
Originally Posted by
elthrasher
If you do so without the aid of a GS, you're typically not saving yourself very much (10 beakers only). Sometimes you can get to Steam and have tanks 2 turns later, yup. In those cases, if you have the money you need to rush a couple tank armies to go with your cruiser fleet, then you should do it. But, I mean, that game is totally in the bag. Tanks first. Lots of money. You'd have to try to lose.
There are plenty of games where there's a sizeable gap between getting Steam and Combustion. With no GS, it could easily be like 9 turns and you may not have the money to rush two tank armies. 9 turns could be the difference between facing archers and a few scattered pikemen or facing vet riflemen armies holding you off until your enemy (who went and got Industrialization first) beats you back with his own tanks and cruisers.
The faster you can go on a strong offensive, the faster you can disrupt your enemies' plans.