Hey all, I've been noticing that a majority of games of EL, I've been more or less doing the same research path over and over again while skipping the same techs as well. Here's a list of techs I generally research in their various eras and I was wondering what're some veteran's thoughts on the matter.



E1

always: Language Square, Mill Foundry, Cultivation, Empire Mint, Sewer System, Mercenary Market (usually not researched in E1 but picked up in E2-3)

usually: Extractors (strat/lux depending on amount found, 2+ = research), Topography/Public Library depending on terrain.



E2 (I find this era has a good amount of variety but I usually tend to research public granary, imperial coinage a majority of instances)

always: Meritocratic Promotion, Hydrology, Glory of Empire, Central Market, Imperial Highway, Native District

usually: Imperial Coinage, Prisoners (discount tech), Public Granary, Alchemy Workshop, Alchemical Armor



E3: (I usually catch up with some T1-2 techs around here)

always: Smelting Station, Dust Alchemy, Dust Refinery, Public Works, Skoros, Uncommong Armor

usually: Reaping Station, Bread and Circus, Highway Outposts. Statistical Methods



E4: (I always research the same thing ...)

Signal Corps, Rare Metal Foundry, Advanced Harvester, Borer's Guild, Cultural Indoctrination, Brigade System, Fotios, Gios



E5:

always: Improved Dust Alchemies, Town Crier, Modernized Administration, Scientific Specialization, Marvelous Alloys, Marvelous Armor, Arts Council/State-Approved Theatre

usually: Atmos or Neros (usually whichever one I have extra), Dust-enhanced Buildings

E1

Always - Language Square, Public Library, Mill Foundry, Empire Mint, Sewer System, Strat Extractor, Topography, Seed Storage

Eventually - Lux Extractor, Mercenary Market

Maybe - Aquapulvistics



E2

Always - Hydrology, Central Market, Glory of Empire, Meritocratic Promotion, Factional Unit/Assimilation slot, Strategic Armor, Strategic Weapons

Eventually - Public Granary, Right of Way, Alchemy Workshop, Management Sciences, Factional Unit/Assimilation slot, Imperial Coinage, The one with the defense National

Maybe - Food from water, Buyout discount, ships



E3

Always - Strat extractor, Dust Alchemy, Lux Extractor, Statistical Methods, Strategic Weapons, Strategic Armors, Bread and circus

Eventually - Plow Factory, Public Works, Dust Refinery, Highway Outposts

Maybe - Cargo Docks, Science from water, Borough Government



E4

Always - Strat extractor, Signal Corps, Lux Extractor, Borer´s Guild, The one with food from district during winter, Brigade System, gios/fotios

Eventually - Assimilation Slot, Strat Weapons, Endless Mechanisms, Gios/fotios



E5

Always - Town Criers, Modernized Administration, Strat Weapons and Armors.

A newb question: Why Language Square? Can't you just destroy all minor faction villages? Or is parleying really worth a tech?

You can destroy minor faction villages-- Necrophage aren't bottom tier even though the can't research this tech-- but, yes, Language Square is really worth a tech.

• Easily acquired rewards. Rough Country basically requires zero intervention, and 15 wine means 30% of everything for five turns. Snark and Awe can lead to a reward just by settling on your way to your destination for 10 titan bones (50% industry). An Advanced Civilization is offered only when it's achievable, and leads to another random reward. You don't have to fight to get the reward from Free Our People-- just search and run. Marathon and Way of the Initiate give all-important early scouts for free with zero effort.
• Fast pacifications. Settling already pacified is like settling with 2 Mill Foundries already built.
• Hero experience. You get a good chunk of experience every time your hero parleys meaningfully. Through only parleys, your hero can easily get to level 2 or 3, a high enough level to safely take villages and get the level steamroller going.

The reason Language Square tops these lists isn't because it's more essential than Mill Foundry. It's because when you get those quests, you want them in the regions adjacent to your starting region, so that you can settle a region already pacified. If you wait to research it, it means giving up on exploration (keeping your scouts close) or giving up on free pacifications (by ranging widely).



Here are my typical researches:



Tier 1: Language Square, Merc Market, Mill Foundry, Public Library, Seed Storage, Strategic Extractors, Empire Mint, Topography, Sewer Systems (except Cult)

Tier 2: Hydrology, Glory of Empire, Meritocratic Promotion, Alchemic Armor (otherwise, depends on faction and deeds)

Tier 3: Strategic extractors, Dust Alchemy, Dust Refinery, Uncommon Weapons, Public Works (rest depends)

Tier 4: Brigade System, Strategic Extractors (and by then the game's usually over anyways)



Some comments on what other folks have written:



T2 strat weapons on an as-needed basis only for me

Good T1 luxuries can mean open pit mine in lieu of sewer systems

4000 Dust strat deed usually means Central Market

National Craftworks is the single best improvement in the game for tall empires (ie Cult)

Not usually enough strats around for me to find T3+ accessories superior to T2 accessories

Hydrology and Dust Alchemy are almost entirely for the one-per-empire buildings, I probably wouldn't bother without Guardians

Nature of the game means that brigade system is almost always my first T4 tech as I'm so deep in war by that point that it's the only one that will matter

I'd usually rather keep the cost of changing assimilations cheap than to be able to assimilate two MFs, exceptions maybe for Cult so I can always keep a faction with a good unit assimilated

natev wrote:
You can destroy minor faction villages-- Necrophage aren't bottom tier even though the can't research this tech-- but, yes, Language Square is really worth a tech.

• Easily acquired rewards. Rough Country basically requires zero intervention, and 15 wine means 30% of everything for five turns. Snark and Awe can lead to a reward just by settling on your way to your destination for 10 titan bones (50% industry). An Advanced Civilization is offered only when it's achievable, and leads to another random reward. You don't have to fight to get the reward from Free Our People-- just search and run. Marathon and Way of the Initiate give all-important early scouts for free with zero effort.
• Fast pacifications. Settling already pacified is like settling with 2 Mill Foundries already built.
• Hero experience. You get a good chunk of experience every time your hero parleys meaningfully. Through only parleys, your hero can easily get to level 2 or 3, a high enough level to safely take villages and get the level steamroller going.

The reason Language Square tops these lists isn't because it's more essential than Mill Foundry. It's because when you get those quests, you want them in the regions adjacent to your starting region, so that you can settle a region already pacified. If you wait to research it, it means giving up on exploration (keeping your scouts close) or giving up on free pacifications (by ranging widely).

Thanks for your detailed explanation. I guess I've been playing the game "wrong" - in spite of the fact that I read dozens of guides before buying this game. I thought parleying was primarily used to avoid possible casualties (which can cripple an early army) against a strong MF village.

Also note that if you pacify villages by destroying them, you have to rebuild them before they give benefits, which costs industry. If you pacify through bribe or parley, you save that industry cost.