Which tech to research first? Does it matter?

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Vathris

Chieftain
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Sep 15, 2011
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Of course it's good to research techs that improve your land, reveal resources and enable wonders, but I'm talking the VERY first techs.

It seems that no matter what situation I could find myself in, Pottery is the best first tech. The reason is that it is going to be a while before I have a worker and I might as well build a Shrine for a pantheon.

I was thinking that during this "dead" period, it might be good to make a habit of researching in a particular way. So, that in mind, what to go for VERY early on?

Pottery, then...

1. Lux Improvement (in case I discover El Dorado and can rush-buy a worker?)
2. Tile Improvements (in case I discover El Dorado and can rush-buy a worker?)

3. Bronze Working (good to know where the iron is before Settler is made?)
4. Animal Husbandry (as above, in case it would influence a decision to rush-buy Settler)

5. Archery (in case you find yourself with big barb problems)

Again, these are all good to get, but in most of my games there's a nagging doubt just after I get Pottery, as to what to go for during the "dead" no worker, 2-3 pop period. Are there situations where one should skip Pottery?
 
i'd say the very rare occasions where you'd rather Animal Hus first, such as a Grassland bias civ, e.g. Poland.

if you see where some Horses are want to place your 2nd city to maximize the Ducal stables. Or, if you wanna the Gods of the Open Sky pantheon.

also if you don't really care about a religion in general.
 
civ54lyfe said:
i'd say the very rare occasions where you'd rather Animal Hus first, such as a Grassland bias civ, e.g. Poland.

if you see where some Horses are want to place your 2nd city to maximize the Ducal stables. Or, if you wanna the Gods of the Open Sky pantheon.

also if you don't really care about a religion in general.
Click to expand...

Gonna say nay on that last bit. If you aren't going for a religion you probably still want Pottery first for the Granary.

I can see starting with Animal Husbandry if you know you want to go Liberty and will delay the Granary for a Monument but you probably don't know you want to go Liberty at this point.
 
yeah maybe. it's only why i personally would do Animal before Pottery. besides, Tradition fallback would have you covered either way. either way this is a laissez faire kind of game we're talking.
 
Oh! I actually forgot something: On higher difficulties (mainly Deity though it kinda works on Immortal too) you can start with Animal Husbandry and build a Caravan for the science boosts. At that point in the game +3 or +4 beakers is very powerful.
 
Arachnofiend said:
Oh! I actually forgot something: On higher difficulties (mainly Deity though it kinda works on Immortal too) you can start with Animal Husbandry and build a Caravan for the science boosts. At that point in the game +3 or +4 beakers is very powerful.
Click to expand...

Huh, I never thought of that.
 
You can research writing first and attempt to build the great library. With writing, one can also accept embassies early. If other civilizations don't have writing, you can buy their embassies for 1 gpt.
 
In 1900 hours of play I don't think I've ever first-found El Dorado, so I'm not sure I would plan tech paths around it.

But I do frequently go for a worker early, especially if I'm next to forest so I can chop some of those invested hammers back (for delayed monument or shrine) right away. It depends.

So:

Pottery first only if I'm going to build a shrine. Otherwise I take my chances with religion. I don't usually build Granaries before I've had time to finish three techs anyway.

Animal Husbandry first otherwise, revealing horses potentially creates a 2/1 grass tile, which you can never have enough of in the first 30 turns.

Mining so I can chop forests and settle my second city on mining luxes if I need to.

Or, Optics first if I'm Venice, sometimes England or on the rare really good sea resource start. While there are many games where I get Education before Sailing, there are others where the map makes it obvious I need scouts to embark early.

After then, I'm usually not very particular.
 
Agreed with OP; Pottery is always the best first choice.

This is because even if you aren't interested in religion (shrine which is in Pottery); you sure the heck are interested in growth (granary which is also in Pottery) and science (Writing which again requires Pottery)

This is actually one case that they got right for the AI when the first free tech AIs get at higher levels is Pottery.

Also, with the religious path being right on the science path; even if not interested in religion, you'd still continue past Pottery to the same techs.

The first interesting choice is second tech right after you have Pottery. (Unless playing Babylon in which case your UA demands you pick Writing second for a free academy) Except for the Babylon exception it's either AD or mining depending upon map; but both converge to Writing as 3rd tech to ensure having it by the time you are ready to build a library.

I like to have the worker techs needed for all local luxuries within the capital + Archers before starting the beeline to Philosophy. Techs for bonus resources will wait.
 
good point about the Granary, yet who's build order wouldn't allow for that building one tech later?
 
With the granary, one can also build a caravan and trade with the one's other local cities for food. If the cities can connect on the coast, a cargo ship instead for more food.
 
Pottery is not always the first best choice. Sometimes its mining and sometimes its AH. I'm not a big fan of archery first.

If you want to build Stone Henge, you can skip a shrine for now. Plenty of other reasons to take pottery later depending on who you are and what your starting dirt is like. India wants the wheel.
 
Sometimes other technology starts could be helpful if you build a worker first and get more food from early farms. Ah, bronze working or calendar for the worker start. Sometimes one can vary the technology start depending on the build queue start.
 
GhostSalsa said:
In 1900 hours of play I don't think I've ever first-found El Dorado, so I'm not sure I would plan tech paths around it.

But I do frequently go for a worker early, especially if I'm next to forest so I can chop some of those invested hammers back (for delayed monument or shrine) right away. It depends.

So:

Pottery first only if I'm going to build a shrine. Otherwise I take my chances with religion. I don't usually build Granaries before I've had time to finish three techs anyway.

Animal Husbandry first otherwise, revealing horses potentially creates a 2/1 grass tile, which you can never have enough of in the first 30 turns.

Mining so I can chop forests and settle my second city on mining luxes if I need to.

Or, Optics first if I'm Venice, sometimes England or on the rare really good sea resource start. While there are many games where I get Education before Sailing, there are others where the map makes it obvious I need scouts to embark early.

After then, I'm usually not very particular.
Click to expand...

Do you ever build scouts? I have found el dorado first 5 or 6 times and I have only 600hours
 
you'd sure build a Scout, before building either a Granary or a Caravan that you can't defend. yeah.

you know what? AH first actually does work for placing a spot for 2nd city and is a sound move.
 
The only time I don't got Pottery ---> Writing is when I'm rushing Siege Towers. I find beelining Philosophy to generally be pretty important.

I consider AH first viable on higher difficulties as a Caravan can be worth more than a Library at that stage of the game. However, it's just not my style.
 
It's either Pottery or Animal Husbandry. AH if you start with a settler after 2 citizen and build a granary/shrine later. But the 2nd tech should be Pottery. If Pottery first you might want an early shrine/granary before making your first settler. 2nd tech can be Writing(GL), Calendar, AH or Mining depending of ressources around.
 
Flagging myself into the minority here as AH is my default start the exceptions being a hope for an early shrine, multiple tiles that benefit from granary, virtual impossibility of having horses anywhere nearby or fast access to sailing.
Reasons for AH is that it seems far more likely to get pottery from a ruin than AH and usually opening with double scout there isn't immediate need for pottery. Might not be optimal but the first few turns are always a gamble anyway.
 
Early caravans are vulnerable to barbs, often you will not have another civ within 10 plots for you to connect.
 
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