In the MGE diplomacy thread, Sten Sture said:
"...the primary reason [for giving techs to the AI] is to extend their research time on their next technology. The AI doesn't use infrastucture development as well as people do, and when you have the SSC, they just can't compete for science results. Therefore giving them a tech they might otherwise skip, especially early ones, actually slows down their tech development on later, more important techs."

I've seen similar reasoning from other people, but Sten's got me thinking hard about this philosophy. Is it really valid?
I'm not talking about OCC here. The reasons for giving techs are a little different there. I'm asking about standard SP games.

On the one hand, it makes sense: give them "lesser" techs to slow down their progress on "better" techs.

On the other hand, there are three possible flaws:
1. You can't always choose what tech to give; when you offer a gift, your options are limited. So maybe they get a desirable tech.
2. Even a lesser tech is usually a prerequisite to a better one, so a small gift early can end up helping them reach an important goal later.
3. While it's true that giving them techs slows down progress on subsequent techs, it (obviously) speeds up their acquisition of the techs you give them. Unless you can be sure you only give them techs they wouldn't have researched, isn't it possible that you're helping them more than hurting?

The ONLY time I will give one away is if by some slim chance, they catch me with my pants down on defense, and I want to stall them a for a while so I can remedy whatever tactical error I made.

Ming's points are of course entirely valid, I just play a different style in SP.

Like everything else, my giving techs away to the AI depends on the tactical situation. The way I play SP in the MGE version (I have 2.42, but I never even play SP on it) is usually to try to keep all of the AI civs balanced and as much at war with each other as possible while I develop my infrastructure. It seems to me that my having a large tech advantage encourages hostility from the AI. Now I've played enough not to be overly concerned with the AI's Iranian military tactics, but I don't want them bothering me unless I dictate the time and arena. By preventing them from trading techs among themselves by being the providor, I have found that it extends their own petty inter-AI wars. That may be my imagination, but I overemphasize giving things to the AI partially to encourage a line of thinking that deviates from the conventional wisdom that Ming posted.

Let's think about some examples...

If there is a large-ish civ researching Monarchy, and I want to keep them from it for a while, I may give them Map Making, the Wheel, Bridge Building, Writing, Pottery, and Construction. The effect of this is to push back the research time for Monarchy for them.

On the other hand, if they are smaller and under threat from a neighbor, I may give them Monarchy and Bronze working to improve their defensive capabilities.

If an aggressive civ is in my neck of the woods, I may give them perfectionist advances like Republic (what is funnier than the Mongols trying to sustain all out war in early rep) or Medicine or really anything non-military.

If an AI is researching a tech that will give them Wonder access that I want to build, I might give them several techs.

If there is parity among the civs, I might give them all gunpowder. I know that I won't have any trouble capturing cities defended with a couple of muskets, but the AI sure will.

When you go to gift an AI techs you have a choice of two that they would like, I never worry about which one they prefer, and either give them the one I want, or if that is not one of the available choices, I say "nevermind."

(at the Iranian West Point)

Prof: see that machine gun nest? you're all going to charge it.

student: what kind of a strategy is that?!

I try not to get involved in AI wars, but when my trading partners are continuosly under attack, well you know how it is.....
if my economic ally should become too much of a pain, well you know how it is....
if i am having a tyrannical sort of evening, well you know how it is... etc.....

partnerships last as long as i need them, and i am very reluctant to give anyone much of anything unless its early in the game and i already have Monarchy and this goes for AC or bloodlust.

While giving tech does hamper the ai research, it does inevitably give them more tech than they already had. Therefore i only see it worthy if you are trying to prevent them from researching specific techs at specific times

Sten was the one that first suggested to me the idea of giving Construction and Sanitation to the AI to help them grow and thus increase one's trade routes with their growing cities....he's an insidious character.

I like giving away tech to form alliances but Sten's cat and mouse game with the AI is probably worthy. Hey Sten do you play MP diplomacy games

Actually, I haven't had regular time to play MP since the fall, but there is a rumor that I may start-up Wednesday evenings soon.

I'm a tightwad and badass when it comes to the technology tree. Ya want some of my technology, AI?! BITE ME.

About the only time I willing trade techs is when the AI has something I *need.* And, believe it or not, that situation does pop up now-and-again. If that isn't the case, the only way the AI gets tech from me is by declaring war.

Which really isn't a good idea. On the outside, I'm a pacifistic, scientific society. But on the inside is a *raging* fanatic who will one day use his scientific edge on the AIs to utterly CRUSH THEM UNDERFOOT!!!!!!!

MWHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Say, I think it's time to go and wipe the table with those pissant Romans. Then the Amazons. And last, but not least, a showdown with the Sioux Empire.

CYBERAmazon

BTW, I play at King level, mainly because I find the unhappiness problems of higher levels more "annoying" than "challenging"; to balance this lower level, I tend to give the AIs all the tech I can, at least up to railroad/explosives/refrigeration.

**contented sigh** Whelp, just cleaned the table with the Roman Empire. Gosh, they got nice BIG cities — all conveniently mine, now. Boy, ya should've heard the caesar screeching when I overran the last of his "insta-capitals."

Damn Amazon Empire. Little freaks didn't connect all their cities will railroads. Buttheads. Those women are aggressive! Broke treaty after treaty! Boy, was I satisfied after flushing the toilet with them. Not many big cities, though ... them and their "live with nature" attitude.

The Sioux were fun. I landed 64 divisions of armor and howitzers on their soil ... and had to reinforce that with another 24 divisions in order to fully break their empire into tiny, scattered pieces. Am now mopping up ... well over a dozen size 20+ cities now under Egyptian dominion. Oh, yeah.

All accomplished without sharing technology with the AI, which was doing just fine on its own. **snort** Bastard Sioux blasted six of my howitzer divisions into oblivion on their initial counterstrike ... but the AI Sioux, being dumb butts, offered a peace treaty after reclaiming only one of their cities. And I accepted.

Then fortified and strengthened my significant presence in the Sioux heartland. Then I conquered the rest of their main cities.

CYBERAmazon (the one who doesn't share technology)

Sometimes I want to deliver a caravan to an inland city and the AI civilizations will make a nasty comment. Rather than risk losing the caravan I'll usually give in to the demands.

Bloodlust/Larger Maps - I don't give anyone, anything; reputation be d***ed. No reason for alliances, keeping others happy, etc. There are only two cases where I would trade. One, if I were to get a tech that I need for something that would have no impact on me. The other is where I need to get a short infusion of cash, particularly to rushbuild a wonder.

Bloodlust/Smaller Maps - A little more trickier. If there is a neighboring civ that you can't destroy early on, you made need to coddle them a little just to buy time.

AC/All Maps - The only goal is to launch and land a spaceship. That requires getting all of the desired techs ASAP. Trading especially works since you don't need all of the techs and associated wonders. With a number of cities building caravans and military units, you can hold off enemy civs while staying ahead.

OCC/AC - As in all AC games, the goal is to launch and land. With only ONE vunerable city, you got to keep others away, esp. if you have nearby civs on a small map. I think the key is to get to Space Flight first and start building those parts. Therefore, do anything to keep other pacified - give/trade/gifts/ally/etc. Anytime you have to stop and build defensive units will slow you down. Anytime you have enemy units sitting on city squares will slow you down. Anytime you have bombers and howitzers attacking your one city will slow you down.

OCC/Bloodlust - Don't know about that yet.