For you, what would be the most important technology in the game?

[Izuul]

The handicap would only be severe in the earlier stages of the game, so creating a cramped land grab map and/or limiting long-term commerce potential to push players in the direction of an earlier breakout war would be necessary for a good challenge. If you could leisurely expand slow-building settlers, and tech your way to strong workshops, it obviously wouldn't be much a challenge.

 

[drewisfat]

Though not ideal you can rush elepult/HA/swords most of the time just through chops, assuming you have forests.
And if you have enough land or strong commerce you can just wait until workshops/drafting as was mentioned.

My last two victories on deity quick were completely whip free

I wonder what this topic is about. Oh Best techs. How could currency win it has pre reqs. Mining the best!

 

[JustBen]

Liberalism. The shadow it casts reaches back to Civil Service at least, to Aesthetics quite often, and sometimes it even touches the Oracle. You can turn the game on a war with HBR, Construction, Knights, Cuirs, Rifles, or not at all -- but which you choose is influenced by when or whether you intend to hit the Lib slingshot.

This is a completely wrong answer to your question of course. Games are not literally won by hitting Liberalism, but it is the most important single piece in a tech path even when you play to not get it.

 

[UnforcedError]

For you, what would be the most important technology in the game?

Pottery. And a civ that starts with Mining. Thanks.

I assume, nukes would be hard to build at the start of a game, wouldn't they?

 

[Tall German Joe]

if you value pottery the most, wouldn't you want a civ that starts with agriculture and the wheel? (those also happen to be the two most expensive starting techs)

 

[UnforcedError]

if you value pottery the most, wouldn't you want a civ that starts with agriculture and the wheel? (those also happen to be the two most expensive starting techs)

I value Pottery and BW the most. But an instant Pottery is useful on 100% of the maps, one way or the other, while an instant BW is only useful on 99.99% of the maps. If I could get a free tech to start with.

 

[Choggy]

Bronze Working (unless you want to play an OCC whether you chose the option or not...)

 

[Tall German Joe]

I value Pottery and BW the most. But an instant Pottery is useful on 100% of the maps, one way or the other, while an instant BW is only useful on 99.99% of the maps. If I could get a free tech to start with.

but that's why I'm asking why you prefer a civ that starts with mining..??

 

[UnforcedError]

but that's why I'm asking why you prefer a civ that starts with mining..??

Because the original question was about one tech and not two techs?

 

[Robert Mokler]

Unless it's a Pangea map I always like to start a big ol' war of colonial conquest at the rifleman erra, so I'm going to go with Astronomy for the ultimate tech.



The first human who hurled an insult instead of a stone was the founder of civilization. - Sigmund Freud

 

[Manco Capac]

I understand the position of BW being the most powerful tech, but, unless being Brennus.Quigley, who will delay that cheap tech. Most of the time, you'll end up with that one pretty fast.

 

[RJM]

Bronze Working (unless you want to play an OCC whether you chose the option or not...)

I agree - it allows chopping, enables the slavery civic and lets you see copper. Currency and Alphabet are good, but an early game without slavery and chopping would be virtually impossible.

 

[AbsoluteZero]

I'm pretty sure writing is the most crucial tech. Open borders, scientists, +25% research, culture, opens up a bunch of other key techs.

 

[shakabrade]

The most useful: BW for everything it provides

The most critical: Writing.

If you overexpand early without Writing (axe rush, even HA rush), you can get into position of no return. If you have Writing, you open trade routes (money) plus you can run scientists for researching Alpha, then Maths and Currency (voila! you are back to the living), or you can bulb Alpha and research Maths and Currency (voila!).

 

[TheMeInTeam]

I assume, nukes would be hard to build at the start of a game, wouldn't they?

We make sacrifices for our precious. Don't be so selfish. It's amazing how everyone else in this thread can't see the obvious greatness. Writing? BW? BAH. You want your words backed by nuclear weapons ! Protect your own troops! Don't just carry a big, carry payloads that can turn the world into smoldering ash on a whim.

 

[rah]

Whichever food tech I need for my workers in my first few cities.
Playing with no tech trading on, Alpha can wait till after lib.

 

[Robert FIN]

Hmm, many of you rated Currency to top tier. Are you telling that Currency slingshot is always better than CoL slingshot for example?

 

[UnforcedError]

Hmm, many of you rated Currency to top tier. Are you telling that Currency slingshot is always better than CoL slingshot for example?

Oracling CoL is much easier than oracling Currency as CoL doesn't require Math. Sure, if you have the starting commerce and production you might be tempted to go for a more lucrative Oracle target, but this is always a risky business on the highest levels.

 

[Fippy]

Playing with no tech trading on, Alpha can wait till after lib.

Actually nope, you block out your whole GS bulbing path without Alpha

 

[TheMeInTeam]

Actually nope, you block out your whole GS bulbing path without Alpha

Assuming you're going that route, of course.

With NTT you could make a strong argument that spies are far and away the best great people unless you disable them. A case can be made for merchants after getting an academy, too, allowing you to quickly hit medieval techs. It also matters, significantly, whether you're playing humans or AI. For example AI will never counter-espionage mission you, any sensible human would do that ASAP if they noticed a significant variance in espionage #'s or especially "great spy was born near me".

but this is always a risky business on the highest levels.

Oracle itself is always a risky business on the highest levels. You can mitigate that risk with pre-chops and not committing to the techs until the last moment, but there's always a material degree of risk. It's strong enough to be worth it on occasion, however.