Conneely
Chieftain
I am still new to the game and trying out different techniques, but just wondering what the first 10 techs you will try to go for?
First 10 techs?
- Thread starter Conneely
- Start date
madscientist
RPC Supergenius
You research what you need.
To better understand the game, go through this series of thought
1) What is the map and who are my rivals.
2) What starting techs do you have. Hunting and Mysticism dictate a different play style early on that agriculture/fishing.
3) First tech usually is something to improve a resource in the capital BFC. If there is seafood, then fishing. Gold, then mining. Corn, then agriculture.
4) Next order of business for tech 2 is generally looking for military, usually Bronze Working or Animal Husbandry as those techs also open up other useful game features such as a pasture or slavery or forrest chopping. If there is no copper or horses perhaps hunting/archery unless you have a dangerous cloby neighbor, then Iron Working.
5) OK, you got food and amilitary techs. Next is looking for a way to connect your cities for improved commerce (the base level economic tech) and this is usually the Wheel for roads or possibly the more expensive sailing if the cities are going to be coastal.
6) I usually finish off any food techs here.
7) The next level of economic techs which you should get before your treasury runs out of gold or you over expand with cities ir Pottery for cottages and Granery and Writing for open borders and libraries.
8) Finally, somewhere you need to pop the borders of the new cities. Creative leaders are fine, also if religions are present, but sometimes Mysticism has to be put in the order at some point.
The important thing here is to NOT have a list you follow all the time. Play as the leader/map dictates.
To better understand the game, go through this series of thought
1) What is the map and who are my rivals.
2) What starting techs do you have. Hunting and Mysticism dictate a different play style early on that agriculture/fishing.
3) First tech usually is something to improve a resource in the capital BFC. If there is seafood, then fishing. Gold, then mining. Corn, then agriculture.
4) Next order of business for tech 2 is generally looking for military, usually Bronze Working or Animal Husbandry as those techs also open up other useful game features such as a pasture or slavery or forrest chopping. If there is no copper or horses perhaps hunting/archery unless you have a dangerous cloby neighbor, then Iron Working.
5) OK, you got food and amilitary techs. Next is looking for a way to connect your cities for improved commerce (the base level economic tech) and this is usually the Wheel for roads or possibly the more expensive sailing if the cities are going to be coastal.
6) I usually finish off any food techs here.
7) The next level of economic techs which you should get before your treasury runs out of gold or you over expand with cities ir Pottery for cottages and Granery and Writing for open borders and libraries.
8) Finally, somewhere you need to pop the borders of the new cities. Creative leaders are fine, also if religions are present, but sometimes Mysticism has to be put in the order at some point.
The important thing here is to NOT have a list you follow all the time. Play as the leader/map dictates.
slobberinbear
Ursine Skald
I can't give you a set list for all 10, but I am pretty sure that these are in the "first 10" in 90% of my games:
Agriculture
Animal Husbandry
The Wheel
Pottery
Writing
Mining
Bronze Working
The others are situational -- are you coastal, going for a religion, trying for early wonders, etc.
Agriculture
Animal Husbandry
The Wheel
Pottery
Writing
Mining
Bronze Working
The others are situational -- are you coastal, going for a religion, trying for early wonders, etc.
budweiser
King of the Beers
If you look at the map, and research what you need to work all the special tiles that you see, you will go broke.
What you need to do is research what you need in order to increase your research speed. This usually means pottery and writing. Later on, Alpha, currency, Col. Of course, you need to settle more land and make sure you dont get killed by barbs all at the same time. So, pick and choose based on the map, while heading in the general direction of writing, alpha, etc.
What you need to do is research what you need in order to increase your research speed. This usually means pottery and writing. Later on, Alpha, currency, Col. Of course, you need to settle more land and make sure you dont get killed by barbs all at the same time. So, pick and choose based on the map, while heading in the general direction of writing, alpha, etc.
kochman
Deity
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2009
- Messages
- 10,818
Well... there is no set answer... too many variables...
