First Techs

[Helghallen]

What does everyone make a beeline for when they start a new game? As a builder it would seem to be Centauri Ecology to gain Terraforming ability. But I've been doing some thinking of late and wondering if maybe a beeline to Secrets of the Human Brain is better so that you can get the free techs if you are first. What do momentum and hybrid players think should be the first tech?

[Sir Hawkeye]

My personal tendency would be to get to Doctrine: Air Power as swiftly as is convenient. Air power is the most revolutionary military advance in the game. Its one of those things that makes tech advantage worthwhile.
As a Green faction I'd go for Centauri Meditation. The Xenoempathy Dome is incredibly important when fungus is abundant. You can replace all your roads between bases with fungus!

"Veri reges ex ignite venint."
-Rale Hawkeye

[big_canuk]

The "typical" builder 1st beeline is to Industrial Automation. Crawlers, jumpkick your growth, like nothing else, except possibly a pop boom (which is difficult without crawlers)

The second "typical" builder beeline is to restriction lifting techs, ie, to Environmental Economics. Tree-farms allow easy and effective pop-booms.

Builder sidetrips may be to Biogenetics early if Morgan, or to Social Psych early if UoP (try IA first still)

Hybrid players, may make a sidetrip to D:Flex and/or to Centari Empathy (for the EG). Pop booms are also possible in coastal bases with kelp farms and Gene Spicing.

Momentum players may beeline for D:Mobility, and Nonlinear Math, for an impact rover rush, or IA first, then SFF and D:AP for a noodle rush. There is little to gain in going D:AP direct, cause if you get there first, the others won't be far behind, and will have vastly higher productive capability.

[Sikander]

I agree with Big Canuck mostly. My first tech is always Centauri Ecology for the formers, then it's off to Industrial Automation for crawlers. Then SOTHB for Trance (+ tanks and recreation commons) and finally restrictions lifted. Then it's off to the races for fusion, with an occaisional sidestep to get techs for SPs that the AI is threatening to build.