Possible tech-trading bug in new patch?

woody · December 8, 2001, 11:01

Has anyone noticed a new behavior with the new patch (original version of the patch... why the h#ll didn't they change the version when the re-released it?!?)

The AI appears to immediately trade tech to other AI players when you sell it a tech. I couldn't sell my tech to more than one AI player!

Here's the scenario...

French had great library, and nobody had discovered education yet so it was still active.

I was fairly certain that nobody had the republic. They didn't a couple of turns previously, and the French didn't have it. I think everyone knew each other, so if anyone else had it the French should have.

Anyway, I sold the French the republic, then cycled through the other AI players to sell it to all of them too.

All of them had the tech! Huh??? What gives?

Did I just not test this right, or is there a new bug?

woody · December 8, 2001, 11:10

Another thing I noticed with the new patch...

The French established an embassy with me. I got a free embassy in return! Is this the way embassies are supposed to work - both ways? I didn't think so.

padillah · December 8, 2001, 11:54

When you trade tech (this is even before either patch. And your right, the least they could do is call it 1.16G) you have to wait until it's your turn.

If the French come to you first and ask for "Republic" in exchange for whatever, don't do it. because of the turn-base depending on where they fall in the turn (right after you, after two or three civs etc.) they could very well be able to sell it to ALL the other civs before your next turn.

But don't insult them! What I do is ask if they want to hear my counter-offer then I give them 1-10 gold (no big deal to me but a gift is a gift) and they walk away with out my tech, happier with me because I gave them a gift, and I get to charge 20x as much as my gift when I SELL them the tech at the begining of my next turn!

Also, cycle through real quick before you sell anybody anything and just excuse yourself (my mistake, Shaka), or offer 1 gold as tribute (Hey, it's a gift). This will make sure that some jacka--, excuse me JERK, didn't discover and sell the tech out from under you on his last turn.

Everybody wins! Well, I win. And that's the important part.

Hank P.

Corpus_Delicti · December 8, 2001, 12:20

Actually, the embassy thing happened to me before the patch too. If an AI civ established an embassy with me, I automatically got one with them. I asked about it here, but didn't get any responses, so I assumed this is how it's supposed to work. It does seem rather strange though.

Venger · December 8, 2001, 12:51

Woody -

They may have changed the game to prevent it from doing PRECISELY what you are trying to do - sell the same tech to everyone during your turn to rack up mass gold and techs.

I'm of two minds on this.

Yes, you should be able to sell your tech to everyone - after all, if the above is the real case, who's to say that the French aren't selling it to every other Civ, why should they be able to and you not? Of course, the rule may be that when you complete a trade, your parter gets to complete a trade, and his partner gets to complete a trade...

That said though, why is it the AI partner gets that bonus? If you acquired a tech from France, why can't YOU be the one who can trade it to everyone. You may be, you'll have to gameplay test it to be sure.

Overall - I kind of like the change (if it really is a change), though I think it would be better implemented as trading away good A means you cannot trade away good A again until your next turn. That would be a better overall balance to prevent goods/techs whoring but allow you to reap the benefit of your hard work to gain new techs.

Did you reload the saved game to check and see if you could trade Republic to those other Civs before you traded it to the French? That should be a pretty definitive test. If they already had it, it would mean that either the Library is broken or that the French went first in the AI turns, and everyone traded Republic before it was there turn again. That said, didn't Civ2 pop up even in the AI turn to give you GL notices? Don't remember, only built it to keep it from the AI and was always ahead in techs...

Venger

woody · December 9, 2001, 17:28

Well, I applied the 16f#2 patch, and I haven't noticed the "instant tech trading" behavior again. Perhaps it was either fixed, or is a rare event, or I just imagined it.

Oh, I haven't noticed the disappearing diplomacy lines that others have mentioned. It seems to work okay for me (so far).

Now, the only thing I need is a cracked no-CD fix, and I'll be happy!