Greetings one and all!
For all those builder types who are sick of getting beaten up in MP by various insane warlords, here is a little discussion on the what I have seen called the reuplic gambit. This only applies to Conquests and can be done in single player on lower difficulties but when it works in MP it is incredibly effective.
Some person or other had the strange idea of including in conquests a small detail that the first civ to research philosophy recieves a free tech. I'm sure I've read posts where this is used to grab polytheism or such other, but my argument goes: If you're getting a tech for free, why not the most expensive ancient tech? .... The grand Republic!
This is done simply by researching code of laws then philosophy, so republic is free.
Well duh, I hear you say. But from what I've seen, in MP it works a treat and hear's why.
Most players in MP go for horseback riding, iron working, construction or maybe monarchy for their early tech choices. Writing stand there like a sentinal: To the warmonger a useless, expensive tech when there a better things to be researching; To a builder going for gambit, a goldmine. Once it is researched DO NOT TRADE IT! It stands as protection for philosophy while you research code of laws. If someone has writing before you do (making contact and then lying that you have nothing is a good way to check) go straight for philosphy. You may not get republic for free but at least you'll hopefully get something (most players seem not to know or care about the free philosophy tech). Once code of laws is done and youve started on philosophy, trade writing away for whatever you can get. Make sure you have used the science advisor to have republic "locked in" to be researched after philosophy otherwise you may get any old tech for free (whatever is defaulted to next). Change governments straight away and rejoice!
Because you get republic so early (usually 5 or 6 cities with accel. production which is pretty standard) you get very small anarchy, usually 5 turns at most. So you're quickly in gear, researching in 4 turns for the rest of the ancient age and flying for feudalism, the great leveller if you dont have an amazing ancient UU.
Also, when your golden age goes off that annoying despotic tile penalty wont cramp your style.
Some more little tips:
I usually go for bronze working before heading for republic because its just sensible to have spearmen defeding your cities.
I also try to play an agricultural civ for this strategy because once in republic, every city tile has the food bonus (river or not). Agricultural can also get you some more cities early (river start) which can speed your early research and have you in republic before the baddies arrive.
If you pick a commercial civ you start with alphabet so you can be to repblic even faster ...
HOWEVER ...
This can all go horribly wrong in several ways:
1. In republic you get very little unit support so unless you have some decent population, you will go broke trying to field an army (another reason to be agricultural, as you can grow bigger faster).
2. Republic also has no military police, so units standing on cities do nothing for happiness. I usually have to put the lux slider on 20% for a while to calm down the plebs. This may seem like a lot of money, but in republic once you're moving, money is no oblject.
3. An early attack by someone with some serious intent will wreck you and you will probably lose.
But I find since this is usually the case anyway (how many times have you stopped Rome or Zululand in their tracks 30 turns into the game?) its a good gamble.
And finally ...
This strategy is a very defensive strategy. It gets offensive later on, when everything works out and you're streaking away with a massive tech lead but that's another story for another day... Its primary point is to get a builder player a productive empire very quickly, one that can stave off attack while skipping away with research. You should also carfully judge when to go for it and when not to. eg. When you're fairly alone with some breathing room and a couple of lux (very useful) as opposed to in close proximity to angry warring civs with ancient UUs.
Give it a go, it surprises me how often it works.
For all those builder types who are sick of getting beaten up in MP by various insane warlords, here is a little discussion on the what I have seen called the reuplic gambit. This only applies to Conquests and can be done in single player on lower difficulties but when it works in MP it is incredibly effective.
Some person or other had the strange idea of including in conquests a small detail that the first civ to research philosophy recieves a free tech. I'm sure I've read posts where this is used to grab polytheism or such other, but my argument goes: If you're getting a tech for free, why not the most expensive ancient tech? .... The grand Republic!
This is done simply by researching code of laws then philosophy, so republic is free.
Well duh, I hear you say. But from what I've seen, in MP it works a treat and hear's why.
Most players in MP go for horseback riding, iron working, construction or maybe monarchy for their early tech choices. Writing stand there like a sentinal: To the warmonger a useless, expensive tech when there a better things to be researching; To a builder going for gambit, a goldmine. Once it is researched DO NOT TRADE IT! It stands as protection for philosophy while you research code of laws. If someone has writing before you do (making contact and then lying that you have nothing is a good way to check) go straight for philosphy. You may not get republic for free but at least you'll hopefully get something (most players seem not to know or care about the free philosophy tech). Once code of laws is done and youve started on philosophy, trade writing away for whatever you can get. Make sure you have used the science advisor to have republic "locked in" to be researched after philosophy otherwise you may get any old tech for free (whatever is defaulted to next). Change governments straight away and rejoice!
Because you get republic so early (usually 5 or 6 cities with accel. production which is pretty standard) you get very small anarchy, usually 5 turns at most. So you're quickly in gear, researching in 4 turns for the rest of the ancient age and flying for feudalism, the great leveller if you dont have an amazing ancient UU.
Also, when your golden age goes off that annoying despotic tile penalty wont cramp your style.
Some more little tips:
I usually go for bronze working before heading for republic because its just sensible to have spearmen defeding your cities.
I also try to play an agricultural civ for this strategy because once in republic, every city tile has the food bonus (river or not). Agricultural can also get you some more cities early (river start) which can speed your early research and have you in republic before the baddies arrive.
If you pick a commercial civ you start with alphabet so you can be to repblic even faster ...
HOWEVER ...
This can all go horribly wrong in several ways:
1. In republic you get very little unit support so unless you have some decent population, you will go broke trying to field an army (another reason to be agricultural, as you can grow bigger faster).
2. Republic also has no military police, so units standing on cities do nothing for happiness. I usually have to put the lux slider on 20% for a while to calm down the plebs. This may seem like a lot of money, but in republic once you're moving, money is no oblject.
3. An early attack by someone with some serious intent will wreck you and you will probably lose.
But I find since this is usually the case anyway (how many times have you stopped Rome or Zululand in their tracks 30 turns into the game?) its a good gamble.And finally ...
This strategy is a very defensive strategy. It gets offensive later on, when everything works out and you're streaking away with a massive tech lead but that's another story for another day... Its primary point is to get a builder player a productive empire very quickly, one that can stave off attack while skipping away with research. You should also carfully judge when to go for it and when not to. eg. When you're fairly alone with some breathing room and a couple of lux (very useful) as opposed to in close proximity to angry warring civs with ancient UUs.
Give it a go, it surprises me how often it works.