But I general go for (this includes starting techs, so I put 12 up)...
1) Mining
2) Bronze Working
3) Masonry (START BUILDING GREAT WALL)
4) Wheel
5) Mysticism
6) Polytheism
7) Priesthood (START BUILDING ORACLE IMMEDIATELY)
8) Agriculture
9) Pottery
10) Writing
11) Alphabet (start trading for everything you don't have, start with the lowest ranked civs first, as they will generally be less of a threat)
12) Monotheism (if you think you can found Judaism, if not, mathematics to get the chopping bonus)
Sometimes i will through #7 in earlier, but I try to beeline to Priesthood in order to get the Oracle built... with which I found a religion depending on what is available (Monotheism should be gone... but maybe I get Code of Laws or Theology...)
But I general go for (this includes starting techs, so I put 12 up)...
1) Mining
2) Bronze Working
3) Masonry (START BUILDING GREAT WALL)
4) Wheel
5) Mysticism
6) Polytheism
7) Priesthood (START BUILDING ORACLE IMMEDIATELY)
8) Agriculture
9) Pottery
10) Writing
11) Alphabet (start trading for everything you don't have, start with the lowest ranked civs first, as they will generally be less of a threat)
12) Monotheism (if you think you can found Judaism, if not, mathematics to get the chopping bonus)
Sometimes i will through #7 in earlier, but I try to beeline to Priesthood in order to get the Oracle built... with which I found a religion depending on what is available (Monotheism should be gone... but maybe I get Code of Laws or Theology...)
harry_flashman
Chieftain
It's impossible to give 10.
you may want to start a religion.
you may want to get the oracle, and get a fancy tech of it, so skip a few early techs you'd normally go for.
It depends on the resources you need to get working.
It depends if you have neighbours you want to be attacking quickly.
But always, without fail, harry will go for Bronzeworking as either first or second.
It opens slavery and chopping, both of which you should use early and often. It also shows you where copper is, which you need to know before plonking cities down.
you may want to start a religion.
you may want to get the oracle, and get a fancy tech of it, so skip a few early techs you'd normally go for.
It depends on the resources you need to get working.
It depends if you have neighbours you want to be attacking quickly.
But always, without fail, harry will go for Bronzeworking as either first or second.
It opens slavery and chopping, both of which you should use early and often. It also shows you where copper is, which you need to know before plonking cities down.
budweiser
King of the Beers
I think it's better to get food tiles going first before you start chopping anything. So, I will research a food tech if I dont have one, or I will research a second food tech if I have two food sources in the BFC. AG to AH is good if you dont have a coastal seafood start and you have animals in the BFC. Once you are working the improved food tiles and have grown to size 2,3 or 4 then its time for expansion. This is when its good to chop a tree, to either get another worker or a settler out faster. So, BW can come later sometimes.
The other thing to do is go BW first while your first worker builds. But you dont want to be sitting there too long with a worker who can only chop trees.
The other thing to do is go BW first while your first worker builds. But you dont want to be sitting there too long with a worker who can only chop trees.
Some of the above is dependent on play style, but i will toss in my two bits.
Normal speed map:
Start game -> Ctr R and Look at resources
99% of the time have faith in the game and settle in place
I don't go for early wonders, so my tech path does not try to unlock them and build them.
If coastal start with 1+ ocean resource and fishing as starting tech build work boat.
Otherwise start worker, should have 12-15 turns to research something for him to do.
Ideally start with a farm resource and research agriculture.
I would probably give priority to the highest food resource in the capital. Usually it is agriculture, but animal husbandry and hunting can have good food specials.
If we can't get to that before the worker finishes, consider mining if there is a bare hill. If we can't reach any techs that let us improve a tile build a warrior instead of a worker first and b-line bronze working or animal husbandry.
