Best Tech Tree path?

Its fairly standard to shoot up the bottom part of the tree as fast as possible. You will want writing for libraries and construction for collosiums but beyond that you can pretty much beeline straight for artillery.
 
I like the top half so that I can get education, which helps establish a tech lead, and biology to unlock the order policy tree.
 
Germany: Early writing to get great scientist to bulb civil service so you can start spamming landsknechts. Supplement them with horsemen and archers.

Rome: I'd still go with horsemen, but legions + ballista are still very good.
 
1-Build a library in cap. Run 2 scientists.
2-Pick all ancient techs and horseback riding. Go for Iron. If not skip 3.
3-Bulb steel if iron near. Build longswordmen and horsemen.
4-(Bulb) Tech to civil service. Run 2 other scientists in any city.
5-Tech education. Build Porcelain tower.
6-Tech physics. Bulb both gunpowder and rifle techs.
7-Upgrade all longswordmen and/or other units.
8-Win.:goodjob:
 
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