Techs you deliberately ignore

[mirthadir]

To all of you posting DR and the like. Thanks, but I'm well aware that many techs are less popular, I asking to see if I've missed anything huge in the way of powergaming where NOT having a tech is better.

For instance avoiding hunting (when you have no hunting resources and you don't need spears) so you can build warriors for garrison duty would be such a case. Avoiding mysticism because you are creative, and your neighbors are Izzy, Saladin, Justinian, and Brennus would not be such a case. The first scenario actually does you harm (you have to drop more into garrison troops), the second is merely not worth the to research, trade, or steal.

Regarding rifling or mil sci/railroad. Normally this is on maps with major water issues. If my likely target is mostly costal, I'm a huge fan of using pure seaborn assualts to blitz the cap. CRIII infantry vs rifles is murder even from the sea. Some draftees may have to die against the strongest defenders, but seige is not allowed off ships so CRIII is utter ownage for when you've set the invasion force sailing. Sack cap, let the enemy SoD immolate itself against your CG III infantry, load up onto the galleons, move down the coast, lather, rinse, and repeat.

Also, CRIII infantry are better vs machine guns and arty. Depending on what the enemy has, they can be highly profitable (particularly if you leverage a GM to the other side of the world).

Gliese: The idea behind chariots is not to use them for power ratings, but so that in the industrial era you can still run HR for happy cap inflation and spend fewer hammers per point. Most notably if the AI can't invade till astro all my axes, spears, swords, and horsemen will be worthless if the AI is only likely to invade after gunpowder. For power rating you are indeed correct, but this is for at least a semi-isolated situation where power ratings don't matter at all.

 

[PreLynMax]

All religious techs-- they drag me back technologically, and I will eventally get them back via trade anyway.

 

[DMOC]

All religious techs, with the exception of Mysticism, Polytheism and Priesthood just because they are prerequisites to other good technologies.

 

[Gliese 581]

If I plan on bulbing Astronomy I skip Meditation for a good while.

 

[war ensemble]

Definitely astronomy. It's ridiculous how you research that and lose a good 30 beakers just because it obsoletes the colossus. In my opinion, the colossus shouldn't be obsoleted until much later in the tech tree. Researching something that hurts me doesn't make any sense.

Sometimes I'll also ignore the other techs that obsolete my current wonders.

 

[Vylinius]

writing ahhh the open borders spam
alpahabet ahhh they want free tech spam
religion line no idea I just do I like to rush military techs
and sometimes I forget about metal casting which sucks when I need samurai as japan

 

[mirthadir]

Writing? This is news to me, is there anything detrimental about refusing open borders?

Alphabet? I thought once the AI knows it they will just begin making demands regardless of your state of knowledge.

 

[Siesta Guru]

Hunting, I dont see the point eraly in the game and i prefer to get it when i have alphabet. I take it when there are raging barbs though, ill need archery then.

Hinduism/Polytheism/Monotheism: The early religion isnt that good and i want to be focussing on military techs and alphabet in the early game.

Horsebackriding: No horse in the capitals bfc or no close neighbours means no HBR.

Drama: Often pointless to get a few turns earlier and the ai researches it anyways.

Theology: If im not going to build up a army or i cant afford the anarchy i wont get theology for the military purpose and if im not part of a semi-large block of religious people i want get it for the ap.

Divine right: Unless im having some religious economy and i really need the spiral minaret i wont get this.

Compass/optics/astronomy: On a map where you dont really need a navy i dont get these.

Corporation: With loads of coastal cities and the

Scientific method: When having a religious economy this hurts alot, ive once delayed it till there were no other techs remaning (researching combustion before scie meth ftw)

Artillery: If im aiming for a quick space victory

I dont play modern and future enough to have some real techs i dont tech there... There might be moreI never really tech but cant tell which.

 

[Vylinius]

writing cause I always play with max civs and I don't want open borders with all so I stay it out till I need or find someone that looks good to trade which almost never happens since people hate me for killing off their friends and because I only play with conquest enabled so diplomacy and trade usually never crosses my mind till I am thinking of invading a new continent then sometimes I trade or bribe them all into war on each other and usually after that I am ruler of the world

 

[Gumbolt]

I think theres more ins and out to trying to power ahead on techs.

