Early research for builders/hybrids at higher difficulty levels

[joncnunn]

On Emperor:

If Commerical, I'll reseach Writing first at the minimum that gets 1 breaker towards it for the 40 turns. Even this slow, it often results is being the first to get it because it's a low AI priority.

Yeah, if non-expanionist, 100% to Pottery is often a good idea.

If Expanionist (and so you have Pottery) and non-commerical (so you can't reserach Writing first), then even the one beaker with 10% may be a waste for the first tech if you have contact with an AI. But you are likely to get at least one free tech from a goody huts as Expanionist, I recomend to check with the AIs to buy all techs if affordable (starting with the cheapest) right before poping a hut which should it result in a tech could be sold or at the very least getting a more expensive tech than you otherwise would have.

[Fatwreck]

I always go for litterature... if you are a commerical civ you´re guaranteed to get writing and litrerature first... at least on emperor

[Brundlefly]

Being isolated on an island at higher difficulty levels (Emperor and above) is a big disadvantage. That means you have to research Mapmaking on your own, build galleys and go out and find the others. By the time you do that the others are so far ahead of you in tech and power, you might as well start over.

The Pottery idea is good as a first tech to research. I had always just gone to 10% science right from the start, but your idea is better.

[Arrian]

I will usually do pottery @ 100%, and then, depending on whom I've met (or if I've not met anyone), I will decide which techs to research so that I get techs the AI will probably not have, allowing me to trade mine for theirs (often this means polytheism for CoL/Philo, but sometimes it's mathematics instead).

I make a point of trading masonry away to everyone ASAP (if I have it), in the hopes that one of my neighbors will build the pyramids for me. Of course, that's because I fully intend to conquer them, so I'm not a builder/hybrid, really.

-Arrian

[Vlado]

I beeline for Litterature and try as hard as I can for the GL. Mindyou, my beeline is going for these tech straight on with 10-20% (eg minimum for the 40 turns)...

[Harovan]

I usually research Pottery (unless I'm expansionist) at 100% as well.

If I met at least one civ during research, I set my research to zero afterwards (not even 10%) and whore myself through the ancient age. Works mostly a charm, up to emperor. At the end of the ancient age I'm usually among the tech leaders and still the richest civ of all.

If I did not meet a civ, I may be on an island. So I continue a beeline for Map Making (Alphabet next), usually at 100% too, even if it still lasts 40 turns. This number will eventually go down with city growth and roads built. Even if I meet a neighbor by then, I continue research at 100%, until I can trade for Alphabet. I'll get a discount for the research done, so the money isn't entirely lost.

As soon as I have contact and at least Writing, I make the purchase of communications a priority over advances, because it makes purchasing techs cheaper.

[Gufnork]

What do you research. I generally go for Pottery as first tech (unless I feel I can get it quickly from neighbours), then Mysticism, both with 100% research. After that I drop my research down to minimum and go for Polytheism. The reason is that Polytheism is a very expensive tech that you're almost guaranteed to get first, despite it taking 40 turns. When I have it I can trade all the techs the AI has researched, if I had the luck to encounter enough civilizations. Since I can't compete with the comp in tech race, this is my way of keeping up until I'm done REXing and start preparing for war with knights or cavalry, depending on settings.

Does anyone have a better idea?