Just finished a Monarch game with Hattie where I got probably my biggest tech lead of all time using what is to me a new strategy (so I obviously did it pretty suboptimally). Game started out standard: UU rush (sry Brennus) to secure a holy city, then infrastructure spam, GP for the holy city, and cottage up with 1 production and one GP Farm. However instead of spending hammers on a medieval war, I just missionary spammed and beelined theocracy, paper, and divine right (with a lib detour). My production city went AP--->Sankore---->SM and the results were ridiculous.
I essentially had the benefits of a mid-game corporation as all my cities were getting at least +4,+4,+2 (Base!). My commerce cities got online much faster with the hammer boost, and combined with the shrine, I ran 90-100% all game. Further hammers were saved because all my neighbors were friendly (and I could AP stop any wars before they got out of hand), and I basically had my choice of victories by say 1400 without earning a single XP since the BCs. I don't have tech dates, but I think I got like a late 1600s radio (for an internet beeline to backfill, later aborted because backfilling was so easy, also apparently computer obsoletes all my toys.), and was always an era ahead of the AIs.
I had never thought much about a religious economy past getting shrines online or capturing profitable ones, and this probably can be done much better with other leaders (Capac, Ramses, Mansa come to mind). Is this sort of thing (beelining Theocracy, Paper, Divine Right) viable on higher levels? Anybody else try this sort of thing regularly? Tips? Thoughts?
I essentially had the benefits of a mid-game corporation as all my cities were getting at least +4,+4,+2 (Base!). My commerce cities got online much faster with the hammer boost, and combined with the shrine, I ran 90-100% all game. Further hammers were saved because all my neighbors were friendly (and I could AP stop any wars before they got out of hand), and I basically had my choice of victories by say 1400 without earning a single XP since the BCs. I don't have tech dates, but I think I got like a late 1600s radio (for an internet beeline to backfill, later aborted because backfilling was so easy, also apparently computer obsoletes all my toys.), and was always an era ahead of the AIs.
I had never thought much about a religious economy past getting shrines online or capturing profitable ones, and this probably can be done much better with other leaders (Capac, Ramses, Mansa come to mind). Is this sort of thing (beelining Theocracy, Paper, Divine Right) viable on higher levels? Anybody else try this sort of thing regularly? Tips? Thoughts?