Literature for GL/NE:
I agree with Sleepless that we should be going for Literature after we put enough beakers into Alpha to get the trade. Although we will have to see what is available from the other AIs once we have Alpha. But we want to get the Great Library with our marble, and also the National Epic in our GP farm.
Aesthetics and Literature are diversions from a beeline to Mass Media. Although Literature is a relatively small Technology and it alone is well worth the Research cost to build/complete The Great Library, our Research slide is only at 40% now, so we need to focus on our beeline Research path and especially ways to increase our Research, either via increasing the Research slider or adding Research multipliers, the greatest of which is Oxford University.
The quickest way to Oxford University is Monotheism -> Theology -> bulb Paper -> bulb Education.
The diversion to Literature to get The Great Library is worthwhile. However, where would we build The Great Library? It would be quickest to build in the Capital, but we wouldn't want it there, because it would contribute 8 Great Scientist Ppt that we have no control over; it would dilute our Great Engineer Ppt in the Capital too much, so it must be built in another City. Maybe our Horse City? It could be built fast and when complete, it could generate 8 Great Scientist Ppt plus 6 Scientist Ppt for two Scientist without Caste System.
We can build the National Epic in our Great Scientist Farm, PigFish.
Path to Paper & Education:
Since we will be trading Aesthetics for Alpha, we need to move quickly for the Great Library to ensure we get it. Mono and Theo will still be there later. In fact, with multiple AIs with Theo as a favorite civic they are likely to research it, and we can get it later by trade. Or at least get a research bonus for other civs already knowing the tech. Theo can wait while we lock down the Great Library. Economically we then need Currency and CoL to get our economy in order, and to open Caste civic for more Rep-boosted scientists.
We do need Code of Laws for both Courthouses and Caste System, but we need Theology before Code of Laws to bulb Paper. Once we have Paper bulbed, we can pursue Code of Laws and we will need it to adopt Caste System which will allow the huge numbers of Scientists we need to bulb Education.
So I suggest:
Alphabet (partial trade) -> Monotheism (trade) -> Theology -> Paper (bulb) -> Code of Laws -> Caste System (& Courthoses) -> Education (Oxford university) or Civil Service (Bureaucracy).
We need one Great Scientist soon for bulbing Paper:
I suggest we hire two Scientists in OasisWheat. That would provide 3 GSPpt * 2 Sci * 2 Phi = 12 GSPpt. Generating the 2nd Great Person here would take 300 / 12 = 25 turns. Otherwise, generating the 2nd Great Person here would take 450 / 12 = 38 turns, but getting a Great Engineer in Capital soon, rushing Shwedagon Paya, adopting Pacifism would bring it down to close to 30 turns. Researching Alphabet -> Theology -> Code of Laws (up to 1t left) should take enough turns to generate a Great Scientist to bulb Paper.
I would suggest that the Capital take over The Parthenon and not hire Scientist until it generates a Great Engineer at 100% probability. After that it can run max. Scientists.
Prebuilding Military units:
On pre-building units, I am not really in favor of this plan. Hammer decay sets in very quickly, even on epic speed, and we will end up wasting a lot of hammers for which we have many other uses. We might have one unit pre-building per city, but I do not think we should have any more than that and maybe we should have less. A couple chariots for exploration and keeping an eye on Zara is a good idea, though.
I propose to complete any unit just before it incurs any Hammer decay.
Prebuilding Military units is a great way to have a standing Army without paying for its maintenance, but the invested Hammers do commit one to eventually completing each prebuilt unit and paying for its maintenance or paying for its Hammer decay. There is the risk that Zara Yaqob doesn't declare War and then we either complete units or let them decay to nothing.
We could prebuild just one Spearman per City facing Zara Yaqob. We know he has Horses and thus he is likely to use them in any War he commits to. It would be wise to have a ready defense against Chariots or Horse Archers.
Utilizing Alphabet effectively:
Once we have Alpha, I think we will need to pause and assess what trading opportunities are available from the AIs. Since we will have traded Aesthetics to Zara for Alpha, we should be prepared to give it to the other AIs for whatever we can get before Zara does. The whole tech trading thing works so much better when you are the tech leader.
Agreed. One often needs to make a Technology deal the first turn its available, since it often will be gone the next turn, if any third party AI has the same Technology to trade.
Sun Tzu Wu
