Which Oracle free tech do you choose?

[Crowqueen]

It depends. I like to choose a tech I'm not researching at the same time, and by the time I get the Oracle I am normally already onto or past Code of Laws (because I beeline it for the courthouses to keep my empire steadily in the green). Sometimes I take Monotheism to nick Judaism, particularly if Buddhism and Hinduism have both been founded elsewhere. I might take one of the more eclectic techs that's not an immediate necessity, like Aesthetics to break open the culture techs or, indeed, Monarchy so I can establish my government properly.

I don't think I've ever used it for Metal-Casting and I don't normally need it for Code of Laws. So it's really based on what I think is something necessary that wouldn't be an immediate priority for research but would lead to something nice.

 

[Pariah]

Code of Laws, as long as I'm the first to get it. I may need it to found my first religion - and if I've already founded a religion, another never hurts.

 

[DigitalBoy]

I don't care about getting an expensive tech with The Oracle. If I'm building it, I just try to get it as soon as possible, fancy slingshots be damned. I usually end up getting Monarchy with it, but I may get Code of Laws for the religion. Monarchy is more important at that stage of the game than Metal Casting anyway.

 

[Jerrymander]

One time I did a Machinery slingshot with it to get Chu Ko Nu's early. Pretty cool, in that respect.

 

[r_rolo1]

It depends strongly of the game.... normally Monarcy, CoL or MC. Rarely Feud, CS or Machinery.

And completely unrelated.... in Earth 1000 AD scenario you can oracle Lib with some easie if you start as China or Japan Just for fun and hardly efficient ( if you can get lib with oracle, why don't get 2 free tech, one from Oracle and another form Lib..... Steel , here we go.. )

 

[DRJ]

If I play on prince level, I usually get Feudalism (if on large continent/pangea map) -
but when I am "lost" alone on my island (or only with another civ), I tend to build oracle while manually researching metal casting, getting machinery as a free tech for fast contact to "the others".

On monarch its not that easy to get a good oracle slingshot, at least if your starting position lags ... In my last game another civ got oracle VERY early and burried my early longbow dream. Damn, I was pissed. Next time I wont try a long slingshot at monarch, but be happy with metal casting or something else.

I never tried the civil service slingshot, I dont think its my type of free tech to achieve... on price maybe.
If going for religious spreading I go for Theology as free tech, because of early apostlic palace as defensive investion (war-votes...).

 

[Bongo-Bongo]

Generally, I will go for Metal Casting, especially if I manage to build the oracle particularly early. It requires a lot of beakers to research, particularly in the early game so getting it for free can free up some reserach time. It's also useful to get early forges, especially if your using the Industrious trait.

I am only likely to go for Code of Laws if religion is absent, or isn't very widespread on my continent, giving me the advantage to spread Confucianism, or I am in dire need of courthouses.

 

[Solid]

Well If I build the oracle I do it cause I want to get Civil Service. Early bureaucracy is really powerfull. If you miss out however the game is more often than not lost.

I never treid it on levels above nobel though, I don´t know if it´s even possible to pull of.

 

[gettingfat]

If I play on prince level, I usually get Feudalism (if on large continent/pangea map) -
but when I am "lost" alone on my island (or only with another civ), I tend to build oracle while manually researching metal casting, getting machinery as a free tech for fast contact to "the others".

If you get a decent island, another way is to delay the contact. By doing so, you can practically ignore the military for the first half of game. In this situation, I generally use the Oracle to get philosophy (get priesthood via meditation, not polytheism, start building the Oracle and research CoL). This is actually much easier than getting CS because Mathematics is not needed. Then I can switch to pacifism early paying min unit cost because of such a small army. Now I can either aim for a space race Victory (pushing for GS for multiple academies) or cultural victory (get a great priest to found Christianism as the 3rd religion). This works particularly well with a philosophical leader.

 

[TheGreatSteve]

The MC-machinery Oracle slingshot used by Qin & Mao also allows early Cho-Ku-Nu. If appears early, CKN are basically invincible.

I accidently stumbled into this one of my first Civ games. Stonehenge city builds Pyramids, next turn pops a GE instead of GP. Couple turns later Oracle finishes. Fastest game ever.


Anyway, I'm a fan of Theology. Just because it's generally the greatest number of beakers possible for me, and thus the best "deal". I love Stonehenge, so if I've built Oracle as well I can rely on the imminent GP to bulb CoL.

 

[Nares]

Monarchy...

 

[cronullasharks]

On immortal or diety its very likely that at this early stage there is only one thing going on ,EXTREME pressure.

So the Oracle may not provide you with the luxury of choosing whatever you want.

You may have to take monarchy if you have whipped the .... out of your people.

You may have a great spy from the GW but alphabet takes 134 turns due to warring... you will need some spies to steal techs.

Your neighbour may be Rome and surging on the power graph..you need machinery.

You need to take the tech thats going to help not just count the beakers

 

[Tee Kay]

Usually Code of Law (found Confucianism, run Caste system).

 

[Justy]

I usually grab Fuedalism. You get the longbowmen, the unit bonus, the experience bonus and the increased productivity of the workers.

 

[SerriaFox]

I usually go for code of law because about that time I starting to feel a maintenances tug at my gold reserves. And i rarely wait until it could reveal the more advanced traits you guys are talking about. and an extra religion never hurts

 

[Pitman]

Usually I am researching code of laws when the oracle comes up. Depending on the strategic situation, i usually take metal casting or theology. i like having religions, both for monetary reasons and to make civs on other continents have culture and happiness issues until later in the game.

If I am not researching code of laws, I may take that.

 

[ChristofferC]

Sometimes CoL, sometimes Monarchy, sometimes Fedualism, sometimes Metal Casting, rarely something else.

 

[Oksbad]

Not much of a planner, I chose the most expensive one

 

[TheMeInTeam]

It's so map and leader dependent.

MC, CoL, Monarchy, Alphabet, Mathematics. Hell, even HBR, calendar, or Iron working may be called for in some situations.

I wish I could take feudalism with it, but it just comes too late .

 

[Jozo]

It greatly depends.

If I start with a gold or gems resource in the BFC I usually go for civil service.
If I have a philosofical leader I always get the alphabet so I can go for aestatics right after writing.
If I play Ramesses II I always want Theology and in every other cade I usually end up with either CoL or Metal Casting.