Tech Dealing 101

[Captain Red Sorrow]

So I have produced a basic tech dealing guide for my alliance written in the likes of what might appear to be a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page. I thought this was a good idea given that a FAQ can generally be easily scanned for relevant details.
The guide does not explore large tech deal formats such as 3x3s, the use of medians or where to obtain potential buyers/sellers, and was not intended to do so. The guide is supposed to introduce new players to the tech dealing concept, how to perform a basic tech deal and other miscellaneous details for ensuring smooth dealings.

I'm posting this here for anyone who may wish to copy, edit or use it. I am also curious to hear feedback about potential improvements.




[color=#00BF00][b][size="7"]Tech Dealing 101[/size][/b][/color]

[i]“Technology” may be referred to as “tech” from hereon.[/i]

[color=#FF0000][b]What is a tech deal?[/b][/color]
A tech deal is where a large nation (buyer) sends a cash payment to a small nation (seller) in exchange for technology.

[color=#FF0000][b]Why do nations tech deal?[/b][/color]
As a nation purchases more technology via the technology purchase menu, the price of additional technology increases. For large nations with lots of technology, it becomes too expensive to continue purchasing technology this way. Small nations however, do not require technology in their early development, but yet can purchase technology the cheapest. Therefore, large nations pay small nations to buy tech, then send it to them.
The standard tech deal is $3m for 100 tech. 100 tech costs a small nation $1,624,450, (or $1,441,837.70 with Microchips) giving the small nation $1,375,550 profit per tech deal ( or $1,558,162.30 with Microchips). Therefore tech deals earn small nations significantly more than they collect in taxes, enabling them to advance a lot faster.

[color=#FF0000][b]How does a standard (1x1) tech deal work?[/b][/color]
A standard 1x1 tech deal takes 30 days to complete:
[list=1][*]The buyer sends the initial $3m payment to the seller.
[*]Once the initial foreign aid offer has expired after 10 days, using that same foreign aid slot, the seller sends 50 tech to the buyer.
[*]Again, once the previous foreign aid with the buyer has expired after 10 days, the seller sends another 50 tech to the buyer.*[/list]
[i]*If both parties are happy to continue tech dealing, repeat steps 1 through to 3.[/i]

[color=#FF0000][b]Why not send all 100 tech at once?[/b][/color]
Foreign aids are limited to sending 50 tech at once.

[color=#FF0000][b]What else do I need to know?[/b][/color]
[list][*]Be [color=#00BF00][b]PUNCTUAL[/b][/color]. Buyers don’t like waiting; send tech when its due.
[*]Be sure foreign aid offers are [color=#00BF00][b]CORRECT[/b][/color] before accepting them, else an otherwise unnecessary additional foreign aid may be required to correct the error.
[*][color=#00BF00][b]BUDGET[/b][/color]. Always keep about $1,700,000 from each tech deal payment to be able to buy tech later to send the buyer.
[*]As a seller, [color=#00BF00][b]DON’T[/b][/color] buy and keep any more than 50 tech at a time - you won’t need it. Also recall that the more tech you have, the more it will cost you. Buying and keeping more than 50 tech at once will therefore reduce your profit from tech deals.
[*]Tech [color=#00BF00][b]IS NOT[/b][/color] taken from your nation until the foreign aid offer has been accepted.
[*]You [color=#00BF00][b]MUST[/b][/color] have the amount of tech you wish to send in a foreign aid offer at the time of offering, else you won’t be able to make the offer.
[*]Foreign aid offers expire 10 days after the foreign aid [color=#00BF00][b]OFFER[/b][/color] was made ([color=#00BF00][b]NOT[/b][/color] after when they are accepted) and expire [color=#00BF00][b]WHETHER OR NOT[/b][/color] they are accepted. Make sure you and your buyer accept foreign aid offers before they expire, else it wastes a foreign aid slot.
[*][color=#00BF00][b]IF[/b][/color] you need to send more than one tech deal partner a 50 tech payment on the same day, you can when you consider the aforementioned points. Because tech is not taken from your nation until a foreign aid is accepted, and you can make a foreign aid offer so long as you have the amount of tech offered in the foreign aid, you can make multiple foreign aid offers of 50 tech to different nations at once. Of course once one nation accepts their foreign aid offer of 50 tech, all 50 of your nation’s tech will be taken. This means the other nations will get an error message when they attempt to accept their 50 tech as your nation no longer has any tech to be transferred. Don’t fret however, all you need to do [color=#00BF00][b]AFTER[/b][/color] one of the foreign aid offers have been accepted, is buy another 50 tech. Keep doing this to satisfy each foreign aid offer.[/list]

[color=#FF0000][b]Any other tips?[/b][/color]
For sellers, to reduce the cost of buying technology, buy it like this:
[list=1][*]4.5 tech
[*]10 tech
[*]10 tech
[*]5 tech
[*]10 tech
[*]10 tech
[*]0.5 tech[/list]
This takes advantage of the way the pricing of technology is incremented as you buy more of it. This will cost a nation, beginning with 0.0 technology, $812,225 for 50 tech, or $720,918.85 if you've got Microchips.



[i]Written by [color=#FF0000]Captain Red Sorrow[/color][/i]



EDIT: Guide updated; grammar and details refined.

Edited February 19, 2011 by Captain Red Sorrow

[Kirke]

CRS put this together as we have had several new micro alliances recently that wanted to sell us tech, but had no idea how to handle multiple deals. We all need to encourage and teach these new nations rather than chastise them for not understanding.

[Captain Red Sorrow]

Guide updated. The most significant change is the method for buying tech. We have confirmed that buy it like this:
4.5 tech
10 tech
10 tech
5 tech
10 tech
10 tech
0.5 tech
is more efficient than buying it like this:
4.5 tech
10 tech
10 tech
10 tech
10 tech
5.5 tech

The savings amount to approximately $9,000.