What techs do you usually research first?

[Macha]

I usually research religions first as i get their wonders from great prophets later in the game to pay for my empire and i usually get at least 4 religions. I play on Noble difficulty and usually play custom continents with 3 continents

 

[Cam_H]

It depends upon your starting nearby terrain and your starting technologies.

Forum polls in the past have indicated that Pottery and Bronze Working are common 'second level' research targets.

 

[Macha]

i usually don't research bronze working until late in the game. In civ3 i paid more attention because you could get the colossus but the only wonders i usually bother with are stonehenge, Taj Mahal and the UN.

 

[Mulholland]

You might want to consider researching bronze working earlier. I find if I dont research it fairly early it severly limits my game. With bronze you can chop forests, enable slavery to keep population in check and reveal copper which is necessary if you're going to start an early war.

 

[LosBlack]

honestly, playing on Noble you could tech in whatever order fell in line with your objectives, assuming you're getting archery/AH for city defense. but neglecting BW limits your ability/flexibility to make early war.

 

[lilnev]

Usually whatever worker techs (e.g. Ag, AH) I can use in my capital's fat cross, or Fishing, then BW. Lately I've been experimenting with BW first if I start with Mining, on the theory that chopping is a worker tech. But that's still experimental, not an endorsement.

peace,
lilnev

 

[Macha]

You might want to consider researching bronze working earlier. I find if I dont research it fairly early it severly limits my game. With bronze you can chop forests, enable slavery to keep population in check and reveal copper which is necessary if you're going to start an early war.

I don't usually start wars until the Medival or Renaissance Eras and i use Serfdom instead of Slavery because i prefer faster workers.

 

[Syndrome Zed]

It depends on terrain for me - if my starting position has cattle or some other resource that can get me faster settlers/workers, I'll aim for the tech to let my worker improve that (e.g. animal husb or fishing for a coastal tile), assuming I don't already have the requisite tech from being a particular civ.

If there's anything that can be mined, though, I go for bronze working early. I'll also go BW early to get slavery quickly, although I don't feel the need to rush hard just for slavery (takes a little bit to get the city big enough to support whipping anyway).

Generally, if a worker can improve a tile or two in my capital right away by getting a tech, I'll go after it first. If my start doesn't have anything worth immediate improvement or if I have the tech already, I'll either do bronze or a religion tech.

 

[Alraun]

Whatever gets me to Pottery, although I'll often stop for Animal Husbandry and Agriculture (if I have Fishing) on the way.

 

[Sisiutil]

My first tech is usually Animal Husbandry (or whatever leads to it) if I start with a strong, early mounted UU (Persia, Egypt, Mongolia), or one of Mediation or Polytheism if I start with Mysticism and have a good commerce tile in the capital's fat cross.

Otherwise, it's Mining/Bronze Working for copper, Axemen, slavery, and chopping. It's probably the single most powerful tech in the game, so even if I don't go after it first, I'll be heading there PDQ.

 

[futurehermit]

Bronze Working for copper, Axemen, slavery, and chopping. It's probably the single most powerful tech in the game

What he said

Honestly, there are times when going for an early religion is beneficial--if you start with mysticism, and even at the higher skill levels--however, 95% of the time you should be going for BW A-S-A-P

 

[Seafroggys]

Meditation and Polytheism as Spain.

Gets me 2 religions right off the bat, then I go for Mono for Judaism.

 

[Drake007]

..........

guys, getting 23523 early religions is fun, but its not efficient. maybe hinduism or buddhism if you start with mysticism, but other than that, you're much better off researching something else.

bronze working is obviously a top priority for the numerous reasons already mentionned. other than that, some worker tech can be a decent idea depending on your start location. AH for egypt or persia. I also sometimes get pottery first with civs that start with the wheel and either agriculture or fishing. those prehistoric cottages seem to get mature so fast

 

[Seafroggys]

Its a style of gameplay that I usually go for. Its very risky though, and has caused restarts, but often times I go that route, then straight for Alphabet, then getting the Oracle to get a really expensive tech (in this case, Theology, which gives me a 4th religion), and then I trade all these expensive techs for all the early ones I've bypassed, putting me farther ahead in tech then anybody else. I then go out and start conquering people

The problem is the Barbarian risk or early war. My warriors can stand to other warriors and archers, but are shredded to pieces by axemen.

 

[Macha]

..........

guys, getting early religions is fun, but its not efficient. maybe hinduism or buddhism if you start with mysticism, but other than that, you're much better off researching something else.

bronze working is obviously a top priority for the numerous reasons already mentioned.

You said that it is because it gets money but if you get the wonder for a religion you can spy on enemy cities and get money.

 

[Drake007]

that money sure helps, but i suggest you try to rush a neighbour with axemen for a change (or go up some levels). tell me what you think about a "religious" strat then.

by the way you dont need the shrine to be able to spy enemy cities, just your state religion there.

 

[Macha]

I usually play on Huge maps so the enemys are so far away it isnt usually worth the bother until much later in the game when there is no free space for building new cities. If they are a nuisance such as getting other people to attack me or preventing me going to other civs i would attack them but it only takes me about 3 turns to get a decent sized army because I always play as a spiritual civ beacause no anarchy completly beats any other civ trait

 

[Macha]

my brother usually researchs whatevers quickest until he gets overrun by barbarians

 

[harusame]

it depends on starting tech
but mainly bronze working, mansonary, and polytheism

 

[Technocactus]

If you start with Mysticism, then go for a religion. Then go for Bronze Working. If you don't start with Mysticism, just go for BW, and axe rush a neighbour.