OFFICIAL: What to research after Writing?

[Locutus]

We're 2 turns away from finishing Writing. What should we research next?

There are a total of 5 advances available as soon as Writing is completed, but the game gives us at most 4 options (at random AFAIK). So it may be possible that the winner of this poll is not actually a choice when the issue comes up in the game. In that case probably the runner-up will be researched. You're encouraged to post your vote in this thread and also (especially) what your second choice would be.

Drama gives us Theater and leads to Philosophy (and from there to Monarchy and Geometry). Jurispredence gives us Chicken Pizza Chichen Itza and Courthouse and leads to Trade (edit: and is eventually required for Monarchy as well - thanks for pointing that out MrBaggins). Stone Working gives us City Wall, Fortification and Pyramids (and leads to Masonry (Aquaduct, Great Wall)). Shipbuilding gives us Coracle and Nets and Slavery gives us Slavers and Mines.

Since the invention of Writing is still 2 turns away I can't say how many turns researching these advances will take so I listed the cost in science points instead, to give some idea on how 'expensive' these techs are compared to each other.

This poll will expire in 3 days (Fri 14 Feb, ~23:40 GMT)

[mapfi]

I think Ship Building can easily be ruled out. Personally I'm divided between belining for monarchy, get stone working for city walls or slave labour. With decreasing likeliness. It rather depends on our future plans - aggressive attacking? Then stone working will be useless because we will concentrate on building units so go for monarchy asap or maybe slave labour. Securing defences - then so go for stone working. Building units like crazy but no plans for attacking anyone - go for slave labour.

I vote for the monarchy choice (drama) because quite frankly I don't see the WP giving our nation a rest.

[HuangShang]

i voted for slavery, but monarchy is very enticing

[Tamerlin]

Our nation needs a new government that will, at last, tend to the needs of our citizens. We must follow the path to Monarchy.

[MrBaggins]

I understand that the APP is for permissiveness and lawlessness... and have to strongly disagree with their choice.

Jurisprudence is required for Monarchy... which would allow us to do something about the rampant lawlessness and the waste it causes... and leads us to the valuable Trade improvement allowing us to further develop our core cities, and provide us the opportunity to both develop our defence and push further on into Austria.

What use are theatres to make our citizens happy when 30% or more of their production is lost to crime. The APP are in favor of letting the criminals run riot, and then providing them with entertainment!

I feel that those who care to make such decisions should be better informed.

MrBaggins

[HuangShang]

yeah so Jurisprudence was my second option

[MrBaggins]

My second choice was Slave Labor

[HuangShang]

well drama's winning, so i'd like to remind every one that it isnt the only prerequisite for monarchy and also that it will take too long!

[Dinner]

Monarchy

[MrBaggins]

Duuuuhhh

There are two prequisites that we need for Monarchy... people.

You can either choose the hippy peacenik route and go with Drama... and get a +1 happiness improvement... or the Jurisprudence route and reduce the crippling 30% crime rate...

Select below to see a spoiler:

Spoiler:

Jurisprudence is the one to get.

MrBaggins

[mapfi]

nah, who's not telling the whole truth here? Our fellow WP spokesman, MrBaggins. You just want to go for iron works to get Samurai for an attacking army and for that you need trade.

Actually, it doesn't make much of a difference if we choose drama or juridprudence. We're not going to build either courthouses (27% crime instead of 30%, come on!) or theaters, nor are we needing any roads in the short run. So it mostly depends on what choice we're presented with and how many turns to get it. I'd still prefer drama because I want to avoid having an arguement about the line to Monarchy each time.

[Gilgamensch]

Haven't changed my mind:

We need the tools to convince our rebellious brother's and sister's to work for us. Therefore I have choosen Slavery.

Just think of what we already missed *whine*.

We could have already convinced them quite a long time ago. But it looks like, that people here do not care about our misleaded fellowers............

[Locutus]

(Hmm, how did I overlook that Trade prerequisite for Philosophy? )

I think we all agree that with 5 cities under our control and crime running rampant, it's imperative that we get to Monarchy very soon (the only possible arguments to not beeline for it ASAP could be City Walls and Slavers/Mines).

So the question is, should we research Drama or Jurisprudence/Trade first? Let's look at the advances available:

Drama is the most expensive advance in this list, so in that respect it would be best to wait a while and let our cities grow before starting on it: then we can finish it all the sooner next time around. The Theater building it enables isn't particularly useful: we need to pump out units right now, Theaters aren't very useful when you're dead. However, Drama does enable Entertainers as well. That could be a major advantage in keeping the happiness in our new cities in check without forcing us to sacrifice the economic strength of the older ones.

Jurisprudence is the cheapest of the advances required for Monarchy, so in that sense it would be logical to pick it up now: then we can reap its advantages ASAP. On the other hand, the only things it enables are Chichen Itza and Courthouse, neither of which is very helpful right now (A wonder is the last thing we should be building right now and: -3 Crime or 2 Hoplites? Not a very tough choice if you ask me...)

Trade is about equally expensive as Drama, so in that sense it might be good to wait a while before starting it, but fortunately it has Jurisprudence as prerequisite so we couldn't start it now if we wanted to. It offers Via Appia, Bazaar, Caravans and Roads. Building Via Appia or a Bazaar is a bad idea (see Chichen Itza/Courthouse). Caravans are very useful to have and enable the 3rd part of my job () but at this time we probably won't get much of a chance to build them anyway. Roads however *are* useful: we have some PW to spend and our lines to the battlefield could in some cases be shorter than they currently are.

There's one other thing to consider, possibly more important than all of the above: in our quest for Monarchy, the list of advances we get to choose from isn't always complete. Right now we have 5 advances that are researchable but only 4 will be available. If we research Drama now, it could well be that Jurisprudence isn't an option the next time we have to choose an advance. However, if we go for Jurisprudence now, we'll have the choice between Jurisprudence and Drama next time. It's unlikely that both will be unavailable.


So based on all this, I'd say go for Jurisprudence first (cheap, gives us more options next time) and, if possible, Trade after that (Roads are the only actual benefit at this point). But I still believe Slavery is a very important advance as well, so I'm tied between Jurisprudence and Slave Labour. I voted for the former but I may yet change my mind...

[mapfi]

Jee, forgot the entertainers - that's a big arguement for drama, but so is the one about the 4 choices Loc - now I am glad I voted already and don't have to decide again...

[J Bytheway]

Jurisprudence, secondly drama.