This poll was created on Sunday, June 23 2002 at 00:20 GMT and will end in three days on Tuesday, June 26 2002 at 00:20 GMT.
OPTIONS:
- IRON WORKING
- ALPHABET
- THE WHEEL
- MYSTICISM
- POTTERY
PURPOSE OF POLL:
Currently, Bronze Working has 0 turns left and a new civilization advance must be researched.
The purpose of this poll is to determine which civilization advance will be researched next.
CURRENT SITUATION:
Currently, Bronze Working has been researched therefore giving us the Spearman defensive unit (1.2.1) and allowing us the option of researching Iron Working.
Furthermore, we have traded Ceremonial Burial (Temples, Required for Mysticism) with the french in exchange for Warrior Code (Archers, required for Monarchy government).
CLARIFICATION: We did have the oppritunity to trade Ceremonial Burial for Bronze Working, however that was rejected in favor of a better deal.
I will now proceed to list advantages and disadvantages for each advance. Note that I am not taking into account advance cost, trading, improvement or wonder cost.
IRON WORKING
Iron Working is an advance that gives us the Swordsmen (3.2.1) unit. This unit is a powerful offensive and defensive unit that can crush enemies with ease.
This advance also opens the doorway to the Construction advance which gives us Colloseum (Happiness improvement), Aqueduct (Growth improvement), Great Wall (Great Wonder), and the Build Fortress worker command.
However, in order to get to construction, we would have to research Alphabet and Mathematics beforehand, along with Iron Working.
Additionally, the Swordsmen unit requires Iron. Currently, our only hope of Iron rests in a sole mountain, which more than likely does not have iron. However if it does, it would give us access to a powerful unit.
ALPHABET
Although providing no advantages of its own, Alphabet is the civilization advance that is required for writing and mathematics. Writing, after researched allows us to research Literature (Great Library Wonder, Library City Improvement), Code of Laws (Courthouse City Improvement, Required for Republic), Map Making (Galley Unit, Harbour City Improvement, Great Lighthouse Wonder), Philosophy (Required for Republic), and eventually the Republic form of government. Writing also allows us to establish an embassy with other Civilizations, which allows us the Investigate City option, and the Steal Technology option.
Mathematics gives us the Catapult bombardment unit, and allows us to research Currency (Marketplace City Improvement), and Construction (Aqueduct City Improvement, Colloseum City Imrpovement, Great Wall Wonder, Fortress Worker Command). Construction is assuming that Iron Working has already been researched.
Again, Alphabet is required for all of these Civilization Advances.
However, there is an alternative. The French have aquired the secrets of Alphabet and therefore this opens up the possibility of trading with them. However, we do not have much to trade. We could also resort to the Military. We could take their cities, and extort them for all of their advances which includes Alphabet.
The only disadvantage of alphabet is that it does not provide any immediate benefits. No defensive or offensive units, no wonders, no improvements. Therefore, if we were to research alphabet I would recommend that we have a research goal.
THE WHEEL
The Wheel is a Military advance which gives us access to the War Chariot Unique Unit (2.1.2), and is required for Horseback Riding.
Horseback Riding should not be weighed heavily when deciding whether to research this advance or not, as the Horseback Riding advance gives us the Horseman, a 2.1.2 unit. As you can see, this is exactly what the War Chariot is, and therefore makes Horseback Riding a useless tech.
Because The Wheel gives us access to the War Chariot, we can start our golden age by defeating our enemies using it. The Golden Age would speed up research, production, and income for 20 turns allowing us the advantage of building units, improvements and wonders much more quickly.
However, the War Chariot unit cannot go through Jungle and therefore would limit our ability to use it unless we spent the time making roads, and by that time the War Chariot may no longer be an effective unit.
Also, the Golden Age it provides may also be of no benefit. Because of the sheer number of improvements, wonders, and units in the Middle Ages, most golden ages are preffered to happen in the Middle Ages. A golden age in the ancient era may be a waste, and we can never recover it again.
Also, War Chariot requires Horses, and there is a low chance that we have horses within our territory.
MYSTICISM
Mysisticsm is a religious advance that provides only two things: The Oracle Wonder, and it is required for Polytheism (which is required for Monarchy and The Hanging Gardens).
The Oracle is a happiness wonder that I believe doubles the effect of all temples. However, depending on the avalibility of trade for luxuries, the luxry slider, and the number of entertainers this may not be a problem for us. But at this difficulty level, it may be a problem for us.
What's bad about the Oracle is that there is a possibility it could trigger a golden age because it is a religious wonder. This golden age may be wasted or it may not be depending on situational circumstances.
However, if we pass over this advance we run the risk that another Civilization builds the Oracle and reaps its benefits.
POTTERY
Pottery is a civilization advance that is required for Map Making (along with Writing and Alphabet) and it provides the Granary City Improvement.
This improvement will speed up growth, however, it will also speed up the time for unhappiness. Unhappiness can effectively shut down an empire as a city in civil disorder produces no shilds and no commerce. Therefore the city becomes useless. And if unrest stays for long enough, it could pledge alligence to another Civilization and therefore we would have effectively lost a city.
