24-10-2002 01:41									#31
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In my own games, I found 80%+ reserach rates needed to continously increase my tech lead and that's on the Monarch level where the AI doesn't have quite as much of an edge and on tiny maps with only 4 starting civs (less competiton.)

(I could only drop below 80% safely in two cases:

1. Minor case: Last turn drop it to the lowest amount that still allows research to finish that turn.

2. Major case: Where even with lowering the rate it would still take the minimum 4 turns.)

One note: That minimum 4 turn to research anything is a human only feature. The AI can research in 3 turns if they have enough money going into science.

quote: Originally posted by Shiber IMHO the AIs are researching in expense of their economy. I remember seeing a screenshot of an investigation of Berlin that showed that they are directing 90% of the commerce to science. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that the other AIs that are leading in tech are doing the same.

	24-10-2002 05:41									#32
	Got spare money?

Seeing that we have the #1 GNP, we will probably be able to be competitive in tech even with the AI's bonuses. I'd like to avoid "in my games..." comments, but in my games (on emperor) even when I'm behind at this stage (mid to late medieval) I am able to be the leader (even if only by a bit) after a few techs into the industrial. Also my plan doesn't assume that we will be in the lead, we just have to finish ToE before someone gets electronics. Also "In my games" I have little luck trading/buying techs at this stage in the game, I think this may depend on the version, but the AI wants allot for steam power. If we know that he AI will get steam power before us then perhaps we should go for medicine, but the few times I've tried this I've ended up researching steam anyway because I don't want to pay something like 75gpt + medicine. But I admit that I've heard some very strange "in my game comments" since I've been coming to Apolyton (most not in the demo game), which shows that events in one person's game may not apply to someone else's; perhaps you've had different trading situation. I do tend to be on the bad side of many opponents by this stage, so that might be a factor.

	24-10-2002 20:42									#33
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Well, the AI is fair, 75 GPT + a cheaper tech I bypassed is often about what I've sold a tech for to the second most advanced AI to when I've been ahead in reserach.

That is of course the price when someone has a monopoly of the tech. We would need for multiple AIs to have the tech to bring down the cost.