Masonry Bypass

[wdepner]

Hi Everybody,

Several articles and posts have mentioned the masonary bypass, with most comments running against researching masonry early in the game, unless one goes for the Pyramids. Why? How does not researching masonry impact GP points?

Cheers,

Wolf

 

[Silence101]

Masonry is just not as high a priority as most early techs in most cases. Of course, if you've got a wonder addiction with stone/marble nearby, want the pyrimids, or want Judaism, it's going to be more of a priority. But, if that isn't the case, you won't really be giving anything up by postponing it until after alphabet and back-trading for it.

 

[Levgre]

I've gone until liberalism and further without getting it...

 

[eewallace]

I almost always skip by it on the way to bronze, unless I actually have stone or marble in my starting city. And it is easy to pick up in trade along the way anyway.

 

[madscientist]

I've gone until liberalism and further without getting it...

What, you don't like catapults?

 

[JujuLautre]

Hi Everybody,

Several articles and posts have mentioned the masonary bypass, with most comments running against researching masonry early in the game, unless one goes for the Pyramids. Why? How does not researching masonry impact GP points?

I think they refer to something which was available a long time ago (warlords changed it I think). Before that, it was possible to bulb Civil service with a great prophet, provided that you bypassed masonry.

So they changed that, and now, it does not apply anymore

 

[oyzar]

In vanilla you can lightbulb CS with a great prophet(after getting it from the oracle that got you col for example). after you research poly/med but not masonery(which gives monotheism. In warlords and bts a great prophet would instead bulb masonery first though.

 

[Quechua]

I always thought the game would be better with Masonry enabling slavery instead of BW, and the Pyramids moved to Monotheism.

 

[Levgre]

What, you don't like catapults?

Not necessary if you don't fight... I just build up my macemen, x-bowmen, etc., since that is the bulk of the cost for an army(since they are more expensive). If I see a threat looming I'll build a complementary catty force quick.

But since I usually make sure I have macemen and such when other people have axemen, I sometimes don't even need the catties.

 

[King of Town]

I think he was asking because I think you need masonry to get construction right? I dunno why I am thinking that, but I'm pretty sure.

 

[TylerD]

I always thought the game would be better with Masonry enabling slavery instead of BW, and the Pyramids moved to Monotheism.

I like that idea, would make research paths more interesting for sure.

 

[Swedishguy]

Construction requires Masonry. Catapults require Construction. Catapults require Masonry.

Good reason for researching it, eh?

 

[Diamondeye]

Construction requires Masonry. Catapults require Construction. Catapults require Masonry.

Good reason for researching it, eh?

You COULD put it that way...

 

[oyzar]

Not necessary if you don't fight... I just build up my macemen, x-bowmen, etc., since that is the bulk of the cost for an army(since they are more expensive). If I see a threat looming I'll build a complementary catty force quick.

But since I usually make sure I have macemen and such when other people have axemen, I sometimes don't even need the catties.

So basically you only play at difficulty levels where the AI is at an sever disadvantage?

 

[kcmarkwell]

I play multiplayer a good bit and with a new strategy I am implementing, masonry is a must for the walls.

Archers on hills in cities with walls = invincible until cats

 

[Swedishguy]

You COULD put it that way...

Yeah, I could. Wait a minute you used those eyes! You're being sarcastic! What's wrong?

And here's a little payback.

 

[madscientist]

Yes, that is what I meant Masonry is required for construction. Seams silly to avoid the nukes of the ancient world for a tech that is very cheap at the time of liberlism.

SO my question what lightbulbing path is opened up without masonry????

 

[oyzar]

it isn't anymore but it was previously... and it isn't until lib you have to wait, just until Cs. and since math didn't require cs and you were bulbing cswith a great prophet(potentially gotten from oracle that got col), you didn't actually have to delay construction much at all. What it did lead to was pretty quick maces or just fast bureaucracy + irrigation.

 

[Silence101]

I always thought the game would be better with Masonry enabling slavery instead of BW, and the Pyramids moved to Monotheism.

I modded something like this - it was from an idea that I got on these forums, I added a tech called Slavery which enables the Slavery civic and allows the pyrimids. It requires both BW and Masonry. I like it a lot more this way.

 

[Levgre]

So basically you only play at difficulty levels where the AI is at an sever disadvantage?

nah, I haven't played higher than Monarch but on Monarch skipping catties and just using axemen/spearmen/macemen/x-bowmen was sufficient.

Really, the AI rarely attacks if your power rating is high enough, which doesnt depend on which types of units you have.