Getting that first tech fast - How

[John Corbin]

I play on a huge map, warlord, everything else is default

When I start I usuallly want to get Budahism first so I build my first city at the very place I start at and get my warrior out exploring.

Question:

Is there anything I can do ensure I discover Mystricsm then Meditation faster than other civs ?

 

[King Flevance]

Well, if you need both Mysticism AND Meditation, more than likely you wont get it. You may try turning on random personalities, as I have seen Hinduism and Judaism founded before Buddhism sometimes on that setting. the coast is your best friend for early techs. (the first 1-2) 1 food and 2 gold with fishing means you can support a city of 2 and pull in 5 gold per turn at 100% research but it will only take it from 20 turns to like 17. But it is an edge no less. A lake is good for 2 food and 2 gold, so you can support a city of 3 for a total of 7 gold per turn. But without fishing tech, you can't utilize this. I usually go for fishing first if I dont start with it and am by alot of coast. But I don't go for Buddhism that often.

 

[Rex Tyrannus]

If you play huge, you have all 18 civs on the map. That means that you have a whole bunch of civs who start with Mysticism already. They only need to research one tech, while you research two. Add to that, if one of those has a good resource they can hook up early or a lake (as KF said) and it's hopeless, mostly.

Pick a civ with Mysticism (Spain is a good choice) if you want to get an early religion on a huge map.

 

[King Flevance]

Actually default on huge is 11 civs but still.

 

[Rex Tyrannus]

Actually default on huge is 11 civs but still.

Sorry, I never play above standard. I just thought huge was 18.

 

[Sohan]

Still, with 11, you probably have a couple opponents who already have mysticism. They'll get meditation before you (pretty much no matter what) and while it's possible to get polytheism, it is difficult and generally not worth it unless you start with mysticism. I've done it before, but it's much better to plan ahead in your civ choice and use one with mysticism as a beginning tech. Spain for example.

Anyways, I recommend concentrating on the tiles with lots of commerce to help research, but also keep in mind your need for food for early growth. Both growth and commerce are useful for an early boost to research. Of course, if you do that, be prepared to be behind in productivity, in building workers, in building settlers, in building up your military, etc, etc.

 

[Sisiutil]

Play as Spain (the civ that starts with Mysticism and Fishing) and build next to a lake on the very first turn. Assuming there's a lake in the first ring of the fat cross, of course. You could always regenerate until you get that start, but some might say that's cheating.

 

[Yarmoss]

One word...Oasis.

An Oasis will provide you with 3 food and 2 gold, or 3 gold if you are Financial.

Thats the only way you will beat Isabella to Budhism if you dont have Fishing and want your city to grow (using gold or gems would be the other way, but you usually wont get city groweth).

 

[King Flevance]

Yeah if you actually start by gold/gems you can have the city produce a worker first and then research mining if you don't start with it and Then go for it. But it takes time to do that. Buddhism is extremely cheap when compared even to Hinduism. 18 turns vs. 28. If you dont start with Mysticism it really isnt a safe bet and isnt worth getting IMO unless you are wanting to have meditation that early w/o founding Buddhism.

 

[winddbourne]

You definitely need to start with mysticism, and if you play isabella try for a coast, otherwise try the Indians and go for gold, silver, etc. . . If you can get some good food resources and make the first religion try getting a monastary out quickly, that will help your science output.

I've managed to get all seven religions on noble twice, both times though I had good starting locations. It's all about how fast you can research. Often I can get Hinduism and Buddism, but after that it gets really tricky, and takes a decent starting location or some major luck.

If you manage to get past hinduism, and you have to do buddism, then hinduism in a row, from turn one, to even have a chance, then you can try to either get out a library quickly, or grab a couple terrain techs and start building up your city for larger sizes.

Alternatively the Inca are pretty good at nabbing religions too, providing you can get the food resources you need to grow early, they start with Ag.

 

[Orion43]

Or luck out with a hut.

 

[winddbourne]

True, didn't put that one because the hut has a chance of attacking you, or giving you just a map, or some gold you can't really spend until you get a civic a few thousand years later, or . . . huts are risky. I try never to count on them.

Thankfully you don't NEED all the religions for anything. Nobody has put in a religious victory yet, so it's just for the money, and the prestige of saying you actually pulled it off.