How to get free techs when your rep is shot

[anarres]

Step 1: Go to war with a technologically advanced civ. Note that you have to be prepared to fight them for a long time and you will need to have a decent income (not gpt, just the ability to turn down science and lux to 0% and have a good gpt mid-turn), so Democracy is no good, as is having a small military. I tend to do this in Republic (extra commerce) and I get them to declare war by making them furious with demands and then demanding they leave or 'steal tech'.

Step 2: Wait 6 turns until you can talk to them.

Step 3: Make peace, but in the deal get all the techs you can for a huge amount of gpt. You can turn all the sliders down and set all your citizens to work the high-commerce tiles (like water tiles) to do this.

Step 4: Declare war, set your sliders/citizens back.

Step 5: Rinse and repeat ad nauseum.

Now the only thing that makes this worthwhile is what I consider to be an oversight: The ability to give GPT for techs when part of a peace treaty, regardless of your rep.

If you have a good rep you will ruin it like this, and going to war is not needed to screw them the first time, ever. I tend to leave this until my rep is shot or I am desperate to catch up in tech and have no other means to do so.

Note that this is especially powerful on Continental maps and Islands. Nothing like a war when the AI can't reach you.

[ProPain]

Hmm, although warring is my thing, I never noticed you could get tech for gpt in a peace deal even with a ruined rep. Quite amazing because I used to totally fuck up my rep every game untill a few months ago. I'm gonna try this asap [evil]

[jack merchant]

I knew you could get techs for gpt in peace treaties, which is why I also tend to go to war a lot if that happens. However, I usually tend to respect the peace treaty after that (or rather, I wouldn't break it right away).
It sounds a bit exploitative, but OTOH, it's maybe only fair when your rep has been shot without any fault of your own.

[Aggie]

This is a great trick. I also knew about the fact that gpt deals can only be made during peace talks. It gets even 'better' when you break peace deals immediately. However somehow it is not something I like to do. But that may be one of the reasons why I'm so low in the ladder ;)

[yndy]

That's correct but if I remember correctly you can talk after 6 turns only after the first war. O nthe next ones you will have to wait some 10-15-20 turns (seems like forever).

[Aggie]

Indeed yndy. In my 2nd game vs Jack I had to wait at least 15 turns before the Zulu wanted to talk. Killing :(

[Cartouche Bee]

I think your better off figuring out why your so far behind in techs to be doing this in the first place. That will inprove your game much more , over all.

As for the GPT trick, beat the snot out of them a few more turns and get the techs for zip. :)