. When you're reasonably confident that an AI will not beat you to the tech. The whole idea here is that you're gambling that the one tech you pick for a 40-turn pace will net you a bunch of other techs when traded around. You are thus able to make a lot of money but still keep up in the tech race. If another AI gets that tech first, its trade value is far lower and you may not be able to get back into the race.


Dominae

4. When your in such deep trouble, as I am in my current game, that you can't afford to do much research because you need money right now to rush build units to keep the AI civs out of your cities. (Not recommended as a strategy, merely a reaction to being in very deep trouble, you have to hope you can turn the tide of war and extort enough to catch up on techs).

[Dominae]

Originally posted by peterfharris

4. When your in such deep trouble, as I am in my current game, that you can't afford to do much research because you need money right now to rush build units to keep the AI civs out of your cities. (Not recommended as a strategy, merely a reaction to being in very deep trouble, you have to hope you can turn the tide of war and extort enough to catch up on techs).

In that situation, I would go for no research. An extra 40 Gold sometimes comes in handy!


Dominae

[peterfharris]

Originally posted by Dominae


In that situation, I would go for no research. An extra 40 Gold sometimes comes in handy!


Dominae

With hindsight, I wish I had set gone for zero reseach. Many centuries passed with no research projects completed. I extorted or traded for all techs from about 1500 BC to 1950 AD. I was in trouble for a long time always slowly trying to claw my way forward. I hate to think how much gold I wasted. Only now in about 1960 will I be first to complete the research of a tech. (A game on a tiny map with 32 civs can be very interesting).

[Theseus]

Zero research... and a scientist.

[Catt]

Spending 100% on science when there is no apparent difference in "time to research" between 100% and 10% takes a fair bit of experience and/or a very number-crunching approach to the game as well as quite intricate understanding of tech values. It can prove to shave a large chunk of time off of your research project, or it can shave very little time but cost an awful lot of extra gold from your treasury if you make the wrong call. Getting to know when your expected development (empire, population, and tile) over the next few dozen turns will make the 100% gambit worthwhile takes some experimentation and some early confidence -- but once you do it a few times, it can be very enlightening.

As Dom pointed out, if you invest 15 turns at 100% even when 100% will show an initial 40-turn pace, you may actually discover the tech in 20 - 25 turns. But if you invest 15 turns at 10%, you are almost certainly doomed to a 40-turn pace (or nearly so) no matter how high you crank the slider later in the project.

Catt

[Theseus]

Hi Catt!

[Catt]

Hi Theseus!

[Theseus]

You are missed.

You might want to try AU 210. I say that meaningfully... we missed 'it' a bit with the previous few, but 210 is your kinda game I think.

[Catt]

Too busy lately. Little Civ time; less 'Poly time.

On-Topic: "Builder" civs: any civ with a rich starting location; slight advantage to those civs with a rich starting location and a city improvement discount.

Catt

[Rhothaerill]

I'm still waiting for someone to beat AU210 with a win condition other than diplomatic. Who will be the first???