What Shall We Tech After Construction? - Turn 90

[Sommerswerd]

These are our choices when Construction Finishes...

Education 29 Turns 2691
Printing Press 26 Turns 2392
Feudalism 12 Turns 1046
Philosophy 13 Turns 1196
Divine Right 23 Turns 1794
Horseback Riding 5 Turns 373
Literature 4 Turns 299
Drama 6 Turns 448
Astronomy 39 Turns 2990
Engineering 20 Turns 1495

Keep in Mind the following when voting:
1. Sirius has suggested that the Alliance Should Tech towards getting Astronomy ASAP (presumably to invade and eliminate M&M as quickly as possible).

Astronomy is now available to the alliance since Quatronia teched Optics

2. We do not know what Sirius is teching, but we do know that they want The Great Library, so they may want Literature

3. We do not know what CDZ is teching

4. We do not know what Quatronia is teching, but given their pattern of getting the naval technologies, they may wish to tech Navigation. Also, Quatronia was using Horseback Riding as a placeholder before going for Optics, while they waited for Machinery... but we don't know if they have any significant amount of beakers towards Horseback Riding.

5. We don't need a religion so we probably dont want Philosophy or Divine Right for now... at least until we are wanting to go for Nationalism. Education and Printing Press are really expensive and so would probably take too long for us to get.

Given the info above, our choices of tech are probably:

Feudalism 12 Turns 1046 - This would unlock Guilds for Knights (as well as give us access to Longbows). Feudalism would also allow us to use the Vassalage Civic for higher exp points for our new military units. It would also allow the Serfdom Civic, which we could use to improve our tiles faster

Horseback Riding 5 Turns 373 - This would give us the ability to build War Elephants, which we could use against Merlot Crossbows (if they are going for Machinery to kill our Maces/Axes)

Drama 6 Turns 448 - We could tech Drama and then Music. If we get Music first, we get a Great Artist, which we could use to culture bomb Marthaton or the Canal/ Fortress city.

Engineering 20 Turns 1495 - Would allow us to build a Castle in Themiscyra for +25%. With our Great Spy coming soon, this would give +5-6 points/turn. Enginnering would also allow us to build Pikemen, which would be good defense against any Mounted units that Mavericks send against us. Mavericks have Horses and Elephants, as you can see in the turnlog screenies.

 

[Loev]

I like having knights so we have better troops to attack Merlot. Feudalism it is

 

[damnrunner]

I lean engineering to increase movement speed. But at this point should we consider dropping tech rate to 0% and subsidizing our allies who have better multipliers. If that was the case I would say Drama as it is a good placeholder tech.

Have we spoken to allies at all about sending them gold to boost tech rate?

 

[2metraninja]

I partly agree with damnrunner.

 

[Sommerswerd]

I disagree. Our gold is for us to REX, and spam cities, not to fund allies tech. If we become a gold vassal, it negates the advantage we gain from being IMP trait, as well as defeating part of the benefit of the ETTT.

As it is now, we can expand as fast as we want and depend on allies to give tech. We don't have to worry about gold. On the other hand, Sirius has to expand slowly, because they are trying to maintain a high tech rate. If they expand fast, their economy will go down and stall their tech rate. That means we can expand faster than them.

If we start giving them gold, they won't have to hold back on their expansion anymore. Essentially, we will be funding their REX instead of our own. That seems like a poor strategy me. Let them fund their own tech, it will keep their expansion in check.

If we are concerned about our tech rate, We should build a library and run scientists in Otreta, that will make us comparable in tech rate. Especially if we are going with an expensive tech like Feudalism.

2metra, do you agree with the engineering part or the gold vassal part of what damnrunner said?

 

[damnrunner]

Sommers - you make a good point about not subsidizing gold in order to reduce the expansion of our allies and slow the overall tech rate.

I don't think Sirius is actively curtailing expansion in order to maintain a higher tech output, I just think they have different priorities (building libraries instead of settlers). We of course also benefit from the IMP trait so we can just spam settler faster anyway.

However, we are certainly making the alliance less efficient in its tech rate, which from our perspective is likely a good thing.

 

[2metraninja]

You make a good point here, Sommerswerd. For us it is best to continue expanding at fastest possible rate, I said it few times already and I still think the same. But I also raised concerns about how long will ETTT as a tech alliance will allow us to just benefit from being member, without us contributing new techs? And since our gold will be better used for technology by our literate allies, this is the reason I liked the idea.
As long as the allies keep providing us with their techs for free, we must be happy, but how long will that nirvana last? Also I will say it again - at some point we must start prepare ourselves for the phase that we will depend on our own research for teching.

Generally, whats the strategy for winning the game and at what point? We must discuss it, as knowing the general strategy will help us with our tactic.

And, no to engineering. I voted already Feudalism. Knights and longbows are too powerful to ignore them when in war and expanding agressively with severe defenders for our new cities. Also, as our capitol is not so powerful at the moment even switching to Serfdom is a good option and will benefit us well.

 

[damnrunner]

I think the endgame for us is Nationalism and massive drafting of rifles. We want to be big and strong at that point in the game and ensure that other teams are a long ways off from getting infantry. That is our window to win the game.