The Best Starting Tech Combination? (Poll)

[LightSpectra]

Mining, so you're closer to Bronze Working for axe rushing and clearing forests.
Mysticism for the early religion.

 

[jray]

Hunting + Mining FTW!

Hunting for the starting Scout (to pop more goodie huts and reveal more territory), potential for Animal Husbandry opener, and quick access to Deer/Fur/Ivory.

Mining for the potential for Bronze Working and Masonry openers and quick access to Gems/Gold/Silver. The benefits of early Bronze Working are obvious, and early Masonry can get you a head start on the Great Wall or Pyramids.

Agriculture gets an honorable mention for potential for Animal Husbandry opener, quick access to Corn/Rice/Wheat, and earlier access to Pottery. It's also handy for quick early population growth. I thinking Hunting is more valuable though, due to the starting Scout.

Fishing is great if you get a coastal start with seafood, even more so if you also have Mysticism and are gunning for early religions, but that's too situational for my tastes. Honorable mention for earlier access to Pottery.

Mysticism is of course vital if you're a fan of early religion chasing, but I play higher levels where it's not really possible. Potential for Masonry opener (for a head start on the Great Wall or Pyramids) is nice, but Mining has that same advantage.

The Wheel is IMHO the worst starting tech, because you never need to build roads right away. It's stronger though if coupled with Fishing or Agriculture for potential for Pottery opener.

 

[SwordofStriker]

Entirely depends on my starting location, although hunting and mining is pretty handy even without hills because you can quickly go for BW and have axes and spears.

 

[KMadCandy]

On huts: On higher levels popping hut with scout yields HIGHER chance for tech than on lower levels. This is because scout can't pop angries, and each level adds angries while not decreasing techs (because they're rare to begin with).

if you reach the huts first! on emperor the AI starts with 2 archers and 2 scouts. so i pretty much figure finding huts is a lost cause .

 

[King Flevance]

I gotta go with hunting and mining.

Mining because it is a great opener for bronze which is needed asap no matter what kind of game you are playing really. Also because if you happen to be placed near gold, gems, or silver, you can access them and quickly boost all future research.

Hunting do to the fact that it is an opener for archery and animal husbandry. Archery is needed soon if you play with raging barbs on higher difficulties. Gambling on bronze is not a reliable option then.

Agriculture and Fishing were close seconds due to the fact that depending on your start, these are priceless for early growth. However, both benefit depending on start location. Whereas the benefits of the two I pick can only get better depending on start location but do not require any specific start location.

 

[Astax]

I picked mining + Hunting cause of multiplayer mostly. U want hunting for scout so u can look for enemy early, and so you can get archery faster if need be.

 

[Underdawg]

On higher difficulties (monarch+) getting an early religions is almost impossible, even with mysticism, so I chose mining+agriculture. Mining is a must for that early bronze working which reveals the most important resource as well as both ways of rushing production. Agriculture is good because it allows you to hook up those food resources with your first worker, instead of having him stand around do nothing after having chopped those first forests. As well as that it unlocks pottery and animal husbandry, two very useful techs. As if that wasn't enough, they are also the two most expensive early techs, saving you some beakers.

Yes Yes Yes Yes. The prospect of snapping up one of the first two religions doesn't even cross my mind as it is impossible.

And for you multiplayers out there... however few of ye may be...

I picked mining + Hunting cause of multiplayer mostly. U want hunting for scout so u can look for enemy early, and so you can get archery faster if need be.

This is true. Although I think Mining+Agriculture is best, Hunting+Mining is very close behind.

 

[Calder]

One may choose the two most costliest starting techs, being Agriculture and The Wheel, but I choose Agriculure (early growth), and Mining (ability to use high production tiles with enough irrigated food, and closer to Bronze). I actually prefer starting with a Warrior rather than a Scout, as the Warrior easily gets to Woodsman II and has a longer life span than the Scout. The Chinese are the only civ with these starting techs.

 

[Antilogic]

Are you sure? I was pretty sure at least two Civs started with Agriculture and Mining. However, I checked the Civilopedia and found myself wrong, and was quite surprised at the number of civilizations that start with Agriculture and the Wheel.

 

[TyranusBonehead]

mining/agriculture

get them whips a flailin' quicker

 

[GT_OKEZ]

mining/wheel . Its most conveniant that way . I like going for BW right away and I like the fact that I can already build roads . Now I know someone here is going to say but who cares? you don't have a worker yet . Thats besides the point . I think building roads should be a default skill for the worker . When I make that worker , I usually have him mine if possible right away ( providing there is not immediate resource there ripe for hte picking .) and if there is any resource there , i like to know i can already connect it .
Production is life or death in the beggining since you usually alraedy have enough food for a few PPs before you need to improve food with agriculture .

 

[Antilogic]

The difference is the rate at which your city grows. If I see that I have a farm resource (rice, corn, or wheat) near my capital, I immediately farm it to get the huge growth rate. Starting with that ability lets me rush to Bronze Working quicker instead of wasting 10 turns research Agriculture (I play Epic). And, if not, I can still typically irrigate along a river to increase food output.

 

[Gypsy1220]

Not many peacemongers in here...Myst/hunting work best for me...even playing monarch+ I can always get at least one of the early religions and its a good leap towards Priesthood w/Oracle.

Fishing I can usually do without...hardly ever seem to get a coastal start and Mining...I only go for BW if I have one of the crazy backstabbing leaders as a close neighbor.

 

[Antilogic]

Not many peacemongers in here...Myst/hunting work best for me...even playing monarch+ I can always get at least one of the early religions and its a good leap towards Priesthood w/Oracle.

Fishing I can usually do without...hardly ever seem to get a coastal start and Mining...I only go for BW if I have one of the crazy backstabbing leaders as a close neighbor.

Even if I'm playing for a culture victory, I still go for Bronze Working first. There is nothing like rushing a wonder with forest chopping, which requires BW. And, the Slavery civic is quite good for the early phase of the game, when you are just expanding, irrelevant of what victory you are going for. I'll found a later religion if I want to, and let somebody else spread their religion to me so I get a friend.

 

[King Flevance]

Yeah slavery and chopping are the main reasons I go for bronze anymore. (It may be because I nerfed axes) but honestly even with axes as good as they are in the standard game, going for BW if you are not planning to use slavery or really chop much is way to much of a gamble if you fail to pick up copper anywhere nearby.

Slavery is a great way to pop out settlers early while your doing everything else. I mostly whip out settlers then build some things, whip another etc. And chopping will get you a good starting wonder like pyramids, great wall, or the oracle. Maybe 2 of those if you have the required resource for at least one of 'em. And chopping will garauntee you good ol' reliable stonehenge.