I recently tried using great scientists to get to Philosophy and liberalism using mids and representation. (One city, library and) 2 scientists. I missed out most of the lower techs including monarchy, iron working etc. Used the great scientists to bulb philosphy, paper, Education and Liberalism. Took a good GP farm but i got there.

I will always develop the techs that i need for my strategy. If your beelining for a tech only research the techs you need. The Ai will always trade for the ones you missed out. Assuming your strategy worked.

 

[Tecibbar]

Scientific method definitely. I research it when I have nothing else to research. It have no immediate benefit, leads to no military tech. Why research it when I can tech cannon and infentry instead?

I never researched Divine Right.

I don't see how warriors are better garrison. They cost money to maintain, and doesn't improve your power rating much. Anyway, I put hunting with high priority since I have raging barbs on.

 

[Jerrymander]

Monotheism.

Dead end tech.

 

[PreLynMax]

Monotheism.

Dead end tech.

You couldn't have said so much with so little words.
Now you know why I never research it.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

You couldn't have said so much with so little words.
Now you know why I never research it.

Except that it isn't dead end at all, and also the point of the thread wasn't to identify "useless" techs, but rather techs you deliberately avoid because getting it not only wastes beakers, but also HURTS your strategy. By the definition you two put forth, monotheism only fits into the former (although I don't even agree with that).

An extreme example would be avoiding fishing so that one can bulb the bottom path. It'd be hard to make an argument against fishing in most games (unless you're doing great plains or something along those lines), but it still may be deliberately avoided.

A similar ploy would be avoiding both theology AND civil service to bulb astronomy (avoiding these two blocks paper). Some people don't like theology, but I find it useful for war and the wonder it grants. CS, on the other hand, I don't think you'll see ANYBODY make an argument for being bad, but nevertheless one may avoid it temporarily.

 

[LiberiGlacialis]

I tend to completely and utterly forget the early religious branch to the tech tree, only dipping down to it for Literature or tech trades later on. It tends hampers my strategy of getting worker techs and faster research early game. I don't need religion to pop borders (Libraries, rarely Caste System) or build Settlers, after all.

The gets crippling after a while, and I rarely have a shrine to help out my econ w/out invading another country, though.

 

[PreLynMax]

Except that it isn't dead end at all, and also the point of the thread wasn't to identify "useless" techs, but rather techs you deliberately avoid because getting it not only wastes beakers, but also HURTS your strategy. By the definition you two put forth, monotheism only fits into the former (although I don't even agree with that).

An extreme example would be avoiding fishing so that one can bulb the bottom path. It'd be hard to make an argument against fishing in most games (unless you're doing great plains or something along those lines), but it still may be deliberately avoided.

A similar ploy would be avoiding both theology AND civil service to bulb astronomy (avoiding these two blocks paper). Some people don't like theology, but I find it useful for war and the wonder it grants. CS, on the other hand, I don't think you'll see ANYBODY make an argument for being bad, but nevertheless one may avoid it temporarily.

You are forgetting not only my avoidance to religious branch of the tech tree is not only strategic for early advancement, but it's a moral utterance as well.

 

[Jerrymander]

Well, I wasn't saying anything about the moral side.

Theology and Divine Right just don't fit into my strategy, so Monotheism is a dead end tech for me.

Saves me about 30 turns in the game.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

You are forgetting not only my avoidance to religious branch of the tech tree is not only strategic for early advancement, but it's a moral utterance as well.

I feel you there. I'm about 0% religious in real life...but I'll abuse whatever I need to in gaming . This is especially the case with religion historically - it can and has been wielded like a weapon. People in positions of authority have had little trouble "interpreting holy scripture differently", bending the rules a little, or making new ones...all conveniently set to make their rule and decisions easier. Civ represents this pretty well IMO - as well as it can without bias.

 

[vicawoo]

What if I were Amish and were against modern technology? Then scientific method is a dead end tech to me.

Or mad scientist's george w, in which case i'm against liberalism.

 

[r_rolo1]

If you were amish you would not be playing Civ IV