Liberalism Tech Question

[Bloodstone]

Out of the handful of games I have ventured into at the Prince level (just moved up thanks to you great folks here! ) I'm finally in a good Tech position to make a run at Liberalism. I've got a good CE running with a strong GP farm so I will have a GS to get me part of the way there and should polish off the rest before anybody else.

My main question is at this level what is the best Tech to grab if I win the Lib race? I'm playing Ottomans, on a continents map. Got 6 other Civs around me, and should have another 7-9 on the other continent(s). I have a decent sized military, and can look to a Janissary Rush of some kind (Sitting Bull, I'm coming for you!), but I wanted to get opinions on the best Tech to grab. Looking to a Domination or Space win. Thanks for any input.

 

[krikav]

There are many good choices when you win the liberalism race.

Nationhood is usually a good alternative, due to high beaker value. This makes a excellent trade-bait.

However, if you don't have good trading partners, or if some/many of them have allready researched Nationhood, it loses some of it's lusture.

If you are playing with ottomans, and you are considering drafting janisarys, well nationhood is a splendid choice!

In most cases, nationhood is what I choose as well.

Best thing I have ever gotten from liberalism is Steel, but that is probably highly situational.
I have taken astronomy at times.

Economy might be a good idea, since you can get a great merchant there. However the AIs seem to be very quick to get economy in my games...

 

[Unconventional]

Do you have Jannisaries already? Are there any other civ that has both Edu and Philosophy? If you are the only one with capability to reach Liberalism and you have gunpowder in hand, I would recommend you to postpone liberalism a bit to get Steel for free. Research Chemistry then get Steel with Liberalism cause Cannons&Janissaries would do a great Job. But be careful, if you see another civ getting prerequsities of Liberalism, then hit Liberalism ASAP. Or you can simply get Nationalism with Liberalism. Then get Drama and build 6 theatres and build Globe Theatre in a food-rich city. Switch to Nationhood and Draft Janissaries en masse in your Globe Theatre city.

P.S: In some of my games at monarch, I was able to postpone Liberalism until I could get Rifling with it. So you may be able to wait until you can get some useful tech with Liberalism.

 

[Archon_Wing]

If in a pinch, and somehow I have sucked, Nationalism is fast and easy. Nationhood is cool, so is the Taj Mahal, and drafting a musket UU is not really a problem.

Usually, if I have any decent tech rate, I like to self tech Nationalism and grab music for Military Tradition for a Cur war. Constitution is an easy grab.

On islands, Astronomy is the natural choice as it provides a big advantage.

On maps like continents, so I'm a bit wary that someone else unknown has closed up to lib, so I usually grab Lib quicker than say Pangea. Usually the speed of wonders and religion being taken serves as a good measuring stick, but I'm usually still worried. But lib rarely goes before 1200 on monarch, unless there's a leader that sports Lib (Lizzy, Wilem, Asoka, Darius)

 

[Bloodstone]

I never really thought to much about Nationalism as I viewed it as able to be quickly picked up, or to be traded for if needed. Steel is a very interesting idea, though Astronomy for the circumnavigation bonus is pretty attractive, it also allows me to meet the other Civs on the other continents and see about opening lucrative trade relations.

Thanks for all the input, it's greatly appreciated.

 

[strijder20]

Best thing I have ever gotten from liberalism is Steel, but that is probably highly situational.

In my current Rome game I libbed steel.
Cannons with Praetorians... Well, it's something different, isn't it?

 

[CaF]

Post some screen shots of the tech screen and the land. Without that info I would go for some sort of military tech to take over the continent. The quickest should be Nationalism -> Lib Military Tradition (requires Music) and go for Cuirs.

 

[Archon_Wing]

I never really thought to much about Nationalism as I viewed it as able to be quickly picked up, or to be traded for if needed. Steel is a very interesting idea, though Astronomy for the circumnavigation bonus is pretty attractive, it also allows me to meet the other Civs on the other continents and see about opening lucrative trade relations.