After getting 1 resource tech i can bring online with the first worker. I usually get bronze working. Build warriors to 3 pop and improve 3 tiles (prefer resources then mines) with first worker and make a couple settlers. Chop if i feel like it. Usually switch to slavery after the second settler.
Food Techs: Agriculture, Fishing, Animal Husbandry, Hunting
So we have:
Food 1 (Highest Food Resource at capital) -> Bronze Working -> Food 2 (Animal Husbandry, reveal horses) -> Wheel (start hooking up resources/cities) -> Get any other techs for available food resources -> Mysticism (sometimes early sometime late, depends on if i need border pops early for fewer stronger cities)
If no military resources came up roll the dice again and try Iron Working. Also may get it early if there is a lot of jungle.
Second city should be up by the first or second miscellaneous food tech. Add a worker or two to the empire. Continue to expand (Normal map 6 cities minimum, 10 is plenty). My rule of thumb is Expand until the economy is in bad shape. If you can't expand build military units until the economy is in bad shape and then attack a non protective neighbor. On a normal map you want at least 6 good cities (minimum for national wonders). Ideally you will want a neighbor or two's capital to specialize a couple super cities.
On the way to the crash Tech:
Pottery (Granary/Cottages) -> Writing (Stop research and build libraries)
Stop research to build up some cash and to later run science at 100% through libraries. The crash is usually starting when libraries are finishing. Cottages can be build anytime after they are unlocked. I don't like them much, but prioritize getting them up and worked in your capital's riverside grassland tiles. If you want to become a cottage spammer, look for grassland heavy cities and cottage them up, but remember to have at least a 2-3 production cities (probably try to keep 50% production cities as you expand).
Once you have libraries online max the science slider and run science specialists as needed to get alphabet and currency. Emporer+ may change this tech order, but you can adapt to that when you get there.
Alphabet lets you build research, which is good early filler when you don't want to make anything in your cities. Currency lets you build wealth in your cities, and comes right after alphabet. Either one should help you tech through any crash. Wealth is good to build in some cities to run the science slider higher and i usually rotate a couple cities building wealth for a long time after the first crash.
I think i am at 10 techs
Trade bait is usually next (Aesthetics+Literature), trade for Iron Working and religious techs, then research Code of Law -> Civil Service, and Happy resource techs.
Normal speed map:
Start game -> Ctr R and Look at resources
99% of the time have faith in the game and settle in place
I don't go for early wonders, so my tech path does not try to unlock them and build them.
If coastal start with 1+ ocean resource and fishing as starting tech build work boat.
Otherwise start worker, should have 12-15 turns to research something for him to do.
Ideally start with a farm resource and research agriculture.
I would probably give priority to the highest food resource in the capital. Usually it is agriculture, but animal husbandry and hunting can have good food specials.
If we can't get to that before the worker finishes, consider mining if there is a bare hill. If we can't reach any techs that let us improve a tile build a warrior instead of a worker first and b-line bronze working or animal husbandry.
After getting 1 resource tech i can bring online with the first worker. I usually get bronze working. Build warriors to 3 pop and improve 3 tiles (prefer resources then mines) with first worker and make a couple settlers. Chop if i feel like it. Usually switch to slavery after the second settler.
Food Techs: Agriculture, Fishing, Animal Husbandry, Hunting
So we have:
Food 1 (Highest Food Resource at capital) -> Bronze Working -> Food 2 (Animal Husbandry, reveal horses) -> Wheel (start hooking up resources/cities) -> Get any other techs for available food resources -> Mysticism (sometimes early sometime late, depends on if i need border pops early for fewer stronger cities)
If no military resources came up roll the dice again and try Iron Working. Also may get it early if there is a lot of jungle.
Second city should be up by the first or second miscellaneous food tech. Add a worker or two to the empire. Continue to expand (Normal map 6 cities minimum, 10 is plenty). My rule of thumb is Expand until the economy is in bad shape. If you can't expand build military units until the economy is in bad shape and then attack a non protective neighbor. On a normal map you want at least 6 good cities (minimum for national wonders). Ideally you will want a neighbor or two's capital to specialize a couple super cities.
