Tax/Science efficiency

[Ferdi]

Usually I change every turn the % of tax/science to maximise the tax output.
I observed that in some conditions you can decrease the funds alowed to science (and increase tax output) without altering the number of turns to get the tech. It is particularly true when it remains only a few turns.

I have the feeling to lose gold when I forget to do that.
Is it really usefull?

[Willem]

Yes definitely. If you don't keep an eye on it, you could lose a lot of money, especially when you get into Democracy. I've seen it make a 200+ per turn difference just adjusting the slider a notch or two, with no effect on my research turns. It's especially useful if you're only 1 turn away from completing a tech, since you can pretty much turn off your science completely then.

[dunk]

That's what I do. When I am one turn away, I adjust the science / tax slider. I usually don't bother with it until I'm making a lot of money, but I almost always remember in the mid - late middle ages.

[vondrack]

Originally posted by Willem
Yes definitely. If you don't keep an eye on it, you could lose a lot of money, especially when you get into Democracy. I've seen it make a 200+ per turn difference just adjusting the slider a notch or two, with no effect on my research turns. It's especially useful if you're only 1 turn away from completing a tech, since you can pretty much turn off your science completely then.

Exactly. I must admit that it is rather annoying... There are two very simple, yet elegant fixes available:

1) Let the science beakers carry over
As a side effect of one discovery, a progress is made in a different field of research. This seems to be the best solution to me, although unlikely to be implemented by Firaxis... things do not carry over in Civ3 (with the exception of unhappiness, that is... ).

2) Make the extra beakers change into money
...that is automatically added to your treasury. This actually does exactly what we have to do manually now - it may be that the new tech is used in the commercial sphere, effectively generating some money... coming from patents sold to commercial subjects, an effect of better productivity etc.

Also, is it just me or do you find the 10% increments EXTREMELY big too? It is okay in the ancient and medieval eras, but later on, I can usually choose only between making lots of money or losing lots of money... it is tough to balance it with 10% steps... what was the reason for making fine adjustments so difficult? (Soren?)

[Iskandar Reza]

Originally posted by dunk
That's what I do. When I am one turn away, I adjust the science / tax slider. I usually don't bother with it until I'm making a lot of money, but I almost always remember in the mid - late middle ages.

Sometimes you can change it even if you're 2 or 3 turns away without affecting the number of turns left.


Micromanagement. The secret to all Civ-based games.

[lockstep]

Originally posted by Iskandar Reza
Micromanagement. The secret to all Civ-based games.

In SMAC, the first 10 shields of a finished unit/building carried over to the next one ... I really miss that feature in Civ3.

[Iskandar Reza]

Originally posted by lockstep


In SMAC, the first 10 shields of a finished unit/building carried over to the next one ... I really miss that feature in Civ3.

It just means you have to plan your strat differently.

[lockstep]

IMO, it means that in Civ3 I'd have to fiddle with my citizens in any city that is about to finish a unit/building, changing the production of shields (that I would lose anyway the next turn) to commerce (which I won't lose). I wouldn't call that strategy, only micro-management.

Note: I can't bring myself to do this, but it is obviously done by other players (e.g. in the Civ3 Democratic Game).

[Iskandar Reza]

Call it pain in the arse.

[Ferdi]

Originally posted by vondrack


1) Let the science beakers carry over
As a side effect of one discovery, a progress is made in a different field of research. This seems to be the best solution to me, although unlikely to be implemented by Firaxis... things do not carry over in Civ3 (with the exception of unhappiness, that is... ).

Like CIV2. It's the best solution.

[Cookie Monster]

In the beginning of my games I just set TSL to 8.2.0 and buy all my techs or beat them out of the other civs.

Later when I have the infrastructure in place I begin to micromanage the rates.

[dunk]

Originally posted by Iskandar Reza


Sometimes you can change it even if you're 2 or 3 turns away without affecting the number of turns left.


Micromanagement. The secret to all Civ-based games.

I'm too lazy to do that. The last turn is all I'll do.