Well, yes, variety is fun.
...
But these aren't strategies. Playing "honorably" might under very special circumstances actually be your best choice (I doubt it), but that's not why you do it: these house rules are only meant to increase the fun by adding diversity.
If you decide to delay researching BW until after Education because you think that's fun, by all means, go ahead. There is no right or wrong when playing for fun. Others might have a different opinion about what is more fun; but all opinions are equally valid. Nobody here will try to stop you. Have fun!
But this is the strategy section of these boards, and Brennus presented it as a strategy. If you decide to delay researching BW until after Education because you think it's the strongest possible move, we can analyze wether you are right or wrong.
I appreciate your points, and your attitude by the way, but I'm not sure I agree completely with your conclusion. It seems to imply that there is a best strategy, and that the best strategy is then by definition the only path that qualifies as a "strategy."
First, I don't think it is possible to identify a "best" strategy. There are too many variables and moves and sub-moves involved to compare game A to game B and conclude that one way of playing is the single strongest move possible. Did player A reach Liberalism earlier because his "strategy" was better or did he just better MM his workers and cities? I believe more in multiple viable strategies.
Second, even if you can conclude somehow that some strategy is the best one possible, other paths still qualify as strategies. A sub-optimal (whatever that is) strategy is still a strategy. For example, take any given start and consider if it is better to Rex from the inside out, or rex by blocking off territory, or HA rush, or Axe rush, or work for a Cat+WE attack, or bulb your way to Machinery and X-bow it, or bulb your way to Engineering and Treb it, or run for Liberalism and try some advanced horse action, or stay peaceful until Rifles or whatever. All of those may be doable strategies in certain circumstances, often times is is merely a question what what path the player feels like taking in a particular game.
In general I don't think that delaying BW is the same as role playing or some other arbitrary set of self imposed restrictions. It is far more comparable to avoiding Machinery so that you can bulb Liberalism with a GS in my view. It is simply avoiding a tech to open up other possibilities, nothing more and nothing less.
I don't think Brennus claimed it was the strongest possible move, maybe I have forgotten that part, but if he did people should surely test it out and pronounce the claim true or false. I took it much more as a hypothesis that he was developing as he was going along, starting from the Serfdom angle. That is a method I sometimes use, think something out assuming it is true to see where it leads you, and then evaluate it at that point. Debate on all sides is needed and valuable to examine the result. The only thing that isn't valuable is dismissing it because it doesn't seem logical or fit one's usual path and then attacking the author as a person or as a player.
There may very well be players who don't beeline their way to Calvary, whip and chop them as fast as possible and go romping over the world. That doesn't mean that their way doesn't involve strategy. In my view avoiding BW is a strategy as much as avoiding Fishing or Meditation to bulb what you want with Great People is a strategy. The logical next step is to ask what do you want to do with the bulbs that you have opened up in this way? How do you turn it into an advantage? Brennus states that it is the least expensive path to Liberalism. That opens up possibilities. Or the Feudalism bulb possibility, maybe you can get some very early vassals this way, I don't know. HA or Longbow rush and take vassals very early? Would be a fun
strategy to try out.
Brennus didn't seem to make any big promises about it, he just suggested it as a viable possibility:
My main point to players is that they should enter
the game with an open mind about their tech path, and then go with
Bronze Working only if the map is appropriate for that play
3. SOME FINAL THOUGHTS<br>
Bronze Working with its chopping, whipping, and Axemen is often times
great, just not all the time. If you want to get to any tech that
doesn't require it as soon as possible, you might be best off skipping
it for a short or long while, depending on the specific situation. This
can be true if you are going a peaceful science route, a peaceful
cultural route, a peaceful diplomatic route, or even a warmonger route.
Notice that he says "short or long while" meaning that you don't have to wait until after Education to apply this tactic, something you seem to focus in on.
My comments about variety being fun never meant to disqualify this path as a strategy. I agree with you that doing anything you like in the game for personal enjoyment is fine, but I simply disagree with the implied idea that only the strongest possible strategy can be called a strategy. Any viable strategy qualifies and deserves a good debate, and we did get that.
After all, the notion of turning off research and going for a Cultural Victory is a bit daft too really, but it is a viable strategy as well, if you want to play that way.
