After Currency - Tech Discussion, 775 B.C.

[Octavian X]

Construction (24 turns)
Republic (~50 turns - Need to research Phil (8) and CoL (12))
Literature (12 turns)
Map Making (14 turns)
HBR (5 turns)
Polytheism (15 turns)

Those are our options. Currency has just been finished - which tech do we pursue next?

I prefer literature at the moment. Though we may not get the Great Library, regular libraries could be a great benefit.

After that, Republic. A change that would be most useful, in my humble opinion.

Well, citizens, what do you think? This time around, I'd like to queue up two techs. Please, make your suggestions!

 

[zorven]

One thing to consider is that we could trade for HBR and Map Making from Russia in exchange for Currency. Or we could just buy HBR from somebody - I think for around 100 gold. Therefore, we might not want to consider either of those 2 techs to research.

 

[tao]

IMHO currency was a bad decision:

1. It does not enable vital units on improvements (we don't need markets in our measel cities)
2. it does not have a follow-up tech to research
3. if we want to successfully trade it, we have to monitor closely turn-by-turn the AI's progress to determine the best trading time; this is hardly possible in a demo game
4. we now are gambling with the next tech, because the AI might have nearly finished researching it
   [/list=1]
   What to do next:
   
   I would suggest map making
   1. it allows to explore
   2. it gives maps and we can call our exploring warriors back for defending against barbs and neighbors
   3. it allows map trading and the human player should(!) be much bettter at this then the AIs
      [/list=1] We might not be the first to discover it, but by putting research effort into it we will get a better price when we buy it. It is vital to buy it the moment it becomes available and the same turn to rip the AIs of all their money, techs, maps!
      
      After this, I strongly suggest to go for a government tech. They are expensive and the AI does not trade them for cheap. I usually go for republic, but our sorry little civ might be better of with monarchy for now.
      
      PS: We don't want to buy hbr now. We want to build cheap chariots! HBR can be acquired as part of a tech deal nearly any time.

 

[Furiey]

775 BC
We have 249 gold in our treasury

Science   gpt  Const.  Phil.  CoL   Lit.   Poly.  Rep.* Mon.** ¦ MM   HBR
  100%     -1    24      8     12    12     15     34     15   ¦ 14     5
   90%      0    25      8     13    13     15     35     15   ¦ 15     5
   80%      5    30      9     15    15     18     40     18   ¦ 17     6
   70%      6    33     10     17    17     20            20   ¦ 19     7
   60%      9    40     12     20    20     24            24   ¦ 23     8
   50%     10           13     21    21     26            26   ¦ 24     9
   40%     17           18     30    30     36            36   ¦ 34    12
   30%     18           22     36    36     40            40   ¦ 40    15
   20%     21           36     40    40                        ¦       24
   10%     24           40                                     ¦       40
    0%     27                                                  ¦

* Needs CoL & Literature first
** Needs Polytheism first

So what to research. I see no point in researching what we can already trade for, so that eliminates Map Making and Horseback Riding. I would prefer to research something that the AI is less like to go for and top of the list for the AI now after Map Making will be Philosophy and Literature, which eliminates them. If we are going for the Great Library we can start a prebuild now ready to trade for Literature. If we are going for Republic, that makes CoL attractive, or Polytheism if we are going for Monarchy. An alternative to give us something to trade would be Construction which is at a similar level to CoL on the AI’s priority list.

So for the Republic route: CoL > Republic, hopefully being able to trade for Philosophy before we have to start Republic (potentially 56 turns)

For the Monarchy route: Polytheism > Monarchy (potentially 30 turns) and we don’t have to rely on trading anything for this route

Or if we just want something we can research before the AI to trade – Construction (24 turns)

Thanks to Grey Fox’s Tech Calculator, and Ambiorix’s AI Tech Research Estimations Spreadsheet.

 

[Octavian X]

OK, then for now, I will order the research of a Code of Laws. As I've neglected to think (D'OH!), I've run out of time for a poll. I apoligize.

Any objections?

 

[Sarevok]

id say literature, then grab the GL