Your Early Tech Strategy?

[Dantius III]

One of the things I love about this new Civ is the tech tree, which is not nearly as rigid as it is in Civ 3 and allows for greater manipulation according to what kind of Civilization you want to cultivate.

I'm curious as to what tech strategies people take in the game. Before I just had a random selection of techs, but I find myself doing the same thing over and over again, it's effective.

Here's my early tech strategy:

My preferred leader: Gandhi.

My tech strategy: First go for Polytheism. Then when you found Hinduism (sometimes it's already taken), go for Masonry, then leap directly to Monotheism to found Judaism. Afterwords research The Wheel (to be able to build roads and utilize fast workers) then Writing (to get open borders and lead to Theology). Build the Oracle in the capital (usually this takes 10 turns or less with the industrialist trait) then use the free tech to immediately discover Theology, founding Christianity. Then I usually switch to Theocracy to prepare for the ancient wars against the damn Buddhists, this being the only religion (unless Hinduism is founded) that is allowed to spread outside my empire. I then try to convert other civs to Christianity to get the playing field a little more diverse, usually civs I want to see destroyed..

This is where I end my set path and start researching random techs according to what works for my civilization. I've been thinking about trying a new addition to the strategy though. I notice that around the time I build The Oracle I get a great prophet, and I usually use it to build the religious wonder (as the tech it discovers, meditation, indeed does bring ignorance and is a waste). But I'm thinking, if I save it and then research meditation (which takes about 4 turns by this point), could I use it to discover philosophy or code of laws?

Anyway, that is my ultra-religious tech strategy, what do you guys usually do?

 

[Taelis]

I've been working on something similar, and I don't think great prophets can discover code of laws. I know they can't discover philosophy, you need a great scientist for that.

 

[Cyrillin]

You could use the Great prophet to discover Theology if the other lesser religious techs are researched, then use the oracle for Metal Casting (forge= engineer= free wonders!)

Also, what difficulty are you playing on? I did pretty much the same thing with sweeping most of the religions when I was playing on Noble, but I have found it nearly impossible to do on higher levels.

 

[FenrysWulf]

I go the religious route too. I've never even tried to get Buddhism because someone else always does, but they never go after polytheism, so I get that for Hinduism and then go for Judaism too.

 

[spiceant]

i usually go for bronze working and then mystikism after which i move on to pottery and then all 5 remaining religion techs, i usually dont found any religions in this way. when i get my 2nd worker out i begin to chop rush stonehenge, 50 turns later i have all 5 early religion techs and writing researched (with the help of cottages <- pottery) and i found christianity with a great prophet.
notice i dont use the oracle because the ai always builds it before me and i hate it because everyone else uses the oracle to...

 

[vyapti]

I've been working on a warmonger/culture path.

I keep getting in positions where I want to be a kill 'em all despot, but can't because of my position (I don't particularly like pangea). In my last game, this happened, I turned to a Culture Victory. I got some late religions and started pumping out temples. This worked well and I had 2 cities over 600 culture/turn, but I didn't win until 1947 on Noble. I'm exploring tech paths that support both, so I can commit a little later to one strategy.

Her it is:
Mysticism --> Meditaiton -->Bronzeworking -->Priesthood -->Writing -->Code of Laws -->Alphabet -->Drama -->Music -->Philosophy (if for pacifism or if I need Taoism).

Others to trade for or research depending on situation: Agriculture, the Wheel & Pottery (trade for early or research early), Animal Husbandry, Archery, Hunting, Horseback Riding.

My strategy is:

1) an early UU rush (Immortals, Quechua, etc) with Axemen,
2) Settling mixed with early conquest for expansion.
3) Assess situation and either catch up on war techs or go for cultural victory.

 

[Binky123]

Here's what I've been doing lately with Gandhi:

1) Hinduism - for obvious reasons
2) Bronze working - worker chop
3) Straight for priesthood - for oracle
4) Writing - so that alphabet appears
5) Build oracle when writing finishes using worker chop

Then I choose alphabet as my free tech, and trade everyone for all of the other techs that I passed up.

You can also do a similar build if you aren't Gandhi:
1) Bronze working - worker chop
2) Straight for priesthood again - oracle
3) Writing
4) Oracle tech = alphabet

you can use your great prophet from the oracle to research theology (assuming you research monotheism and hinduism before then).

