Researching or stealing research?

[Xipe Totec]

I always build as many schools / colleges / universities as possible even if it means dismantling more profitable factories or happiness buildings. I don't keep / build religious buildings unless the province has a high religion unrest. Gentleman are spawned one per s/c/u/ plus one per observatory so build them in preference to opera houses / museums etc. Schools are best built in provinces with many towns or with buildable internal structures i.e the observatory to offset the clamour for reform.

Government type is crucial for a rapid technological advance: Republic is the best for research and low clamour, Constitutional Monarchy is next best and Absolute is pants (high unrest and slow research rate). Beware though that becoming a Republic will make you a lot of enemies, as France found in 1789. CM is best for lowering industrial unrest and has less of a diplo hit.

If you can get your gents to the German minors early in the game there are many universities in a small area. One gent can steal a tech faster than you can research it, so it makes sense in the early game to roam around thieving as much as possible. I haven't seen a diplomatic hit for being caught, and if your gent dies on the field of honour he will soon be replaced. It also helps to see the state of research of your neighbours and enemies in an easier way than through diplomatic 'pretend tech trading'. Later in the game you should be ahead of your rivals in most lines of research so there will be less opportunites to profit from pilfering. With enough universities you can saturate the tech tree, so your gents would be better employed speeding along the key discoveries which unlock buildings and unblock other lines of research.

Technology means better ships, better guns, better troops, more money, faster growth and more fun visuals , but it can make the game way too easy (percussion shells especially). Well, we are not playing this game to lose are we?