The Oracle!!!

[Mmmm Butter]

Theology is a waste of the Oracle. I figure this is popular for the simple reason that many of you are xtians in real life. If you are getting this with the Oracle you are learning the wrong techs early, or spending way too much time building Oracle (and thus playing easy levels like Noble and below).

Getting Civil Service is a far superior strategy at least up to Monarch.

This sounds backward to me. It takes a lot longer to get the prerequisites for Civil Service than it does for Theology. For Theology all you need to have are Monotheism and Writing, but to get to Civil Service you need have Writing, plus go through either Code of Laws or Feudalism. That takes a lot longer.

I'm not a xtian but I usually go for Theology, for the simple fact that it's the most advanced tech you can research that early, so you save more beakers. I do play most games on noble, but I've had just as much success with it on Prince and Monarch.

My favorite strategy w/ the Oracle is to build it in my second city, and rushbuild the Pyramids in my capital, at the expense of a weak military early. In the earliest stages the AI is too busy to declare war anyway, on any difficulty up to Monarch (I don't have much exp on Emperor and above). Then you can use the great prophet from Oracle to found a late religion, and use the great engineer from the Pyramids to build the Sistene Chapel (Theology) in one turn.

 

[civterror]

I ALWAYS go for Theology when building the oracle. The economic boost from religions is such that I can never have too many religions. Economy turns into research, the extra monasteries from more religions boost science further. All in all I get 1 helluva synergy effect from all of this.

Metal Casting will be within my reach quickly with all the extra sci and will be achieved at a point when the Forge is required by my cities. When I have gone for Metal Casting from The Oracle, I often find that my cities are not ripe for forges anyway (apart from my capital \ production city).

 

[botski]

I get oracle just to hear the beautuful piano piece that gets played in the movie . Is that a Schubert piece?

 

[RED DIAMOND]

After the oracle I generally go for Monarchy and Heredity rule.

 

[Oggums]

Theology is a waste of the Oracle. I figure this is popular for the simple reason that many of you are xtians in real life. If you are getting this with the Oracle you are learning the wrong techs early, or spending way too much time building Oracle (and thus playing easy levels like Noble and below).

Getting Civil Service is a far superior strategy at least up to Monarch.

If you're getting Civil Service with your Oracle, it sounds to me like you're the one who's playing the easy levels.

 

[BCLG100]

I like the oracle but very rarely do i have the time to build it.

 

[DangerousMonkey]

In multiplayer there really isn't any chance of being able to get Civil Service with The Oracle unless the players involved arn't very skilled. In almost any multiplayer game if you're the first to build Oracle you're best options are going to be Metal Casting, Code of Laws or Theology.

If I don't have a religion yet, I'll take Code of Laws. It gives you a religion, a missionary, and access to courthouses and caste system. It's pretty solid all around and it opens doors to a lot of other stuff.

If I have a religion, and I'm not in desperate need of courthouses, I'll take Metal Casting. It gives you forges, which rock, and opens the door to Machinery.

Theology I wouldn't take unless I didn't have a religion, and someone else already has Confuciansim. Sure, Theocracy is pretty good, but overall I'd say Theology doesn't stack up to Code of Laws or Metal Casting.

Of cource, if you already have Code of Laws or Metal Casting when you research Oracle (which isn't very likely in a high level game) then you've hit the jackpot. In this situation I'd usually take Civil Scervice, but Machinery is nice for those crossbowmen...

 

[Roxtar]

When I build the Oracle I choose Philosophy which is more expensive than Theology, though slightly less expensive than Divine Right. I've seen Great Prophets hurry Theology, Divine Right, or (occasionally) Code of Laws, but I have yet to see one hurry Philosophy, so that's the Oracle tech I tend to choose nowadays.

 

[fpstream]

Theology is a waste of the Oracle. I figure this is popular for the simple reason that many of you are xtians in real life. If you are getting this with the Oracle you are learning the wrong techs early, or spending way too much time building Oracle (and thus playing easy levels like Noble and below).

Getting Civil Service is a far superior strategy at least up to Monarch.

Wow, you figure people build a wonder in a video game based on religion? Maybe you should read your comment over again and see if it makes much sense. I have a question for the people on this forum, how many are you American? How many of you play as America in Civ 4. I'm expecting not alot of hands to be raised. But why is this? With your sound thinking most everyone should be playing America. To answer the question though, I tend to get the Metal Casting by chop rushing so I still have time for the early game.

 

[shadow2k]

Hmmm...a good way to move up in difficulty levels is to ignore the wonders. Heck, wonders aren't even as powerful as they were in Civ3, yet people seem to be enamored with them now. I don't get it.

Don't build the Oracle because it's what you do. Only build it if it gives you an advantage over your other options. Like having marble, no good option for war/expansion, and/or simply stuck alone on an island.

At higher levels, I'd much rather build 6 swordsman (240prod in place of 150p for oracle + 100p for settler), go capture my neighbor's already improved city that probably has a building or two, some improved lands, resources, and maybe even a wonder in it, and get some gold in the process. You can parlay that into two or more cities if you know how to wage effective early wars and pick your spots right. In the end, you can often get your "free tech" along with free cities, and hopefully cripple, or at least slow your nearest enemy.

