How to get to Monarchy quickest?

[Optional]

Mostly in my games I've gone for Republic asap, but I like to vary sometimes, and I want to give Monarchy a shot. But I'm struggling to find the best way to get there.
I'm playing Demigod, and I've tried the direct route, lower tech branch, researching everything on max, but I believe Polytheism still took me nearly 50 turns, longer than I had thought, and the AI beat me to it by quite a margin. It's quite a popular tech route for the AI, so doing this can damage my trade options.
And I believe I've read somewhere some people are trying the same route as you would do with the Republic slingshot, trying to trade for Polytheism while researching Philosophy, so that Monarchy would be available as their freeby tech. But can you pull that off on Demigod? It seems quite difficult to me.

So what's the best way to get to Monarchy? Or is it a stupid idea to begin with?

 

[timerover51]

My preferred form of government is Monarchy, but I am not playing at the level you are. Aside from varying your research tree to get Polytheism as your free tech, and then going to Monarchy, not sure what else you might be able to do.

 

[Mursi lives]

Trading for poly while researching philo may be difficult, but trading for poly when you got philo and before picking the free tech should be easy: Philo will be monopoly tech. Trade it for say CoL with an AI civ, then trade both techs for poly with another civ.

 

[Optional]

Ah, Thanks Mursi! That at least teaches me something: I didn't know you count enter diplomacy after getting Philosophy but before picking your free tech. Will try next time!

 

[Aabraxan]

I've never used Philo to get to a Monarchy slingshot & don't play DG, but I may be able to help a little with the mechanics of getting there:

When you get Philosophy, you'll get the popup for choosing the next tech or seeing the Big Picture. Go to the Big Picture. From the Tech Big Picture (the F6 screen), click on the foreign advisor to go to the F4 screen. From there, you can go into diplo, make all the trades you need and get back to the F4 screen. Then go directly back to the tech tree & pick your freebie tech.

 

[Bartleby]

I've used the Monarchy slingshot a few times at DG and Deity (on low levels I can manage warfare in Republic; not so on higher levels). One thing that helps a lot is to have the Ottomans as one of your opponents. They have an insane urge to research towards Monarchy and you stand a very good chance of getting Polytheism from them.
I also usually trade from the "big picture" after researching Philosophy.

 

[Optional]

Helpful answer's! Especially Aabraxan going into a bit more detail on how to technically manage the diplomacy bit was clarifying. Double clicking the heads on the foreign advisor screen indeed brings up the diplomacy window, that was new to me.

I remain with some sceptisism about the technique of trading Philosophy. In my games the AI always gets Philosophy before Code of Laws, which means trading Philo for Code of Laws is not possible. With Polytheism I'm not too sure (about whether they usually get it before or after Philosophy).
What Bartleby is saying about the Ottomans I've noticed about the Arabs: very hung up on the Mysticism-Polytheism-Monarchy route.
It might still be handy to be religious for this Monarchy slingshot to work. Researching Mysticism straight away, and trade it around. That would probably put quite a few civs on the Polytheism track. Go yourself to Philosophy. It looks you would have a headstart if you were India or Spain: starting with Alphabet and Ceremonial Burial. Hmm, just thinking about what would work best here.

 

[Mursi lives]

I remain with some sceptisism about the technique of trading Philosophy. In my games the AI always gets Philosophy before Code of Laws, which means trading Philo for Code of Laws is not possible.

I almost always use that trick to get republic ASAP at DG/deity level and it works! When I get philo, some AI civs already got Col and none researched philo. All you have to do is to get as many contacts as possible.
Dont worry about cermonial burial/mysticism, it is very easy to trade for them. It is still a good idea to be religious, because you may want to switch from monarchy to another government later. I suggest Egypt: build plenty of those cheap chariots and monarchy will work.

 

[Ansar]

I've used the Monarchy slingshot a few times at DG and Deity (on low levels I can manage warfare in Republic; not so on higher levels). One thing that helps a lot is to have the Ottomans as one of your opponents. They have an insane urge to research towards Monarchy and you stand a very good chance of getting Polytheism from them.
I also usually trade from the "big picture" after researching Philosophy.

I tend to notice that too.

Some other civs do that too, but only sometimes.

 

[soujourner]

I am toying with a similar scenario, how can I get to the monarchy level the quickest without overcommiting....I will be checking back on this one frequently....

 

[AutomatedTeller]

generally, if you can be the first to writing, you can (usually) get philo first on demigod or deity, cause the AI will (usually) prioritize Map Making higher.

But not always. The philo slingshot above emperor is almost always a gambit if you don't start with alphabet. The AI will take a long time to research alphabet if they don't start with it, and will usually prioritize IW, HBR, Mysticism, Poly, and sometimes math before writing, but they research must faster than you.

 

[lordmacroer]

There is always the pointy stick research option. Almost kill a nation that already has monarchy, make peace with them for their polytheism. Take the rest of their citys exept for 1, then make peace again for monarchy. Maybe not the greatest idea as it would take a rather long time and would spoil your relationship with the other nations, but it is worth a shot if all els fails.