pi-r8 - SP and workshops doesn't have to hurt your tech pace. You just need a cottaged capital with Oxford, settle your GS's and be in rep for the extra beakers on every specialist. My last SP game I had 700+ beakers from the capital which got me a close number 2 in tech and the more cities I took the faster my tech pace increased
EDIT - if you don't have pyramids, use the lib to get nationalism and take the Taj golden age to make your switch to caste. During the golden age run serfdom to help your workers farm/workshop over all your cottages. Grab constitution for rep which will really boost tech on the way to State Property.
EDIT - if you don't have pyramids, use the lib to get nationalism and take the Taj golden age to make your switch to caste. During the golden age run serfdom to help your workers farm/workshop over all your cottages. Grab constitution for rep which will really boost tech on the way to State Property.