On the way to the crash Tech:
Pottery (Granary/Cottages) -> Writing (Stop research and build libraries)
Stop research to build up some cash and to later run science at 100% through libraries. The crash is usually starting when libraries are finishing. Cottages can be build anytime after they are unlocked. I don't like them much, but prioritize getting them up and worked in your capital's riverside grassland tiles. If you want to become a cottage spammer, look for grassland heavy cities and cottage them up, but remember to have at least a 2-3 production cities (probably try to keep 50% production cities as you expand).
Once you have libraries online max the science slider and run science specialists as needed to get alphabet and currency. Emporer+ may change this tech order, but you can adapt to that when you get there.
Alphabet lets you build research, which is good early filler when you don't want to make anything in your cities. Currency lets you build wealth in your cities, and comes right after alphabet. Either one should help you tech through any crash. Wealth is good to build in some cities to run the science slider higher and i usually rotate a couple cities building wealth for a long time after the first crash.
I think i am at 10 techs
Trade bait is usually next (Aesthetics+Literature), trade for Iron Working and religious techs, then research Code of Law -> Civil Service, and Happy resource techs.
One approach is to beeline to alphabet (after food tec, & wheel to hook it up), being the first to aphabet allows you to trade for the rest and backfill. on lower levels you can fit other tecs in and still be first to aphabet, on higher levels you need to skip a lot.
other option if marble is in BFC and you have Mysticism, (this doesnt work on diety, and rarely works on immortal but works on lower levels) is to go for an oricle slingshot:
starting with Myst
-meditation/polytheism for a religion first
-Food tec in BFC
-mining
-wheel
-masonry for double production oricle
-Priesthood (you have made a settler or two, now turn capital into oricle powerhouse with the double production, mines etc)
-writing
-COL(if you have time)
if this all works out with the timing and you get COL before oricle is finished, and oricle is finished before the AI, then you can pick up a huge tec of civil service with the oricle. otherwise you have to settle for COL. COL is a very important tec for the courthouses which are essential before furthur expansion.
-now get alphabet, and sell off COL for all the tecs you missed.
now civil service doesnt help the initial game that much, but picking it up with oricle at the start saves a lot of research, after backfilling (hopefully picking up tecs like BW, IW, MC), then you can follow onto machienery, and bam you have really early macemen, perfect for oblitherating opponents.
follow this off with trading for mathematics, and researching construction and you'll have a very early cat+mace army. the result is fast expansion.
this is all about timing, and if the AI beats you to oricle then you're prety much screwed. unfortunatly this trick only works on the lower levels, the AI gets a too huge advantage on immortal/diety making it impossible to pull off.
other option if marble is in BFC and you have Mysticism, (this doesnt work on diety, and rarely works on immortal but works on lower levels) is to go for an oricle slingshot:
starting with Myst
-meditation/polytheism for a religion first
-Food tec in BFC
-mining
-wheel
-masonry for double production oricle
-Priesthood (you have made a settler or two, now turn capital into oricle powerhouse with the double production, mines etc)
-writing
-COL(if you have time)
if this all works out with the timing and you get COL before oricle is finished, and oricle is finished before the AI, then you can pick up a huge tec of civil service with the oricle. otherwise you have to settle for COL. COL is a very important tec for the courthouses which are essential before furthur expansion.
-now get alphabet, and sell off COL for all the tecs you missed.
now civil service doesnt help the initial game that much, but picking it up with oricle at the start saves a lot of research, after backfilling (hopefully picking up tecs like BW, IW, MC), then you can follow onto machienery, and bam you have really early macemen, perfect for oblitherating opponents.
follow this off with trading for mathematics, and researching construction and you'll have a very early cat+mace army. the result is fast expansion.
this is all about timing, and if the AI beats you to oricle then you're prety much screwed. unfortunatly this trick only works on the lower levels, the AI gets a too huge advantage on immortal/diety making it impossible to pull off.
