Which tech do you oracle?

Which techs do you oracle?

  • Metal Casting

    Votes: 66 49.6%
  • Hereditary Rule

    Votes: 14 10.5%
  • Theology

    Votes: 20 15.0%
  • Civil Service

    Votes: 22 16.5%
  • Horseback Riding

    Votes: 1 0.8%
  • Alphabet

    Votes: 6 4.5%
  • Mathematics

    Votes: 6 4.5%
  • Aesthetics

    Votes: 5 3.8%
  • Code of Laws

    Votes: 65 48.9%
  • Iron Working

    Votes: 3 2.3%
  • Compass

    Votes: 2 1.5%

  • Total voters
    133
I tried to oracle feudalism when I was assigned a double-gold start.
I did get it, but I was behind alot in cities when that was done.
 
The great merchant comes from the Great Lighthouse. I usually build the Great Wall, too, and if I have both before Oracle, then there's a chance at getting a merchant (although a great spy is also likely).
I hadn't thought of choosing a Philosophical leader and building just the Great Lighthouse and getting a guaranteed Great Merchant before I finish Oracle.
Getting another wonder will be easier, but you may need to reload if you're in bad luck.
 
I've tried the oracle\fudalism for a protective longbow rush\defense strategy. It turned out bad, though it was more for the Lbow rush than the choice of oracle techs per se... Still teching deep to get the most out of the oracle can be surpisingly costly when you're playing on your level.
 
Obvious answer: whichever tech costs the most RPs and provides an immediate benefit

Less ******ed answer: research Monarchy while building Oracle; pop for Feudalism.
 
I've played a few games lately where I avoid Oracle altogether, and avoiding all wonders, in order to have complete control over GPPs. If you're trying for a Scientist or an Engineer, the GP is actually "pollution" and can sneak into the mix in an unwanted way. That being said if there is no religion at all on my land mass the temptation is there to revert back to an Oracle slingshot to a religion, preferably Theology, and then let the GP shrine it. AP for +2 hammers each for temples and monasteries can be addictive, assuming you don't have a builder on your land mass likely to build the AP for you.
 
1) Code of Laws for Caste System + religion + courthouses
2) Metal Casting when Writing isn't known
3) Monarchy when the Pyramids already have been built
 
Alphabet can very often trump monarchy / COL or MC ( im leaving out feudalism and civil service , these are just so hard to do )

The religion from COL or the sheer beakers from MC are nice shiny prizes , but if a couple of religions have already been founded and/or you are not spiritual , COl loses a lot of punch . Doubly so if no one has Alpha.

Likewise , if you are not industrious or Collossus is not on your radar , so does MC . And you probably won't want to trade it either further reducing it's value.

Even early game happiness is a little overated . It can sometimes be a distraction from the basics of building workers and settlers and popping those first 2 scientists

But being the first to Alpha is huge , not just for picking up potentially pottery , fishing , sailing , hunting and the rest of the religious techs .And all these trades can be made WITHOUT giving up your monopoly on Alpha . Being able to bribe troublesome neighbors into war and being the only person capable of it is simply massive .

I'm not saying it's always the right tech to take , not even close . But it very often trumps it's more glamorous alternatives
 
@rugbyLEAGUEfan

CoL is usually not teched for its religion, but rather for courthouses. Also, MC is also taken for forges and simply for the fact that it has more beakers than most of the available alternatives(getting CS from the Oracle on higher difficulties is very hard) and for the forges, which give extra hammers and happiness.
 
@rugbyLEAGUEfan

CoL is usually not teched for its religion, but rather for courthouses. Also, MC is also taken for forges and simply for the fact that it has more beakers than most of the available alternatives(getting CS from the Oracle on higher difficulties is very hard) and for the forges, which give extra hammers and happiness.

I would think taking CoL just for courthouses that early would be very hard to justify . The religion would be the selling point for me and only if one had yet to be founded (plus the priest adds value).Maybe if you had been rexing ultra hard or rushing , but then how have you also managed to build The Oracle ? And don't workers , granaries , libraries and barb defense take priority? Maybe if I was organised , Holy Rome or Aztecs.

MC on the the other hand I agree is very attractive . But again , if Colossus is not on the radar or I don't have gold or gems or am industrious it loses appeal .

But in essence I was really just saying don't totally discount Alphabet cause of it's low beakers . Given the right circumstance in can be the best option.
 
