Emp/Deity beelines?

[Fistleaf]

On Emperor level, I can't catch up with the AI on techs until at least the middle of the Industrial Age. I sell luxuries or strategic resources for techs every 20 turns. This works until the industrial ages when the techs become very expensive. In between the 20 turns, I set science at 50% and research the outdated techs at 1 tech/4 turns (even at Despotism).

[jgflg]

On Deity I don't even bother researching anything until the late medieval age. I just set my science to 0. In the games I've played, I'm so far behind the tech leaders, almost from the start, that I won't make it to any part of tree before them. I've always been at least two or three "branches" behind everyone else until I start taking techs from other civs through war. It's basically a catch-up game until the early industrial age. Even if you set science to 100% I'm not sure that you could do it and avoid getting crushed by invading armies at the same time.

Maybe on Emperor, but even then it might prove difficult unless you're playing a small map where the civs are seperated so contact comes later and there aren't that many civs. I don't think you get enough trading leverage with the earlier techs to make it a worthwhile pursuit anyway. Just let them do the research for you and then share their wealth.

[Kinjiru]

When playing at the lower levels, determining your beeline for whatever tech you desire is easy, just select the tech on the tree and wait.

However, at Emporer/Deity, when AI is often out researching you, especially in the Ancient and Medevial eras, I don't think this is the best route to go.

Instead if you can determine what research path the other civs are taking, you can research something else for which you can trade.

As an example, if you wanted to get to Monarchy as fast as possible, it might be better to research down the path to Republic first because the militaristic civs will almost certainly be going down the path to Monarchy straight away.

So, taking this into account, what really are the most productive beelines to the techs everyone wants (Republic, Theology, Astronomy, Metallurgy, etc.)