Tech decision

[binTravkin]

On turn 54 (next turn) we will have to choose next tech to research.
Available options:

Masonry (4)
Machinery
Polytheism
Meditation
Archery
Horseback Riding
Writing (6)
Fishing(4)

Analysis:

Techs we can drop off the list for now (no benefit after researched):
Archery
Polytheism
Meditation
Archery
Horseback Riding

That leaves us with:
Masonry
Machinery
Writing
Fishing

If we're planning to build our 3rd city near the discovered iron site, Fishing is of little importance to us until we produce next settler.

Machinery is too long to start right now and some plans are to get it by GE

Masonry is a viable option, if we're planning to build Lighthouse now (and we should really decide which goes first - Lighthouse or Colossus, and Im personally in favour of Lighthouse because it's easier and sooner available to others, we dont have 2 production bonuses for it and its bonus becomes big in midgame).
However, if we're going to further farm GEs at Beijing, it's probably not so good to build the Lighthouse there, not to spoil the odds of GE appearance, which means we'd probably need to build another coastal city first.

EDIT: actually I forgot, that GL needs both fishing and sailing so it's lower on priority list (but fishing->sailing should probably come after writing)

Writing - this choice would be just big for us as we're being the best at research and with the addition of library in Beijing, we would be having yet +4-5 more gold in research instantly (and more later).
This implies readjusting the tech deal with Bananas proposal and imo it's worth it (some 20-25 more turns of increased research, which could translate in 150 beakers or more).
In, fact, if we opt to use our GE for Pyramids instead of Machinery, our tech rate by the time could be good enough to get machinery by researching it right after Bananas get Alphabet and tech exchange happens


Your thoughts?

[ForesterSOF]

Writing

[N35t0r]

Yup, writing

We'll also be able to sign open borders with the nanas and trade, as soon as we finish a road towards them = more commerce

[PJayTycy]

Yes, but I think the bananas are already researching writing...

If we will also research Alphabet, we should inform the bananas we want to completely reverse the deal, or create a complete new agreement.

If we won't research Alphabet ourselves, we can tell the bananas we found a *solution* for the unballanced tech exchange : they don't need to give us Writing.

[N35t0r]

we should contact them then...

[binTravkin]

Yes, but I think the bananas are already researching writing...

If we will also research Alphabet, we should inform the bananas we want to completely reverse the deal, or create a complete new agreement.

If we won't research Alphabet ourselves, we can tell the bananas we found a *solution* for the unballanced tech exchange : they don't need to give us Writing.

We can trade for Alphabet if they do and we should tell them about *solution* asap if they really do writing now, although I expect we'll arrive on it on the same time and they'd research it anyway - their research really needs some boost.
We should also be more careful about what techs we include in our future deal proposals - crucial ones should be excluded as much as possible.

[Impaler[WrG]]

Lighthouse would probably be the first build imediatly followed by Collosus. Building the LightHouse in a different city is a nice idea and one I had not considered. We would need to found a second coastal city soon, if its a strong enough play would could go for the other coastal rice city (site #6 by BinTravin) its got good hills and food and could be wholey divoted to the Lighthouse.

Writing sounds like a good move, I'll endorse it, for Tech trading we definatly want to get incontact with Bananas to see if they have started it. Alphabet is big tech and we still want them to research it.

[Maniac]

I'd vote for Masonry or Fishing. No need to blow up a good deal with the Bananas. Besides, we have plenty of other good stuff to build at the moment.

Also, we seem to be constantly delaying the Kolos construction plans.

[-SafaN-]

yup fishing/sailing here too

we need to get that lighthouse started asap, and we also need more commerce

[binTravkin]

I'd vote for Masonry or Fishing. No need to blow up a good deal with the Bananas. Besides, we have plenty of other good stuff to build at the moment.

It doesn't blow the deal up, it even makes it better for them as if we remove AH from our side and they remove writing, they have to research 30 beakers less.

Also - nothing can give us such a boost in research atm as Library:

Colossus:
Our happiness is too low to use any sea squares at Beijing and much of them aren't likely to be used very soon even in our next city.
Besides, as we're pretty sure noone has Metal Casting yet and only one other team has a coastal city (Mercs), we could build Library and then Colossus without too much endangering our contruction of it.

GL:
Currently it wont have any effect on us - we only have 1 city to trade with (Beijing-Tassagrad) and could not possibly have any more trade routes.
Even after acquisition of a trade route between us and Bananas, the best we can get is +2 gold (+2 trade routes for Beijing, +0 for Tassagrad and any other cities) for quite some time, while library would give at least double that.


As you said yourself, emphasize your strenghts not your weaknesses and our strongest point versus other teams now is research..

[binTravkin]

Actually, if we're not to spoil the odds of GE appearing, we shouldn't be finishing either of the Colossus and Lighthouse in Beijing before GE is done.
We can even build one or both of them to the point, where we can switch back and finish in the endturn once GE is done - that way we could make appearance as if we used GE for the wonder.

[N35t0r]

We'll waste a lot of shields while one is almost finished and the other one is being built... Shields slowly decay.

I'd go for funding city 6 next and using that for GL + Colossus.

[Lacero]

I think we found out that shields (minerals, hammers..) don't decay (unlike research). Can someone confirm?

As you said yourself, emphasize your strenghts not your weaknesses and our strongest point versus other teams now is research..

and it's our favoured way of winning To alpha centauri, and beyond!

[binTravkin]

We'll waste a lot of shields while one is almost finished and the other one is being built... Shields slowly decay.

Building decay starts in 50 turns and unit in 10 (as per Blake), so it shouldn't be a problem.

[Maniac]

Originally posted by binTravkin
As you said yourself, emphasize your strenghts not your weaknesses and our strongest point versus other teams now is research..

Techs are worthless if you can't use them.