The Tech Tree Strategy...

No matter who I play, civics is my first tech.  It's simply far too useful to go for anything else.  After that, if I'm playing a faction with the Enchanters trait (I almost never play anything else), I rush Spellbooks so my sovereign can become a murderous archmage of doom.  Then it's back to civilization techs until I feel like giving my sov some supporting henchmen.  Warfare techs I almost completely ignore.

I go for knowledge unless I"m trying a rush strategy in which case I go for leather working.

Knowledge, simply because it makes everything else quicker to get.  I usually go up Civics through Administration, Trading, and Agriculture, then switch to Magic (if I'm running Pariden) or Military (everybody else) for a bit.  Then it's back to Civics.  You can't really succeed by sticking with only one tree.  You have to mix and match, according to a strategy tailored for your race and leader.

Same here.  Wealthy is really the only trait that alters my early game strategy very much.  Depending on faction, starting near iron or mounts can entice me up the Warfare tree as well.  Similarly, a starting location rich in shards or crystal may instigate me to begin by researching Magic.

mining-administration-costruction

then here sometimes i make changes

if i play a heavy magic based sov i take shard harvest

if im going with some warrior and i didnt get many drops early i might take leatherworking to pimp up my champions

if i spot a very good lvl 5 champions i go to take it (but its very rare since most of them sux)

then i get 3 4 more civics tech, and then i start warfare for mounts and archery

Well, I'm pleasantly surprised to see people actually doing semi-different tech tree strategies. 

I go for Civics->Knowledge->Trading to start every time.  I really like the roads between cities.  After that, it kind of depends on who I'm playing and whether or not I have access to crystal or metal.  Cooperation is also very important to me.

For Magnar you do Knowledge, Leather, Training, Drills, Weapons, Blacksmithing. Just enough weapons to tech to get spear slaves, then go after civics and magic for economy. 

why spear slave, i just use slaves to sacrifice them

Yep, it really depends on nation and situation, but I almost always go knowledge first. With Kraxis maybe Civics. I also like to build an early spearmen unit also now after the hero nerfs. Especially if I don't get any units for free while exploring, or have heroes that can't summon anything.

When it comes to the civilization tree, I tend to go for production techs first, then things that gives science, then other things like trade and economy. 

Slaves have no wages. You can build dozens of armies at no cost. The only trick is to find an Earth Mage to cast Enchanted Hammers and Set In Stone. Then you can train about one unit per turn. 

It would be nice if all six starting techs could be viable choices for strategy in the game. As is, Civics, Knowledge, Trading. Everytime. Nothing else comes close.

In addition, the magic tree is lacking. Imo, a bit more duration should be added to champion levelups, and then abilties added to the champion techs that grant bonus xp to reign that balance back in. That way, you can choose: Civilzation, Military, Heroes as focus points. It feels like magic should have been mixed in through all the tech trees: Shard Havesting, and other magic structures in the civilation tree. Monster recruiting and elemental summoning in the military tech tree. Spells and enchantments in the Heroes tech tree. But alas, that would mean an entire redo of the tech trees....unlikely to happen.

they are like ants at my eyes, i just use and throw them away when im done

It also depends though on what world you start with. In some of my games I need to get up to weapons very fast in order to have decent city defense. 

because you made early monsters more aggressive?

mid-term technology really depends on map layout, but after some playthroughs I usually go:

1: Civics. (Civ Tech)
2: Knowledge, then Mining (Both civ techs)
3: Training, then leatherworking (Both Warfare Techs)
4: If I have horses, then horsetech, if not then go to 5:

5: Pump civ technology until you reach: Education, Cooperation. (Both Civ Techs)

From here it varies a lot, meaby magic tech, meaby go for craftmanship, meaby more warfare tech.

Sincerely
~ Kongdej

Hmm... Now that city level adds real resources, Civics might be more valuable for that +1 faction prestige. When you start with 6 Grain at least it would be a good choice.

Civics, and knowledge

Sincerely
~ Kongdej

I start with Civics (for rushing), then go to Mounted Combat and then Leatherworking to increase the speed and armor of my sovereign.  Speed is king in this game.  Once I'm moving 4 per turn I can level so much faster (and, as a Beastmaster, the beasts I tame mostly move 4, so they can keep up), and I'm too busy building pioneers to build a Study.  After that Knowledge and Trading for roads.

Thanks for all the feedback. It looks like there is more variety, than I was expecting or what other people in the forums indicated. I'm gonna try some of these different strategies out to see if they fit well with my play style.

I generally hit up Civics, Leatherworking, go grab some roads to link my cities, and then a balanced approach across all 3. It is kind of situational depending on the set of circumstances. I generally do not make it to end game techs because the game is over by then. That has more to do with ACT III and the entirely quick way of disposing with AI factions.