Getting Nav, Monarchy, etc.

[Woolgatherer]

Searched around for awhile for this, but haven't found a definite answer. Besides buying any lower techs from them first, so that the tech you want is the only one they have that you don't; is there anything else that helps your chances of getting Nav from Spain, Monarchy from England, etc.? Or is it a purely a chance thing after that?

[newsgothic]

Purely chance—but from my experience, you usually get it in the 4000-3000 BC walk-in period. But yeah, if it's later than that, go ahead and buy BW (if they have it).

[asmodeios]

They get BW at 2600-2500 generally unless you declare war on them beforehand and do not camp their trees

[newsgothic]

I've met the AI pretty late and only faced warriors. Do you think that if the AI is not contacted, they don't research BW, or do they have it and just aren't building archers?

[Woolgatherer]

Thanks.. I play it as, no contact has got to be safer. I always put it off as long as possible for that reason. Might just be a hunch, but the ai that you meet late always seems to have less defenses. Sometimes might just be bumping into a walk-out too..

[MultiPlayaBeast]

I confirm that it is way more probable for the AI to not have a archer in their city after 2000 bc if you haven't contacted. After 2500 bc you don't contact a AI with gold they'd still not build a archer... although the money been there for them to build an archer.

[Ravenmisca]

I think Duke already wrote something about the archer thing. I just wanna add that if none has contacted an AI before they will get archers much slower.

A good example of this is AI that start on an island. Usually when knights or even tanks come around they still just have 1-2 achers.

Thats why its always beneficial to make your HA move forward across the map to find the AI that are isolated. Even till 0AD these can still be taken if they havent met any AI or player before.