Maestro_Innit
Warlord
Wow - I can't belive how many have actually provided lists.
It's completely different for each game!
Totally dependant on your BFC, Starting Techs, Unique unit/Building and any overall plan for the game (like a beeline for example)
It's completely different for each game!
Totally dependant on your BFC, Starting Techs, Unique unit/Building and any overall plan for the game (like a beeline for example)Continental Op
Warlord
- Joined
- Dec 19, 2008
- Messages
- 242
It depends on the map and the leader, but generally I go for these:
1,2 and/or 3: Food techs (land only)
2: Mining
3: Bronze working
4: Mysticism (unless I'm creative)
5: Hunting (unless I already have it by now, usually I do)
6: Archery
7: Wheel
8: Pottery
9: Masonry
10: Writing (over 50% of the time)
After that it gets more and more situational.
1,2 and/or 3: Food techs (land only)
2: Mining
3: Bronze working
4: Mysticism (unless I'm creative)
5: Hunting (unless I already have it by now, usually I do)
6: Archery
7: Wheel
8: Pottery
9: Masonry
10: Writing (over 50% of the time)
After that it gets more and more situational.
As others have stated, it depends.
Usually, I want to get a food resource improved as quickly as possible. So that gives high priority to Agriculture or Animal Husbandry or Fishing. Just one of those, not all three yet. I want my capitol growing as quickly as possible. Ideally, I have pigs at my capitol so Animal Husbandry will reveal horses.
With the capitol growing, I want to start using that growth as production; therefore, I need to switch to Slavery. Mining - Bronze Working are important at this point.
Do I have copper nearby? Yes, research Wheel to hook it up. No, do I have horses nearby? Yes, let's get to work on Horseback Riding. No, let's hope there is some iron around; therefore, work on Iron Working.
At this point, with around five techs researched, you are set up decently for growth, production, and military. As you start to build cities #2 and #3, the resources near them might drive the next couple techs.
Usually, I want to get a food resource improved as quickly as possible. So that gives high priority to Agriculture or Animal Husbandry or Fishing. Just one of those, not all three yet. I want my capitol growing as quickly as possible. Ideally, I have pigs at my capitol so Animal Husbandry will reveal horses.
With the capitol growing, I want to start using that growth as production; therefore, I need to switch to Slavery. Mining - Bronze Working are important at this point.
Do I have copper nearby? Yes, research Wheel to hook it up. No, do I have horses nearby? Yes, let's get to work on Horseback Riding. No, let's hope there is some iron around; therefore, work on Iron Working.
At this point, with around five techs researched, you are set up decently for growth, production, and military. As you start to build cities #2 and #3, the resources near them might drive the next couple techs.
The fact that you ask the question of what are the first 10 techs to research, shows that you have a basic lack of an understanding of the game.
There is no right or wrong tech paths. All games are different. There are so many factors - map, enemy(s), barbiarns, civilization, traits etc.
You need to pick techs based on your current situation. Like, if I'm Persia or Eygpt, I'll research Animal Husbandary ASAP to find where the horses are for an eary rush.
The way to be good at Civ4 (which I'm still working on
), is to know what to do and when. Knowing what techs to choose, improvements to build, wonders to build, cities to found, when to trade etc.
There is no right or wrong tech paths. All games are different. There are so many factors - map, enemy(s), barbiarns, civilization, traits etc.
You need to pick techs based on your current situation. Like, if I'm Persia or Eygpt, I'll research Animal Husbandary ASAP to find where the horses are for an eary rush.
The way to be good at Civ4 (which I'm still working on
), is to know what to do and when. Knowing what techs to choose, improvements to build, wonders to build, cities to found, when to trade etc.
