Starting Techs

[darski]

I find myself declining to play Civs that have Starting Techs I don't care about. if I can't get at least (either of) Alpha or BW I'm not looking to that Civ at all.

Do starting techs affect your choice of Civ or not?

If yes, what techs do you look for first?

 

[Raliuven]

I think this depends on the level of the game. For Emperor on down, I don't think it matters too much. Deity is iffy. Starting techs are so easy to trade for otherwise it doesn't really matter. I would mostly say it isn't even the starting techs I care about - it is the civ traits behind them that actually drive my choice.

The exception, I think, is with Alpha. If you are going for the slingshot it becomes more important at higher levels. Either 1) you need to have it or 2) at least no one else has it or 3) you have and no one else does.

 

[Cyc]

I agree with Raliuven, at least partially. It's the traits for me. A starting tech may be a kicker in the final choice, but overall not starting with a tech because you're choosing a trait or two is just an additional challenge.

 

[Fiddlin Nero]

I recently played a scenario where everyone started on small islands making for terrible core cities. There is an uninhabited large island, so whoever gets there first with a large enough city can get a palace jump and the best core on the map. I forget which civs have the two techs which lead straight to mapmaking for galleys but it sure helps.

 

[tR1cKy]

Do starting techs affect your choice of Civ or not?

Not.

 

[CommandoBob]

Do starting techs affect your choice of Civ or not?

Not for my solo games, those are still random.

 

[darski]

Thank you all for your responses.

@ CB - I have been thinking that I need to go back to playing random civs for a while. It's so easy to get locked into one way to play.

 

[Richie0]

doesn't bother me, i just play random

then reload with rage if i'm surrounded by vocanos or jungles

 

[darski]

I have been playing random since this post and I do enjoy the change ups for the different Civs.

 

[Verarde]

I recently played a scenario where everyone started on small islands making for terrible core cities. There is an uninhabited large island, so whoever gets there first with a large enough city can get a palace jump and the best core on the map. I forget which civs have the two techs which lead straight to mapmaking for galleys but it sure helps.

Skull Island! One of my favorites!

I recently played (almost done with it too) my second game on Monarch, and for that one I decided to go random, and see who I ended up with. Got the Celts, and have been cruising with them. Starting techs don't always matter to me as much, but I generally like it if my civ has Alphabet to begin with, for the head start towards the Republic slingshot.

 

[Richie0]

I have been playing random since this post and I do enjoy the change ups for the different Civs.

it's good

means you don't fall into the same routines and habits

cos sometimes you do get the hittites. or the portuguese