What are the 'best' beelines/slingshots?

[OTAKUjbski]

I'm stuck in a tech-path rut, and I need some new ideas -- all are welcome.

EDIT: BTW, I play on Monarch difficulty.

 

[Morgrad]

I like:

Aesthetics if I have marble - build a GL, then it's still good trade fodder for civil/military techs.

Liberalism of course - especially if combined with a Nationalism sling if your draft-every-turn Globe city is already set up. Otherwise a free 10-15 turns of teching for whatever else you grab is kinda a no brainer.

All the free-GP ones. Communism, Facism, Physics, Music, Fusion - free GP are good.

Assembly line - piles of infantry when your opponents have rifles is bad, bad news for them.

Steel - cannons are swell, but more than that, the AI *loves* to trade for this tech, so it's mighty good trade fodder if you're not at WFYABTA at that point.

Radio - Eiffel is a fantastic wonder, Rock and Roll can be great if you need it, and bombers omgwtfpwn.

Of course, the specifics of the game usually determine if/when I can shoot for those beelines, but those are probably my favorites - in no particular order.

 

[Refar]

I like to pop Democracy with Liberlaism novadays. It's a little bit of a gambit, but usually i can do it on Monarch - unless i really screwed up my economy really badly somewhere...

You need 3 "extra" (not needed for Lib) techs, all of which are very useful... Nationalism, Printing Press, Constitution...

I usually try to tech Nationalism, then build Taj Mahal aiming to finish it short time before i get Lib (and Democracy). The GA gives a nice boost when starting SoL.

 

[tycoonist]

rifles from liberalism is my favourite (not that i can get it on emperor... damn you higher difficulty level). however below emperor it is usually possible in my experience (i guess it had probably been done many times before on emperor and above but i war too much for my own good apparently )

 

[Immaculate]

Early Gunpowder:
cannot be done with a civ that starts with fishing.
must avoid meditation and pottery.

Theology from Oracle
Paper from great scientist
Education from 2x great scientist
Gunpowder from great scientist.

I suggest you build the Pagoda to get pacifism and tech code of laws for caste system. You can probably get gunpowder mid 300s with a bit of practice, earlier with a philosophical civ.

Downside: no pottery for a long time. (alternative path is to leave out the last scientist for gunpowder and just tech gunpowder normally in which case you just need to avoid meditation (for philosophy).

works great with Zara and his cheap libraries.

Immac.

 

[BalbanesBeoulve]

Early Gunpowder:
cannot be done with a civ that starts with fishing.
must avoid meditation and pottery.

Theology from Oracle
Paper from great scientist
Education from 2x great scientist
Gunpowder from great scientist.

I suggest you build the Pagoda to get pacifism and tech code of laws for caste system. You can probably get gunpowder mid 300s with a bit of practice, earlier with a philosophical civ.

Downside: no pottery for a long time. (alternative path is to leave out the last scientist for gunpowder and just tech gunpowder normally in which case you just need to avoid meditation (for philosophy).

works great with Zara and his cheap libraries.

Immac.

Wow, i might have to try that next time I play as the ottomans.

 

[Andvare]

Can't be done, not in BtS anyhoo. A GS bulps aesthetics after writing/paper/education (and compass after sailing). Theology requires writing.
You can get to education, but not to gunpowder.

Edit:
If you want to, take aesthetics and leave sailing. Or take compass as well. The best way is probably to just research it the last bit (it's not that an expensive tech).

 

[Immaculate]

You self research aesthetics- probably want to do that anyway so you can get the wonders including the GS-propelling great-library.
and you don't have sailing or compass because you don't have fishing. trust me- it can be done.

This was my first attempt (i screwed it up because i didn't realize i could avoid fishing and pottery and get it even faster).

Have a look at this screenshot:

 

[oyzar]

Personally i love CS slingshot in vanilla and astro slingshot for fast conquest as well as radio beeline for fast diplo win.

 

[Andvare]

You self research aesthetics- probably want to do that anyway so you can get the wonders including the GS-propelling great-library.
and you don't have sailing or compass because you don't have fishing. trust me- it can be done.

This was my first attempt (i screwed it up because i didn't realize i could avoid fishing and pottery and get it even faster).

Have a look at this screenshot: [snip]

Yeah, I did it in 350-something BC in my first attempt, though I was silly lucky there (got both AH and writing out of huts, even did a one-man axe rush, it was on noble/marathon).

I just said that it couldn't be done the way you said, but only because I got burned on my first try (had to delay gunpowder by quite a bit due to lack of both compass and aesthetics).

Quite fun to have Oromo warriors in the BCs.

 

[sylvanllewelyn]

I still prefer "high-strength-unit" to just about anything else if a fun, cheesy beeline is concerned. I much prefer shooting for cataphracts and janissaries than conquistadores and oromo warriors.

 

[Slashninja1467]

Considering I play mostly Philosphical, I'm in love with the MC slingshot for the Pyramids and free tech.