Am I the worlds lousiest at research?

[unmerged(1997)]

Reading some posts here on the forum gets me kind of downhearted in a way.

For instance I just read some thread where a piece of advice were offered where you shouldn't ease off on trade and infrastructure research until they're at 10. 10 for crying out loud!!! I won't reach 10 if I extended the game time by another 300 years!!
I usually boost trade and infrastructure until they're at 4 or 5 so I can get monopoly and governors. This is done fairly quick, but then I have to focus on land tech as not to be outclassed by enemy armies when at war. In between that I try to do the odd bit of naval research so I'll be able to explore Terra incognita sometime before the game is over. Consequently my trade and infrastructure research are almost at zero ducats (aside from bonuses) and if I'm lucky I'll see lvl 6 this side of game's end.

And focusing on some research, for me, means it'll get perhaps 10 ducats monthly out of the treasury. I get the distinct impression that you all are talking sums that just insn't available to a rookie like me.

What is it that I'm doing seriously wrong here.

PS. I've only ever played Sweden. So I wouldn't know much about 'Grab them goldmines in the south americas in 1493 and monopolize the COT in Singapore no later than 1501' - strategies. DS.

Grateful for a few pointers.

 

[Emren]

Agreed...

I'm with you on those questions....

In my first GC I'm playing Denmark, and it's going quite well, I think. At least I've managed not to get beaten yet.
I've conquered Holstein CoT and Eastern Pommerania, and I'm looking to eventually eradicate the Hanseatic League. Also good relationship with Sweden, Russia and England.

But, the year is ca. 1560 and I appear to be way behind in Land & Sea tech. I know I must upgrade my armies, but that leaves the trailing in the other techs. Infrastructure and Trade won't upgrade for some 80-100 years!!!

I'm not sure if the game is supposed to be this way - I mean, I know Denmarks power should be waning a little, but I'm REALLY starting to be left behind.

 

[Juba]

Build refineries, they give you profit AND do research, build them quick before inflation makes them too expensive. This lets you focus on land/naval tech as the refineries take care of trade and you get money from them so you don't have to allocate so much for the treasury.

 

[unmerged(1798)]

Originally posted by Baldrick

What is it that I'm doing seriously wrong here.

PS. I've only ever played Sweden. So I wouldn't know much about 'Grab them goldmines in the south americas in 1493 and monopolize the COT in Singapore no later than 1501' - strategies. DS.

Grateful for a few pointers.

This is too tempting to resist.

What you are doing seriously wrong is playing Sweden.

My first game as Spain I had serious trouble with research.
Game 2 as Turkey I maxed one area.
Game 3 as Russian I maxed land and trade
Game 4 as France I maxed all but naval where I came close.

Experience helps.

 

[Doomdark]

It's all about trade. When playing large countries with low population, the only way to maintain decent research is to:

1) Get your hands on a CoT ASAP.
2) Monopolize the CoT and keep it that way.
3) Get maps of the world anyway you can.
4) Found trading posts everywhere. (Real colonies slow down research.)

So, basically Sweden has no other option than to go colonial early if she ever wants to play with the big boys.

 

[hjarg]

And don't worry, your incomes will increase over time. Each trade and infrastructure levels gets you a bit extra money. You will be able to research momst of it by 1700 (patch 1.07) or at least before the game ends (1.08)

 

[martin4444]

I play as Sweden, all you really need to do is to research land tech, the rest is no big deal, thinking that with good land armies you can just conquer lands and increase income.
in 1611 i've conquered entire Russia (except moscow since the game wont let me annex a 'major power'. I've got the gold mine in samara (eg Golden Horde as been conquered).
Denmark is conquered (i did that in 1495 already).
Holstein is mine, the COT in holland is mine, half of Poland is mine! (haha) It's fun to watch my 6k armies beat up 20k armies from the enemy, gotta love high tech and high moral .
anyways, Spain is still ahead of me in VP, however I plan to invade Spain itself in a 10 years or so, the battles i've had had with Spain on land so far just proves to me that Spain's landforces really sucks bigtime. They are nothing! France and England is a bit more difficult since they have stronger armies.. but they can be beat as well eventualy. Tometic order (or whatever they are called (Estonia etc)) are my vassals and so are Pommeria.
Life is good for the swedish army
Now go get em!

 

[Savant]

Martin -

YOU SIR need the 1.08 patch to slow your tech down and you need the IGC to tame your Swedish supermen!

 

[hjarg]

Martin 4444: Tometic Order???? Order of Tomatoes??? Try Teutonic.

Ok, nevermind. In 1.08 your research has been crippled a little: if you go too far ahead, costs will go tenfold. It's to prevent situation where your army equipped with laser guns attacks poor poles with pikes.

And how on Earth do you manage revolutions anyway?