Research: Ecology Saves My Arse (medium somewhat long)

Carver · July 24, 2002, 10:54

Okay, I'm on Regent, pangea, 8 civs. I wiped out the Indians early so I'm about eqaul in landmass with the world powers: Zulu, Egypt and China. In the late middle ages/ industrial period I fell way behind in tech. Probably due to my bad habit of waiting and waiting for that perfect forbidden palace spot. Fortunately the AIs got into senseless and endless war and had to switch to communism (no tech for you

), except for the Zulu. Shaka roared ahead into the modern era and I thought my only hope would be to raize Zimbabwe to stop the Spaceship Shaka.

Well the Zulu had gone ahead and researched rocketry, fission and minaturization. When I somehow wandered into the Modern Era I (stupidly) researched computers first ...still hoping for SETI and needing mech inf in this warmongering world. Then I figured I would research a tech no one had and hope for a trade. OMG . After researching ecology I was able to get almost anything I wanted for it.

First I went to "God of the world" Shaka and got fission, rocketry, adv. flight, espionage and all his gold (about 2600) and world map. Then I gave ecology to the lowly Germanfolk and got communism, amhib. combat, all their gold (144) and like 20 gpt. Then I gave it to Egypt and got all their gold (1600). Gave it to the Chinese and got all their gold (not much) plus 2 luxuries. Then I gave it to the mediocre Russians for all their gold (not much).

So I go from like 7 techs behind, with a weak military to having every tech (except minaturization), essentially all the gold in the world, every luxury, a map of everything and my citizens are dancing in the streets.

It was still a race to get the spaceship win but the Chinese helped me out with their invasion of like 50 paratroopers and 15 mech inf - can you say Great Leaders

. So the moral of the story is, I guess, supply and demand... get something everyone wants. Don't research those cheap techs everyone has already.

phunny_pharmer · July 24, 2002, 11:41

I thought this thread was going to be about the recycling aspect of ecology

Nice story, though!

steven8r · July 24, 2002, 20:13

I, too, have discovered the 'Power of Ecology'. (As a barganing chip--not on a planetary awareness level)

The AI's will almost always go for the immediate SpaceShip techs. Even when they aquire Ecology from you via trade, they will hardly ever go for Synthetic Fibers. If you can ever get a tech lead, try not to give any potential enemys SynthFib.

Shoot for the 'obscure' techs, then trade them to the AI for other 'important' techs.

vondrack · July 27, 2002, 18:04

I have observed this for other "second grade" techs, too... namely - in my last game - for Printing Press. If I am falling behind in the tech race badly, I try to figure out what is the tech nobody cares to research. I do my best to get it and immediately get as much as possible for it. Especially with "chokepoint techs" (just like Printing Press), this strategy can be a lifesaver.

But honestly, I guess it is sort of an exploit, even if not a nasty one... The AI is apparently not able to value techs properly enough in these cases...

trickey · July 27, 2002, 18:26

Hmmmm, interesting. I never thought of researching the more useless tech, in hope to trade em to the A.I.

Strakorfsky · August 17, 2002, 21:39

Interesting, I never knew ecology was worthwhile in trade, must try that.

Yea, who really cares about "saveing the worlds climate", you can just clean with worker and suffer the small terraforming that takes place

Bambul · August 17, 2002, 23:51

I managed to do the same with printing press and economics to catch up in tach (I was about 4-6 tachs behind the leader). Then I got Steam Power before anyone else and by selling it to everyone I was getting 600 GPT with 0% tax (one transaction got me 350 GPT). That's left me with 8000 gold and still 5 or so turns of money comming in. It's like an artificial Golden Age, but I can potentially keep it going on forever.

DeepO · August 18, 2002, 07:27

It's a good strategy, and in harder difficulty levels about the only shot you have on catching up in tech. Other techs where this can work: (Literature), Currency, Music Theory, Economics, Mil. Tradition, Democracy, Sanitation, Advanced Flight, Amphibious assault.

DeepO