Teching Strategy

[os79]

Afforess asked us to start a thread to show our teching methods so he can distill our ideas into AI strategizing. So here goes my own method. Maybe not the best way but hey everyone do their game different ways .

#1 Hunting is the first thing I research to see whether my first city will have pasture-using resource.

#2 If there is pasture-using resource, then I research Animal Husbandry. If not, then on to next step.

#3 Mining then Masonry then Pottery then Metal Casting (sp?) then Ritualism then Naturiosphy then Archery then Weaving then Trading then Slavery.

#4 If I did #2, then on to #5. But if I didn't do #2, then research Animal Husbandry (I have Early Buildings included so I get to have Apiary at least).

#5 Then Bronze Working then Writing then Mysticism then Priesthood then Monarchy then Code of Laws for Confucius religion then Ceremonial Burial then Miltary Training.

#6 After that, if I have copper in my territory then I can concentrate on water techs up to Ship Building and Sculpture for Moai Statues.

#7 Now I get to Iron Working. If iron is easily obtained by me, then the game is as good as it is going to be for me. If not, then I have serious work cut for me.

The rest of it is no longer relevant to this discussion.

Now tell your teching strategies so Afforess can analyze the best way he can tweak AI's teching strategy .

 

[Dancing Hoskuld]

(Note I do not play with BeterRoM but I do play with early buildings.)
My priorities are:-

#1 Hunting, Agriculture and The Wheel

#2 Animal Husbandry

#3 Ritualism and Mysticism - so I can start Stonehenge (has great event associated with it)

#4 Trade - mostly for the free trade caravan to speed up the construction of Stonehenge

#5 if I have coastal resources Fishing

#6 Stone Tools and Ceremonial Burial if no one has Egypt Religion otherwise Polytheism

#7 Mining and Masonry

#8 Then metal Casting and fill in the older techs before Writing.

 

[0100010]

Usually play the Hittites so start w/ Stone Tools and The Wheel
I also usually play advanced start and will buy my first 3 techs.

#1 Hunting - gotta get those scouts to go pop huts before the barbarians swarms appear.
#2 Mining
#3a Masonry (if stone resources are nearby)
#3b Fishing (if fish resources nearby)
#3c Ritualism (if neither are nearby)
#4 Ritualism (assuming I did not pursue it as #3)
#5 Mysticism (try to go for stonehenge here)
#6 Priesthood (try to go for Oracle, but timing is essential)
#7 Writing (I attempt to finish writing just as I finish the Oracle, delaying production if needed)
#7* Alphabet (I will only pop this with the Oracle, I won't research it this early)
I will then use Spies to pop all the goodie huts that are occupied by barbarians, that my scouts cannot reach or are on the other side of enemy territory.
Go back and finish off the neglected techs that I didn't manage to pop.
#8a Agriculture (if farm resource nearby)
#8b Animal Handling (if animal resources nearby)
#9 whatever I didn't do above.
#10a Archery (only if I am feeling pressed by barbarians or enemies, Javelineers and Spearman do a good enough defending job in the ancient era)
First major decision split:
Path 1 (if I am mostly inland)
#10 Pottery
#11 Trade

Path 2 (If I am mostly coastal)
#10 Weaving
#11 Sailing

At this point I start heading toward Code of Laws to be the first to found Confucianism, then Democracy so I can support a large empire w/ less revolution risk.
If I have built a wonder, I probably have a great prophet by now. I try not to swap civics until If gotten democracy and Currency to do a major jump to Republic, Patrician, Coinage, and Senate. (using the GP to pop a golden age and switch civics w/out anarchy)

 

[Killtech]

especially on the start of the game there is no optimal tech strategy! it very strongly depends on your starting location.

• Agriculture is quite expensive and not much use if you don't have proper resources.
• Animal Husbandry like agriculture requires resource to be interesting.
• Fishing essential if you have sea resource, but relevant if one has coast cities that lack possibilities to gain food other then from see (tundra/plains/desert cities and/or lack of rivers & agriculture tech)
• Hunting interesting because it's cheap. if you neither have fish nor plant-food resource you'll need this. otherwise it can wait a bit.
• The Wheel first relevant after you got at least one resource+improvement or a small military to protect multiple cities. thus not one of the first techs for the AI to discover.
• Mining relevant when you have a) a city with size >2 and enough food yield b) hills in the area. the highest priority on the start is to get your start city/cities to grow. production comes after that.
• Ritualism=>Mysticism=>Polytheism my standard for higher difficulties so far (to stabilize finances and tech rate). but by far not as much important for noble difficulty players. i'd say that's only for religious/cultural interested leaderheads.
• Weaving=>Sailing if you work enough water tiles it's relevant for you due to the lighthouse. as long as your coast cities get their food from another source or you don't start on a small isle you don't need it.
• Priesthood/Sacrificial Cult only needed if you managed to grow your cities fast and they may hit unhappiness level. can be neglected until then. priesthood is also relevant after you've found a religion because you need a great prophet to get some money out of it (priest specialists or better wonders help to get the GP points). otherwise useless
• Naturopathy jungle tech or more generally: when you are going to hit the unhealthiness level in some of your cities. not a priority, but cheap.
• Ceremonial Burial/Dualism/Monotheism when you expect high expenses then you need a religion. so it's for military civs that will need to pay quite some upkeep or for leaderheads who favour religion/culture by definition. otherwise useless
• Slavery/Case System useless until you have enough (worked) farmland and mines and discovered trade (slave market) to switch to the civics. could be a classic age tech as it's hardly useful so early in the game.
• Archery only useful if you play with raging barbarians or minor civ option + close neighbours or you got a war declaration early on.
• Trade essential after you started expanding and has some fresh founded cities due to caravans. however it will require you to have some developed cities to build them and the bazaar.
• Metal Casing even more essential after the BuildingUpgradeChains due to the forge change (gives static hammers). but also a costly tech. prioritize to techs that allow your cities to grow before going for this one.
• Masonry relevant if you have the right resources or have a war going on. but otherwise?
• Sculpture when you have a city with many water tiles then it's a must have due to the national wonder. don't need it otherwise.
• Writing requires developed cities. more a priority if you have cost cities working many water tiles so you can strongly expend commerce (thus science & gold)
• Bronze Working=>Military Training after(!) your economy is stable and you have a well developed city to become your military production facility you go for this. only militaristic leaderheads that plan a war can research it earlier.
• Naval Warfare/Seafearing/Fermentation/Elephant Riding/Charioty/Horseback Riding/Elephant Riding useless techs. (except you want to delay research to give AI a chance)

thus i don't see any way to derive a default tech strategy for the AI, except for this single and most general one: get your cities to maximize production asap - which means growth for small town and production buildings for developed cities then stabilize commerce rate for stable research progress. build military only if need be (a large military that is doing nothing is the biggest waste as they cost lots of money and thus kill research as you need to rise taxes to compensate).