I've never really paid much attention to what techs I start with, since I usually figure I can just research whatever early techs I need very quickly. But I think I'm missing some strategy here. For example, Tokugawa, although he doesn't have any traits that directly help his economy, he does start with fishing and roads. That means he can research pottery right off the bat, which can really help his early economy. Same with the french civs. Meanwhile, starting with mining is crucial for an early axe rush, hunting gives you a scout (which can lead to free tech) and of course mysticism is necessary for an early religion.

IMHO ag and roads are the best, followed by fishing. They're the most expensive, and lead to granary. An early religion is too much of a gamble. and you can research bronze working by the time you need it for chopping, usually.

Stalin is the only aggressive leader that starts with mining... nice ;)

This topic has been done to death but I'll state my opinion again; the chinese start techs rule all. * ;)


*: Certain exceptions might occur, like playing on levels where you can actually expect to get more than a hut or two and are likely to get something useful out of it. In this case, switch ag for hunting as optimal start tech.

Inland: Ag/Mining/Wheel

Coast: Fish/Mining

Honourable Mention: Hunting (I love scouting terrain early and nabbing huts)

Worst: Mysticism (Worker techs >>> Early religion)

If you are not sure if you will be inland or on the coast I like either fishing/mining or fishing/agriculture (ag/mining is great too, but alas only the lame Chines get it). Ag/Wheel I always find strong though.

Basically, as long as I don't get mysticism, I'm happy. But even if you start with myst it's not the end of the world.

OK but do you play differently with the different techs? Are there any other strategies that require a specific tech?

You have to take the land into account of course, it determines everything. Most important is getting a source of food up and running, after that you want to hook up any early resources like gems, gold, ivory, masonry can wait though unless you want an early wonder that needs it and can afford to wait for it to be hooked up.
After that you want to focus on getting some barb defense depending on level and settings and to get BW for chops and whips.

Edit: You can go for religion but on mid or high levels this is not a good idea most of the time, it can be good in some circumstances though. You need to start with myst for that of course.

The English have their fish&chips, Civ4 opening is about food&chops.

Fish/Agr with the Americans a straight 40 p.c. boost to AH and to horses though Agr/Min is also good

This topic has been done to death but I'll state my opinion again; the chinese start techs rule all. * ;)


*: Certain exceptions might occur, like playing on levels where you can actually expect to get more than a hut or two and are likely to get something useful out of it. In this case, switch ag for hunting as optimal start tech.

100 % agreed.

I do wonder the impact of good start techs vs other things. Like traits. Probably impossible to quantify without a map, and very, very difficult even then.

IMHO ag and roads are the best, followed by fishing. They're the most expensive, and lead to granary.

I bypass pottery and head directly to writing if planning to keep economy alfloat with specialist.

I judge the strengths of techs in conjunction with their traits, and, dependent that I must research the following in no particular order; Agr or Ah, Min, Bw, Whl, Myst. The goal is to have a food source, a military source, a culture source, and road hooked up in 4 Techs.

4 is good. 5 is bad (barbs!). On a whole I do not like Fishing unless it starts with Agr too, and even then, I need to have an agriculture resource and not Ah, which would put me at 5 techs needed.

Good,

Agr, min
agr, myst
agr, whl
min, myst
min, hunt

Bad,

wrt, fish
hunt, fish unless you have a creative leader
agr, fish with no agr tile

Of course, if your financial and have 2 seafood + then any kind of fish is good because research is much faster regardless and the whip is nice.

hunting.

scout wouldn't pop up hostiles..
give you early Archer, which keep you alive, well, except Inca.

I really like hunting at times because it is the pre-req for both animal husbandry and archery.

Expanding trumps all usually, early on, getting an early 2-3 cities out, which will be defendable.

I play more multiplayer so good early units are a necessity, so I often go AH - BW - archery (if horse or copper isn't in city radius), or BW - AH - archery.

As to whether I choose BW or AH first, it depends on what empty tiles there are, and if I have animal improvements, or if i need to chop lots of forests. Sometimes conserving forests is good.

So I'd say hunting and mining are very good, and road is good for hooking up strategic resources(plus it is expensive), although sometimes you have a river and don't need roads at all.

Farming and fishing are decent but often not much use. I dont care about getting pottery quick, because the capital often has very fast growth, and it can't/shouldn't grow past a small size anyways (growing to work regular grasslands or hills is often not a good choice for fastest expansion, since it occupies a worker to improve them, if you are growing you aren't building settlers/workers, and you only get +1 hammer for the settler/worker). So the ~ 2 units benefits me a lot more than spending those hammers on a granary.