Tech Trade strategy spoils the game ?

Roytheboy · November 23, 2001, 09:56

The 'trade tech to cripple the AI' strategy seems way too easy and powerful. I think the game mechanics ought to plug this loophole since it seems to make a mockery of the game. but how ?

1) AI pays lees to human for tech ?
2) Tech transfer takes time ?, trade link ?, City Improvement ?
3) Tech trade costs culture ? Take the tech and your culture is invaded

Dunno If I did I'd be a game designer.

I do know I did enjoy playing the game more before I discovered how to swindle the AI's with the tech trade.

Civ Dave · November 23, 2001, 11:01

I barely ever trade techs.... usually cause I'm pretty advanced, even in ancient times....

Also, the AI tends to want tech for free.... when my military is twice the size and more advanced than them.... "We will crush you unless you give us mathematics"

me-no

them "I would delcare war on you, but my decretary... ahh... lost the paperwork"

silly AI, thinks it can make me give them free stuff....

for multiplayer games (if it is EVER in), it will be a b*tch, because two players could research different paths and just trade tech all the way through, halfing the amount time needed to spend on tech....

I remember in civ2, having nukes in 1200 AD in one game, and in CTP2, I was building cities under water in 950AD.... this game seems to be a lot more balanced technologically-wise, which is good.... I don't want an EASY victory.... I also don't want a HARD loss..... I want equal playability between me and the AI

Grumbold · November 23, 2001, 13:15

I like the tech trading because the AI seems equally eager to trade with everyone except their worst enemies. So you may get to trade your tech for four others around the world, but everyone else will pretty quickly pass them round too and level the playing field. No more flying spaceships while the mongols struggle to research banking any more

Evil_Eric_4 · November 23, 2001, 13:54

Yea the AIs are tech whores -they buy and sell it amongst themseles constantly so why shouldnt I sell some too and make a profit?

Oh and I LOVE the fact that this keeps everyone close --just like real history huh?

now if only they could be taught to upgrade their units----

ChrisShaffer · November 23, 2001, 14:14

I agree, it shouldn't be so easy to completely take advantage of the AI in tech trading. In the game I'm playing now, I just paid the Americans 400 gold for a technology -- and then on the same turn I traded it to 12 other civilizations for a total of 1800 gold. That's just crazy, especially considering that the Americans know all those civs, so they could have sold it themselves.

Setsuna · November 23, 2001, 14:33

How are the Americans going to do that if you already sold it to everyone before their turn comes up? The AI can't trade techs in the middle of your turn!

Pyrodrew · November 24, 2001, 04:13

Quote:

Originally posted by ChrisShaffer
I agree, it shouldn't be so easy to completely take advantage of the AI in tech trading. In the game I'm playing now, I just paid the Americans 400 gold for a technology -- and then on the same turn I traded it to 12 other civilizations for a total of 1800 gold. That's just crazy, especially considering that the Americans know all those civs, so they could have sold it themselves.

Quote:

How are the Americans going to do that if you already sold it to everyone before their turn comes up? The AI can't trade techs in the middle of your turn!

The 1st problem with that is the AI shouldn't trade away their techs for such little gold! I find it ALL TOO EASY to buy myself into the lead, especially in the beginning where you can buy techs for pennies.

The 2nd problem with that is if the Americans were willing to trade that tech to 1 Civ for 400 instead of to 13 for around 2200 (1800+400). The AI should assume any tech it trades away will go to all other Civs... so it might as well trade it to all (or as many as possible) if it wants to trade it, especially when 2200 > 400.

Sidenote: An AI with a tech no one else has should NEVER be willing to trade that tech away... this will increase it's chances for wonder completion & obtaining a tech lead.

Sidenote2:Currently there is also a HUGE program flaw with the AI still putting a HIGH value on dead-end techs for which the wonders have been completed and/or units are obsolete. This SEVERELY weakens the AI Civs in it's researching efforts. A human player can see MusicTheory & FreeArtistry are now almost useless/worthless once another Civ completed the wonder, the AI doesn't & will still pay a heavy price for them... and worse spend it's time researching them.

ChrisShaffer · November 24, 2001, 09:40

Quote:

Originally posted by Setsuna
How are the Americans going to do that if you already sold it to everyone before their turn comes up? The AI can't trade techs in the middle of your turn!

The Americans had the tech on their turn -- before my turn. they could (should) have sold the tech to everybody before I even talked to them.

Actually, it makes a lot of sense for the player/AI that researched the new tech to sell it to everyone on their own turn, and to refuse to sell it during someone else's turn.

Capt Dizle · November 24, 2001, 11:29

Yes, this is a problem. In the early game I simply set my science rate to 32 turns and trade for what I need. Once I get my infrastructure in place I can easily get ahead of the AI by researching a different path, trading, and when I get ahead I sell my tech to finance my growth.

Roytheboy · November 24, 2001, 15:00

Glad I'm not the only one who finds it too easy to take advantage of the AIs with tech trading. But what to do about it ? In my next game I am going to impose a restriction on myself and not sell any techs i haven't researched

Pyrodrew · November 24, 2001, 16:00

Quote:

Originally posted by Roytheboy
Glad I'm not the only one who finds it too easy to take advantage of the AIs with tech trading. But what to do about it ? In my next game I am going to impose a restriction on myself and not sell any techs i haven't researched

Until the patch fixes it (which it better) why not? I put a restriction on myself to not ask for 99999999 gold per turn (Million Dollar bug)... not too hard. I also don't sell dead-end techs to the other civs for which the wonder is already complete (unfortunately those AI civs still waste time researching them).

At the very least limit yourself to trading that tech, you didn't research, to selling it to only the AIs which are currently at war with the civ you bought it from.

Kenjura · November 24, 2001, 16:06

Quote:

Originally posted by Roytheboy
The 'trade tech to cripple the AI' strategy seems way too easy and powerful. I think the game mechanics ought to plug this loophole since it seems to make a mockery of the game. but how ?

1) AI pays lees to human for tech ?
2) Tech transfer takes time ?, trade link ?, City Improvement ?
3) Tech trade costs culture ? Take the tech and your culture is invaded

Dunno If I did I'd be a game designer.

I do know I did enjoy playing the game more before I discovered how to swindle the AI's with the tech trade.

Gee, it doesn't seem to be all that good in DEITY now does it. Concerned with difficulty? Try a higher difficulty level.