Ready... Steady... GO!

[Magnus]

What Advance(s) do you try to get to first in your games? I always go straight for Monarchy and Trade. I hate losing resources to Despotism and I just adore caravans. I do this even though It will generally cause me to lose out on some nice early Wonders (Colossus, Hanging Gardens, Great Wall, Pyramids) that are not on the list of Advancements leading to Monarchy & Trade.

 

[BlueMonday]

I usually head straight for Republic.

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<IMG SRC="http://forums.civfanatics.com/image_uploads/goodbye3.jpg" border=0>
<FONT COLOR="blue">Oh Danny Boy, the pines...the pines are calling. From glenn to glenn and down the mountainside.
The summer's gone and all the roses are dying...</FONT c>

 

[Erdrick]

Monarchy, and then in the general direction of invention. I try to get trade through AI players when I can, so I stay on good terms early on.

 

[Mongol Horde]

Invention via trade every time. After invention I tailor my choice of tech to my current circumstances (ie if my cities are pushing size 12 I make sure that I go for sanitation)

 

[Kev]

Like most it's Monarchy as a first priority. Getting Republic very early doesn't help my style as I won't turn Republic until the AD's at the earliest.

Then, off to philosophy as quickly as I can in an effort to get there first. From there I'll go for either engineering or monotheism depending on the level and what's available.

I find that huts and trading will fill in the needed "wonder techs" like masonry, pottery, bronzeworking and the like.

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Diplomacy - the art of
saying "Good Doggie"
until you can find a rock

 

[thealien_83]

I usually gun for Philosophy at first, not so much for the benefit of it as the satisfaction of feeling more "enlightened" then the other civilizations around. With it I take Monarchy if I can, otherwise I get it as soon as possible. Republic is a government I rarely, if ever, use so I don't tend to take it more than for the other techs I can access from it.

 

[Magnus]

I LOVE Republic! (the increase in trade is just too cool). I just like to get to Monarchy first to get full value of my resources (switching to Rep as soon as I have my full core of cities established).

But my fave government is Democracy, as you cannot be bribed. I switch to demo as soon as Shakespeare's is built so I can have a war city if I need one (and you always need one). I will only leave demo after that point if I have the Statue of Liberty Wonder. (can't put up with anarchy).

 

[Alan_Nicoll]

At King level I go for Republic as soon as possible and (then) pump up my population right away. Then push for Philosophy and Michelangelo's Chapel. It's a powerful strategy. At Deity, early Republic sucks, so I go for Monarchy and the Pyramids, defer Republic until I have the Chapel.