only in some cases can you get a tech lead with SE. it normally representation which means pyrmaids which on high levels requires either stone or industrious or tons of production. and contrary to what obsolete normally gets, stone is not common at all, industrious is a rare trait and you don't always get capitals with 30 hammers in the early years. so yeah, with representation and lots of food, a tech lead is possible but on immortal without pyrmaids or philo (the situation you will find yourself in most times) you can't get that lead. and later in the game, CE is far better than SE at outpacing the AI (this has been established frequently, when it comes down to a space race, SE is weaker). SE requires trade and this will mean that you trade away your tech lead oftentimes.
I rarely ever build my Pyramids. I rush it with a great engineer (thus I prioritize getting metal casting and forges). I've only successfully done this up to Monarch, though, I don't know about higher levels. With a decent amount of food, you can tech pretty well, +big bonus from lightbulbing if you choose to lightbulb (personally I adore playing no tech trading, so I barely ever lightbulb).
Philo or no philo, financial or no financial, food or no food, are all factors on whether to run a CE or SE. Obviously a no philo, financial, no food CE is FAR better than an SE in the same circumstances, and a philo, no financial, food SE is FAR better than a CE in the same circumstances.
If on SE trading would mean trading away your tech lead, then what makes you think that you'd be getting a tech lead with CE? If you're comfortably leading in tech with CE (with appropriate circumstances), then you'll be comfortably leading in tech with SE (with appropriate circumstances).
also, trading is often impossible if you are not playing on pangea-type maps. if you are stuck on a continent with monty and toku and you conquered the other civ, trading can get pretty limited. or maybe you can't trade for fear of opponents military using techs against you. or maybe the tech would let them get ahead on the liberalism race.
This is indeed a drawback, but you have to make sacrifices (and also strategically bulb useless techs like divine right and theology).
i guess my point (after all of this rambling) is that CE is more versatile and doesn't require anything except decent land (ie grass, rivers and floodplains).
I guess it's slightly more versatile. Thing is, CE is also insanely easy to play. SE requires quite a bit of strategy and micromanagement.
that wasn't what you were complaining about though. you objected to the tech lead thing. across the board, without pyramids, SE fails to give a tech lead. now, there are circumstances in which you could get one, but i think you would need pyramids, food and philosophical. in my experience, cottages can always get a tech lead with financial, right up to immortal (haven't tried deity ever though). without financial it does rely on good land and settling but it is often possible.
See above for financial, philo, food reply.
SE (with Pyramids) gives instant village output without having to wait at all. On top of this, you get great people that you could lightbulb for even more research. So even without Pyramids, it gives a measily hamlet and 0.5, but you can still keep up through bulbing.
post liberalism, CE is easy to win with.
Of course it is, because SE breaks down with Emancipation. When Emancipation is widespread enough to make the unhappiness unbearable, then you have to switch out of caste system. That means you can no longer get village output to the full extent, because now you only have 2 (or 4) scientist slots. You have to adapt and switch to some sort of hybrid and cottage over food excess the max scientists you can have.
This is not to mention that by that time, all those cottages will have matured and will be at village or higher.
The strength of SE comes from getting a good lead early on. You have to capitalize on that lead. It is powerful early through middle game and slowly becomes less effective, whereas CE is a steady increase that eventually overtakes SE.
Of course, as I've said, which economy is most useful (read: which economy you should/will utilize) depends on traits and lay of the land.
, I would say that both options are viable over prince, and you should choose which one to use ( or other options ,like the religious or the Trade routes economies ) regarding the map ( seafood favours SE , rivers work both ways , river grasslands or FP ( IMHO ) favour CE in the long run ), the leader and what you want to do with the game ( if you're planning to finish the game before hitting Democracy, CE is not for you )