Thanks for all the input, it's greatly appreciated.

The biggest advantages of libbing Nationalism over trading is that you can get the first and exclusive advantage over the Taj Mahal which means you're guaranteed a golden age, especially if you have marble. It's also always available and sometimes getting an advantage faster is better than holding it off. You also get to decide when to trade it.

There's nothing wrong with self-teching nationalism though if you can. It leads to good techs.

Also, Economics is a choice I sometimes mess with, because the AI loves that tech a lot and beating them to it gets me a GM.

The best tech I've taken myself is communism. Works great after a mass conquest.

 

[civvver]

I've taken assembly line with liberalism before. Guess I was playing a bit below my level.

Nationalism is the default. Astronomy is good because it has very high cost and it's very useful too.

Another thing I do, and you can call this cheating if you like but I really don't care, I tech liberalism to within one turn of research. Then I save each turn. When I have the prereqs for the tech I want I finish off liberalism. If someone techs it before me just back up a couple saves and beat them to it and pick the best tech available.

 

[JulesDogg]

I never really thought to much about Nationalism as I viewed it as able to be quickly picked up, or to be traded for if needed. Steel is a very interesting idea, though Astronomy for the circumnavigation bonus is pretty attractive, it also allows me to meet the other Civs on the other continents and see about opening lucrative trade relations.

Thanks for all the input, it's greatly appreciated.

I almost always grab Nationalism, I used to get Steel, Astro or Economics. Often it is good to realise a benefit immediately and build on that rather than delaying the bonus. If I have a huge tech lead, enough to hold off Lib (with 1 turn remaining) so I can take Steel I know that the game is too easy and it's time to move up a notch. If it's a challenging game there isn't enough of a tech lead to backfill all those missing for Steel.

Lib --> Nationalism --> Taj / tech trade ---> FTW

 

[GGracchus]

Depends on how close the AI's are to liberalism. If I can grab something nice(Democracy, Steel, Biology, even Military Tradition), then I go for it. If they already have education I take whatever I can get. This usually is nationalism. If you can get MT, then go for it. I personally use cuirassiers/cavalry over rifles/cannons more.

 

[mtr12]

Nationalism if nothing else, or if you have a high-food Globe City, or are going Culture and need Hermitage.

Printing Press if there's a lot of Cottages.

Military Tradition if you're going to war.

Astronomy if isolated.

 

[Bloodstone]

Nationalism if nothing else, or if you have a high-food Globe City, or are going Culture and need Hermitage.

Printing Press if there's a lot of Cottages.

Military Tradition if you're going to war.

Astronomy if isolated.

Thank you everyone, I have definitley gotten a good education out of this thread. Lots of different ways to see about pursuing it, not just my current game. Appreciate all the help.

 

[capnvonbaron]

I occasionally grab rifling from Lib on epic/marathon as high as monarch difficulty. Super-awesome if you're English, or have a ton of high-ranked maces to upgrade. Works best if you don't have any Lib-pushing opponents (Liz, Willem, Mansa, Ghandi are the worst) unless you have them subjugated and can force them to research other things... Or just outright kill them. Research up to Lib, backfill/research towards Econ, grab Econ and use the GM to bulb Printing Press. Then RepParts -> Lib -> rifling. Then its -time!

 

[MarigoldRan]

I've libbed Plastics before at Emperor.

 

[ahcos]

It's rather simple: take the highest-beaker-value-tech that you need for your pursued Victory Condition. It makes no sense to take Communism from Lib if you could take Mil. Trad. way earlier and start conquering the world. Usually you'd also want to take a tech no one has by then, so you have a better trade bait, but frankly speaking it makes no sense to take e.g. Constitution instead of Mil. Trad. just because someone else already researched the latter when you want to go to war.

 

[GenerallyGreat]

Almost always MT. I've become too addicted to 2 movement war.

 

[Zx Zero Zx]

At Prince always get Steel and win with your random trash city taking units and cannons.