Good idea? Probably not?
- Thread starter axehaxe
- Start date
eldar
ChiefTank
Mayans? Of course, you get a 300-shield, cascade-proof pre-build right off the bat (Palace). In fact the key to hooking the GLib on DG+ is getting an early pre-build going, so in fact Masonry is the key tech, not Alpha.
Alpha->Writing->Philo->Free Lit is doable on Deity. Or just plain Alpha->Writing->Lit if you're worried.
Masonry is a good trade tech so you can probably swing Alpha from someone soon enough.
Alpha->Writing->Philo->Free Lit is doable on Deity. Or just plain Alpha->Writing->Lit if you're worried.
Masonry is a good trade tech so you can probably swing Alpha from someone soon enough.
civverguy
Emperor
Its possible but its harder to do.
I would be amazed if I could pull that off! I found on deity, the AI tech trade rate is SO ridiculously fast that not only is it about 90% impossible to get to philosophy first, to beat them to literature, I need to start out with alphabet and trade for masonry - precisely the other way around instead. Thats why if I'm going for the GL I pick the Greeks but the HUGE disadvantage to being Greeks or Dutch for this purpose is that it hurts early expansion. I have a feeling the same thing can happen if I'm playing as the Mayans and Mayans are all about early expansion!
Bartleby
Remembers laughter
If any of the AI start with alphabet, you can probably forget it. I've played a bunch of starts on Large Pangaea maps recently and I found I was usually first to Alphabet, but regularly beaten to Writing. I was still able to get Philosophy first quite a lot of the time though. I've noticed that certain AI's have a tendency to prioritise philo; to me it seems that of the no-alpha AI, Japan and the Aztecs are not unlikely to research philo after Writing.
Othniel
fighting for Achsah
I think it's very possible for the reasons eldar mentioned.
For instance...
My current solo game is a Standard Deity Pangea map as Persians with 7 other science civs. BTW, the goal is my first SS victory at the Deity level.
The Persians start out with Masonry and BW, so my research went to Alpha to begin with. Of course, that means I don't have Alpha from the start...
The tech pace has been absurd with almost all civs into the Middle Ages by 1400BC. I was beaten to Writing by 4 turns, IIRC, and Philo by 3, which kinda stunk. However, I was still able to buy those techs that same turn they were researched and then trade around for tech parity.
Anyhow. it's 1000BC at the current moment and Lit has still not been researched. I don't anticipate the AI researching it either, as they typically don't once they've gotten into the MA.
I have a 300 shield Palace pre-build timed with a slow burn to Lit. Now, I haven't built the GLib yet. It's due in about 20 turns, so there's always the possibility I could be nicked at the wire.
Even if this doesn't work out, I've read of many games where people have built the GLib on Deity or Sid, often for the purpose of using the old GLib elevator trick. So yes, it's very, very possible.
For instance...
My current solo game is a Standard Deity Pangea map as Persians with 7 other science civs. BTW, the goal is my first SS victory at the Deity level.
The Persians start out with Masonry and BW, so my research went to Alpha to begin with. Of course, that means I don't have Alpha from the start...
The tech pace has been absurd with almost all civs into the Middle Ages by 1400BC. I was beaten to Writing by 4 turns, IIRC, and Philo by 3, which kinda stunk. However, I was still able to buy those techs that same turn they were researched and then trade around for tech parity.
Anyhow. it's 1000BC at the current moment and Lit has still not been researched. I don't anticipate the AI researching it either, as they typically don't once they've gotten into the MA.
I have a 300 shield Palace pre-build timed with a slow burn to Lit. Now, I haven't built the GLib yet. It's due in about 20 turns, so there's always the possibility I could be nicked at the wire.
Even if this doesn't work out, I've read of many games where people have built the GLib on Deity or Sid, often for the purpose of using the old GLib elevator trick. So yes, it's very, very possible.
Just to add to Othniel's post, I remember playing a Sid game where I did a single scientist research on literature. Just before I got it, my rivals still hadn't researched that tech but were all building Copers so I knew that I was free to build the GLib at my leisure, as they were 'beyond' Education and so couldn't build or switch to it by then. If I'd rushed to lit I may have well lost out to another civ with their obscene benefits. 
AutomatedTeller
Frequent poster
Why try for philo and get lit? Why not just go alpha/writing/literature? Philo and Lit are the same, I think.
Othniel
fighting for Achsah
I agree. If the GLib is objective numero uno, then researching Lit from the get go--perhaps coupled with an even earlier pre-build--would be best.
In my game, I was hoping for a quick monarchy slingshot to improve my immortal GA, and nearly got it...unfortunately the Germans went for philo ASAP after writing...
Bartleby
Remembers laughter
I thought philo is cheaper than lit, but I might be wrong. If you can be first to philosophy, it's an extra SGL chance which might get you the Lib a bit quicker, or maybe even the pyramids.
It is. (40% cheaper.) I guess the only danger is that Phil is more likely to be researched than Lit and so if you are not first to Phil, you'll have to research Lit anyway.
Othniel
fighting for Achsah
True on the philo costs. I'm gonna reverse what I said in my post above after just a little more thought (thinking before typing is just as good of an idea as thinking before speaking 
) ...
I've always gone for philo first if there's any chance that it hasn't been researched yet. I think that's the correct choice because the benefits (free tech) most often outweigh the benefits of Lit earlier (getting access to GLib/Libs faster isn't usually vital, keeping in mind a proper GLib pre-build).
Also, all is not lost if Lit must be self-researched. In my recent game, even though I was beat to Philo, I just bought it off the AI and then traded Philo around for tech parity and gp. Occasionally it can have decent value even without the free tech, although I've had more than a few games where it was worthless as trade bait...
) ...I've always gone for philo first if there's any chance that it hasn't been researched yet. I think that's the correct choice because the benefits (free tech) most often outweigh the benefits of Lit earlier (getting access to GLib/Libs faster isn't usually vital, keeping in mind a proper GLib pre-build).
Also, all is not lost if Lit must be self-researched. In my recent game, even though I was beat to Philo, I just bought it off the AI and then traded Philo around for tech parity and gp. Occasionally it can have decent value even without the free tech, although I've had more than a few games where it was worthless as trade bait...
TruePurple
Civ wanna B
- Joined
- May 18, 2005
- Messages
- 1,367
But waiting to get pottery can sometimes be a real stinker. If you can manage to trade for it your alright of course. But lacking it can notably slow you down early game.