It's true that Alphabet can be a good option, but even still, founding religions IMO doesn't matter much except when going culture. Meanwhile, 50% maintenance cuts add up to ~2-3 gpt per city for every turn after building the courthouse(depends on how far it is from the capital) and this really helps. The only way the religion can combat in this sense(in terms of GPT) will only matter if you get the shrine, but you need a GProphet and I'd rather get a scientist for the bulbs.
 
what about getting theology from the oracle?

It was like 50 turns and Col was 30 turns so I choose theo,but only cuase it was twice the beakers,.,,

was this a good move?
 
what about getting theology from the oracle?

It was like 50 turns and Col was 30 turns so I choose theo,but only cuase it was twice the beakers,.,,

was this a good move?

Depends on a few things . The ability to build the AP is massive so it probably trumps CoL . But you have to divert to monotheism , but since you are founding a religion that's less of a problem (unless the diversion costs you the Oracle!) .

Some posters though like the courthouses that come with CoL so if you are organized or have a courthouse UB then you need to consider that . I personally would not consider a courthouse that early (exceptions stated above) ....massive hammers for 2 or 3 gold and some espionage. 2 or 3 gold is a cottage which diverting hammers to a worker will get far more readily . But thats just my opinion.

So yeah , if monoethism is reasonable to research without costing you pottery for instance or the wonder , and you feel you can do without courthouses , then the ability to build the AP makes Thelogy the winner IMHO

As you can see , there is no straight out answer . It's situational
 
In my current game, I had to hurry to get the Oracle before the AIs and wound up with Monarchy, which is useful but not that useful. (I already had a Prophet to get Theology but somehow had missed Pottery.)
 
what about getting theology from the oracle?

It was like 50 turns and Col was 30 turns so I choose theo,but only cuase it was twice the beakers,.,,

was this a good move?

Theology from the Oracle is one way to get the AP early and thus cheese a religious win(i.e one person won on deity/huge/marathon in 1400 BC). However, if not going for an AP win, I wouldn't be choosing theology. With regards to CoL, I almost never Oracle(don't think I can get it fast enough on immortal without marble and I like to go for worker techs first) and the time I get to CoL the religion is generally gone, so I may be wrong about the possibility of such a religion, although in order to really benefit from religion you need a great prophet for the shrine and to spread it to the AI in order not to suffer from diplo demerits if you plan on converting to your religion, both of which divert GPP/hammers from great scientists/worker/settler/units.
 
With regards to CoL, I almost never Oracle(don't think I can get it fast enough on immortal without marble and I like to go for worker techs first) and the time I get to CoL the religion is generally gone, so I may be wrong about the possibility of such a religion, although in order to really benefit from religion you need a great prophet for the shrine and to spread it to the AI in order not to suffer from diplo demerits if you plan on converting to your religion, both of which divert GPP/hammers from great scientists/worker/settler/units.

I basically agree however there are circumstance that are reasonably common on immortal where I think it's worth it .
1. Marble
2. Cause to research AH and a source of horses for your second city . This is for barbs and means no archery and the option of writing before BW if you don't have a commerce square to mine ,lots of forests or happies to ease whipping.
3. Food to support 2 scientists . You can skip pottery and just keep the tech up with these .

I like the fact you are not locked in early to committing to the Oracle . If a religion gets founded you can change plans and just REX or rush with your chariots . Scientists keep you afloat. It also opens up the path to Aesthetics where you can use your marble instead.

I don't find the priest an issue . It's most likely you built Oracle in the capital which at some stage is going to drop the scientists and get cottages for beaurocarcy . Eventually the priest will come , and late mid/game is fine cause as you say , scientists are what you want mostly . Cause it comes late that means not spending hammers on missionaries , and you can make the most of the shrine when it comes cause markets , grocers and banks are available .

Even better with Monty or Charlemagne . Both start with mysticism , hunting for AH and have courthouse UB 's
 
I usually don't get Oracle anymore unless I have marble and a city with a lot of hammers. I usually try to get Code of Laws if I get Oracle, or even Civil Service if my science is somehow very advanced.

Another side option I sometimes go for is Feudalism, then just mass produce swords and catapaults (and other units needed) for war and just rush my neighbouring civ. If I decide not to rush a civ, then I just build enough longbowmen and a few other units so no one will declare war on me and I just focus on developing my cities with the Serfdom Civic.

If none of those 3 techs are in reach... then I just get Metal Casting or Hereditary rule, again assuming I have marble and a lot of hammers in 1 city.
 
I remember last game I oracled feudalism, which was great for early longbows, at least I think I did, maybe I had one too many, it being around christmas and that.
 
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