 

[Smirk]

If you're getting Civil Service with your Oracle, it sounds to me like you're the one who's playing the easy levels.

In Prince or below I don't miss it when I try. Beyond that I either don't bother with the Oracle or get a lower tech like Code. However, if you read my post you may have noticed I was discussing the weak merits of getting Theology with the Oracle.


Are you just flexing your epeen or do you have something of import to add?

 

[Smirk]

But why is this? With your sound thinking most everyone should be playing America. To answer the question though, I tend to get the Metal Casting by chop rushing so I still have time for the early game.

Religion goes a bit deeper than nationality. However, the point is that Theology has some very specific uses but in total is mostly a waste for many game variations. If you just gotta have all the techs then you'll get it out of habit, but its a poor move in most games. And the wonder has one possible use as far as I can tell, for a culture game that plans to run lots of specialists.

Also, America got a bit of a better deal this expansion it has some use, the Financial trait all by itself is powerful enough to warrant use.

 

[fpstream]

Religion goes a bit deeper than nationality. However, the point is that Theology has some very specific uses but in total is mostly a waste for many game variations. If you just gotta have all the techs then you'll get it out of habit, but its a poor move in most games. And the wonder has one possible use as far as I can tell, for a culture game that plans to run lots of specialists.

Also, America got a bit of a better deal this expansion it has some use, the Financial trait all by itself is powerful enough to warrant use.

You make an excellent point. "Religion goes a bit deeper than nationality." I can't deny the proof, it is all there. Here, I'll say this. People in America are more patriotic than religous, other than the fundamentalist right. There, no proof. But I said it with a firm unwavering "voice". I think Theology provides a great war mongering civic and a late game religion if you missed one at the start.

 

[Reignking]

I usually grab Theology, because it is expensive and I tend to miss the first three religions. Civil Service would be great, but I doubt that I could get the prereqs completed before someone else build the Oracle. Since I play Ind/Fin lately (Chinese), I can get to the Oracle quickly (and usually miss the first three religions because I don't start with Mysticism and need to get to Pottery).

 

[shahreevar]

by the time i get theology, i have 3-4 cities.
Two Very Good Things about this tech:
1- you get theocarcy. it has lower maintenance than Vassalage, so you get benefit of +2 extra XP at lower costs.
2- since i have 4 cities, if i dont have have a Spread out State Religion, i switch to Christianiy. so now I have 2 major (hopefully) cities with state religion. Of course this work well, if everything else is allright.

in My recent games, i have switched my strategy of Early religions, to warmonging with Swordsmen, and acquiring late religions. Besides, Theology gives Sistine Chapel, which is Good For culture till the end.I dont like super warmonger strategy, i am usually 50/50 war, and culture.

P.S. I am not a Christian, in fact i was born/raised Muslim. i guess this will chalenge some people's stereotypes!!!

 

[Mischief]

By the time I build the oracle i usually have the choice between metal casting and theology as most expensive techs. i generally go for metal casting to get those forges - they enable me to build everything (units, libraries, more wonders) faster and are a great help in the important first part of the game

 

[fpstream]

by the time i get theology, i have 3-4 cities.
Two Very Good Things about this tech:
1- you get theocarcy. it has lower maintenance than Vassalage, so you get benefit of +2 extra XP at lower costs.
2- since i have 4 cities, if i dont have have a Spread out State Religion, i switch to Christianiy. so now I have 2 major (hopefully) cities with state religion. Of course this work well, if everything else is allright.

in My recent games, i have switched my strategy of Early religions, to warmonging with Swordsmen, and acquiring late religions. Besides, Theology gives Sistine Chapel, which is Good For culture till the end.I dont like super warmonger strategy, i am usually 50/50 war, and culture.

P.S. I am not a Christian, in fact i was born/raised Muslim. i guess this will chalenge some people's stereotypes!!!

My reasons, and thank you.

 

[Molock]

Go for a tech type that your lacking in (i.e. science/religous/ect), or if your planning for the future (starting a war, getting a wonder, starting a religion) go for a tech that helps you achieve that goal.

 

[Beleg Strongbow]

I usually go for either Metal Casting for those nice forges or Theology for the free religion, but more importantly for Theocracy (+barracks=2 promotions). My problem is that I'm not big on early religions, so after I get some worker techs and masonry, I'm torn between quick Oracle or quick Alphabet (and it's hard to do both with the AI holding back techs like they do)

 

[Willburn]

Is really easy. Just ask yourself what you gain most with (this may vary from game to game). For example if im china in a multiplayer game i might do oracle to get metal casting because this will grant me a high millitary power soon (machinery) Another game i am far from my opponent and philosophical i might go for code of laws and hope i can get burocracy with oracle.

All in all its about synergy between everything you have of traits and what your land gives you. This should be the deciding factor in what you get from oracle not some allways set tech - simply because there is no answer thats right every time.

It can be so easy as that you have elephants in your first city and you want to get oracle for mathematic or construction. Even a single resource might dictate what is the optimal rute to go with the oracle.