View Full Version : Does anyone ever use Police State?


SS-18 ICBM
Mar 11, 2006, 03:54 PM
It looks great for a war, with its +25% military unit production and -50% war weariness. So is it worth using?

Gyhth
Mar 11, 2006, 04:33 PM
It's a great asset if you know how to use it. Personally, I'll tend to switch to it afew turns before I declair war, or if I simply feel the need for a unit boost, simply so that if I am declaired on, or if I do declair, I'm not sitting there waiting for the units. If your going to war, it's best to turn to that tech afew turns ahead, simply so that your getting that bonus. Though, it's not the best bonus if your just sitting there in peace, or your playing a peaceful game, it lets you get an extra unit or two, which, depending on your play style and what ones you choose, can turn the tide of the battle.

tombeef
Mar 11, 2006, 05:08 PM
It's a great asset if you know how to use it. Personally, I'll tend to switch to it afew turns before I declair war, or if I simply feel the need for a unit boost, simply so that if I am declaired on, or if I do declair, I'm not sitting there waiting for the units. If your going to war, it's best to turn to that tech afew turns ahead, simply so that your getting that bonus. Though, it's not the best bonus if your just sitting there in peace, or your playing a peaceful game, it lets you get an extra unit or two, which, depending on your play style and what ones you choose, can turn the tide of the battle.

This is right on. Since I go to war a lot, I use Police State a lot.

Rast
Mar 11, 2006, 06:07 PM
With a financial leader, no, never. I'll deal with the war weariness, without Universal Suffrage my financial civ's production ability is just totally crippled. Financial civs can rush-build happy buildings and bump up the culture slider without serious negative effects, which help offset all the :mad: from staying at war for centuries on end)

With any other civ traits, yes, I love Police State - my civ is almost always at war with somebody and jail + Mt Rushmore + Police State you can stay at war forever and never worry about war weariness, and the extra hammers for unit production help a lot too.

PieceOfMind
Mar 11, 2006, 06:24 PM
Unless one had a very low commerce income, I think Universal Suffrage would always be preferable to Police State. It's a shame because I think Police State looks like a very powerful civic for late-game warmongering, but Universal Suffrage just dwarfs it in comparison:( . Having the ability to rush-buy units is what makes it (US) possibly the most useful civic in the game.

And this goes for any civ, not just financial ones.

automator
Mar 11, 2006, 10:38 PM
I finally used Police State for the first time, and with a financial civ. I found that my people just couldn't stand for a long, long, long war, even with jails in all large cities, mt rushmore and a culture slider at 20%+. Then again, I've already discovered the essential techs, so science is not at issue for me (I don't need the future techs and I'm not going to need a spaceship if I destroy everyone else). I've just turned on police state and cranked up the culture slider so I can spend the rest of the game destroying the rest of the world.

Crighton
Mar 13, 2006, 07:33 AM
It doesn't seem to have that financial boost that Facism had back in Call to Power :(

I tend to just run with Representation or Universal Sufferage going.

Conquestador
Mar 13, 2006, 08:27 AM
I'm currently playing a game aiming to a domination victory so i'm using Police State during war time. I usually switch to this civic when i have 3 unhappy faces for war weariness in my bigger cities, and at the same time i switch to nationhood so i have 2 more happy faces in all cities with barracks.
I usually stand with this civics choiches for 20-25 turns then i try to make peace and i switch back to representation/bureocracy to catch up with tech and rebuild the army before another military campaign.
So Police State for me is good for dealing with war weariness for a limited time.

Kalleyao
Mar 13, 2006, 12:03 PM
I only switch to it if I'm using spiritual leader. Otherwise I don't because you can draft units with nationhood, or buy with universal suffrage.

nealhunt
Mar 13, 2006, 02:31 PM
It's great for Spiritual leaders, especially if you build the Pyramids early. Any time you are preparing for war or at war, switch to Police State/Vassallage/Theocracy and crank out monstrous units.

Get done with the war and switch back to more economically productive civics.

Even just for devensive preparations, i.e. stocking up garrison units in my cities, if I am Spiritual I will switch over for a few turns and have several production cities crank out high quality units for the garrisons, then switch back.

Tauro
Mar 13, 2006, 05:24 PM
I use it (with rappresentation) for early conquest with pyramids

AL_DA_GREAT
Apr 03, 2006, 06:34 AM
If you end up in a realy long tough war police state can make a big difference.

Crighton
Apr 03, 2006, 06:40 AM
I've played some modern starts recetly and danged if I wasn't constantly switching back and forth between US and PS. If you don't have the greatest production capacity that 25% boost can come in real handy. It also clamps down on war weariness (I've only had a few games where I have even noticed WW).

chipix
Apr 03, 2006, 06:52 AM
If I build the Pyramids, I switch to Police State just before rushing an opponent. I produce 1-2 more axemen, which are perfect for my rush.

In the late game I never, because I use the culture slider for preventing war weariness and I have most the times plenty resources.

Smokey McDope
Apr 03, 2006, 10:57 AM
I use it from time to time, it's a lot like nationhood. Real handy when you need it, but hopefully you won't have to use it.

T34
Apr 03, 2006, 07:45 PM
If your at war and your either losing or just need more boots on the ground, police state, theocracy and either vassalage (if you want more promotions) or nationhood (if your able to draft). These three together really can turn the tide. However your bank manager will hate you forever after afew turns.

<nuke>
Apr 03, 2006, 08:11 PM
I use uneversal sufferage before I go to war so I can rush-buy units and then I use Police state to fight war weariness. I think I have cpu glich though. In my games war warriness goes away completely *shrugs shoulders*

Mad Professor
Apr 04, 2006, 05:21 PM
I use uneversal sufferage before I go to war so I can rush-buy units and then I use Police state to fight war weariness. I think I have cpu glich though. In my games war warriness goes away completely *shrugs shoulders*

I've used it only in one game where I switched off all victory methods except conquest to get some battle practice. I used it almost constantly in that game. I too noticed that it removed battle weariness completely. I don't know if there's some other thing in the game that cauwsed the -50% to become -100% or whether it's a bug. I too, just shrugged my shoulders and enjoyed it.

colony
Apr 04, 2006, 05:49 PM
I've only used it a couple of times, for the WW reduction, but I don't build the Pyramids very often and go all out for a military win at the same time, so normally the only time I use it is when I capture the Pyramids. I don't miss the 25% bonus to unit production most of the time, but before Jails and Mt Rushmore there isn't much else you can do to reduce WW, which is the bonus I really like about it. If you don't have the Pyramids then I tend to find that Fascism is discovered too late to really make a difference to the result of the game.

In fact the only time I think it gave me more of a benefit over Representation or US was in GOTM3 when I was desperately trying to finish the game before the AI got Riflemen.

Most of the time when I'm at war I'll stay in HR because I just don't have the Pyramids. It's a lot of hammers early on I'd rather spend on Workers or units