 

[Sir Toma]

My usual stratagy on Noble-Prince is
1. Hunting (if i don't start with it)
2. Mystism (If i don't start with it
3. Archery (i'm crazy about defense)
4. Masonry
5. Polythesium (usually founded by now but i go for judaism)
6. Monotheism (Religion)
7. Mining (if i don't start with it)
8. Bronze working
9. Worker techs and preist hood

This gives me the ability to see copper before i place my 3rd city, an early religion, archers very early on, and a good run at some of the early wonders. The only thing wrong with it is that workers rarely have much to do for a while which is okay for me as i usually produce a few settlers first

 

[Joh]

I tend to go straight to the military techs. After all, why bother with settlers or religions when you can just take someone elses cities?

 

[Gufnork]

I have no standard strategy. It depends on starting civ, starting area, difficulty, special rules, etc.

The tech your Great Prophet will discover next is Divine Right. Actually, it will only give you most of it I think, you'll have to complete it yourself.

 

[seraphism]

Mining, Bronze Working, Polythiesm, (next bit depends on my location and other factors but i may either shoot for judaism or ignore religion for now and tech to priesthood for oracle). With the oracle it's a tossup between code of laws and alphabet. If i dont' have a relgion and there isn't a religous bloc already formed i go for code of laws if not i grab alphabet.

 

[eg577]

For me I always research any bonus tile improvement techs that my capitol needs first, then bronze working. I skip all religious techs and conquer my neighborhood at ironworking. Therefore I continue to ignore religious techs and stick to the top of the tech tree to get marketplaces, courthouses, and bureaucracy quickly. After bureaucracy it is a beeline for macemen and another war.

 

[Thalassicus]

Playing as Qin Shi Huang (Ind/Fin) I usually go straight for Bronze Working for worker chop, then Priesthood and Pottery. I oracle Metal Working for forges (half cost for industrious), and unlock cottages for the financial trait. If there's Stone or Marble nearby I add in Masonry somewhere, depending on how far away it is.

I usually get Forges by the time my first chop-rushed settler has an established second city (with rushed obelisk and worker), and build a forge in both for an early +25% production bonus. It's even better if on the coast; after a forge the Colossus can be built for a massive 4c on water tiles (combined with the Financial trait).

 

[Bezurn]

My favorite tech lines looks vaguely like this

* = if not starting tech, get first so worker has something to do

Wheel / Mining / Agriculture (depends what I need most at starting spot)*

Animal Husbandry or Pottery -> Mystsism / Polytheism -> Priesthood -> Writing -> Masonry (if there is stone nearby) -> Code of Laws (finish oracle near the same turn this is complete -> Get Civil Service for FREE!! -> Alphabet to trade others the many techs you missed.

Depending on the starting location and civ I go for this on noble quite often and get it. This tech line is extremly helpful if you have a ton of plains around your territory that you need to irrigate.

This tech build also has serious flaws and usually doesn't work multiplayer since people waste the oracle for theology or some nonsense Also you are very vunerable to attacks, so sometimes I will throw in archery if barbarians are being a problem.

However, you get Confusionism easily, and can pick up Philosphy and Divine Right later for other religions to get additional money for your civ.

 

[Si_Lurker]

1.Mining
2. Bronze working (as worker is being built, I usually build a warrior or equivalent before).
3. Archery (chop few archers)
4. Farming (farms)
5. Wheel (roads)
6. Pottery (cottages)
7. Here somewhere I research mysticism and build stonehenge if I'm not creative, otherwise I skip this part
8. Animal Husbandry
10. Iron Working or Horseback riding (if I need swordsmen early, if I have horses near, if I don't have copper near)
11. Metal Casing, build forges in all cities (build order is usually granary, forge, barracks, latter also courthouse and marketplace)
12. Beline for Construction.

At this stage I usually start conquering the neighbour that has founded my state religion. Usually outer cities fall without catapults, when capital is about to go, first catapults are coming online.

Going for Alphabet instead of Construction is somtimes preferable for tech trading.

 

[anton_z1]

I play with quin
Bronze Working,
Mystisism (To chop the oracle),
Wheel,
Pottery,
Writing (library = culture)
Alphabet.

With alphabet get the rest.

 

[GeneralMikeIII]

I usually go for more economy/in-the-long-run based. First I make sure I can get all the resources in my capitol, especially cows (grassland+cows+pasture= ). Then, archery. Then up to monotheism to get a religion (I only play on noble, so buddism and hinduism are taken but this one tends to still be available. If not-Oracle for Theology) Lastly, bronze and iron working.