We all know allying CS can make a crucial change to your game,so what type of CS do you find the most important?Personally I value culture CS the most in the early game,allying them can DOUBLE your culture in the early game and potentially equals two more policies before rationalism!I also love maritime CS as well,because growth is the very foundation of your empire.What else do you like?Let us hear your opinion.
What type of CS do you value the most?
- Thread starter Ronza149
- Start date
Early game: religious or cultural. I tend to start having trouble completing the 5th policy in tradition in a timely manner on epic speed so at this point (around t80-100) I'll start pursuing cultural city states.
Mid game: cultural. Maritime is very useful as well but without cultural CS allies I often look at times of 30 turns between policies. I can send food caravans to my capital to offset the loss from a maritime CS.
Late game: Maritime just shades it as it allows for more specialists. By this stage my guilds are fully worked, grest works are filling up and Sistine Chapel is boosting culture enough to not really require cultural CS allies.
Mid game: cultural. Maritime is very useful as well but without cultural CS allies I often look at times of 30 turns between policies. I can send food caravans to my capital to offset the loss from a maritime CS.
Late game: Maritime just shades it as it allows for more specialists. By this stage my guilds are fully worked, grest works are filling up and Sistine Chapel is boosting culture enough to not really require cultural CS allies.
darkpigraph
Chieftain
They are all extremely useful. In most cases maritime takes firm top spot followed by cultural. However, if there's a miltaristic city state tha gifts a game changing UU, such as camel archers or chukonuhs, that will take top priority. then religious, followed by mercantile followed by the mil. cs that gifts sipahis.
senshidenshi
Switched the Red and Blue channels
Maritime is always good, but I try to go for a Militaristic, especially when I'm going for a scientific or cultural, as they pretty much defend your cities (i.e. capital. Because I'm doing a cultural.) for you.
I'm just gonna go out and say mercantile: if the AI has the same luxes as me, trading becomes harder, and later on in the game, it helps keep your happiness high until you get the right ideologies. Of course, 2 is enough(if they have both jewelry and porcelain), but I would also ally with marine states till the cows come home....if the AI would let me :/
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- Aug 12, 2010
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- 16,937
This is my prioritization as well. I only mess with a Militaristic city-state if they have a UU that will come before mine in upgrades and carries a useful promotion.
dinanipedro
highlander
Cultural > Maritime > Mercantile > Militaristic > Religious
General Tso
Panzer General
For me it's a toss up between culture and food. But then I'm a real culture hound. 
Sneaky Snake
GDR Noob
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- Aug 12, 2010
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- 166
I value Cultural the most. Early game they are so very valuable and they retain their usefulness to the end. Can't forget the unique luxury they will most likely posses. Mercantile ones come 2nd as happiness early game is hard to come by. Religious ones are very desirable for the faith when you meet them first. I don't give the Militaristic ones much attention, I tend to forget about their unique units. For the Maritime ones I usually seek out their 2 votes for when I want to become Space Pope. By the end of the game I will usually ally all the CSs on my home landmass to form a coalition, regardless of their ability.
reddishrecue
Some dude on civfans
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- Nov 16, 2009
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- 6,213
I value military CSes because it is great to save money on units you lack and focus on economy instead. Having a military CS can give you units all of a sudden which makes up for the lack of military.
PrimoXanthous
~ knightmare13 ~
If you got 5 allied Cultural CS, darn you beat Monty. 
I would go to war if some psycho is attacking/conquered my Cultural CS.
I would go to war if some psycho is attacking/conquered my Cultural CS.
lokithepunishr
Warlord
Maritime then Cultural unless there is a Militaristic CS with a nice UU like Longbowmans or if I'm down on happiness then I'll go Mercantile.
So pretty much dependant on the situation
So pretty much dependant on the situation
Hoplite191
Chieftain
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2013
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- 95
Cultural city states are the best as they allow you to have rationalism tree over quickly.
seanflokstra7
Prince
Militaristic, but I seem to be the only one
Anything BUT militaristic for me. Certainly if I accidentally acquire a City State ally, or need one en route to diplomatic victory, I won't turn unit spawning off, but unit spawning to me seems to be the weakest of the bonuses. It generates units without any significant XP on them, randomly rather than tailored to needs, and then there's the ongoing maintenance to spend. Not that its not a net positive effect overall, just not nearly as good as any other state's bonuses.
As for best, I tend to like Cultural and Mercantile best because of their instantly visible feel-good effects: faster policies and more happiness. While I'm aware that extra food from Maritime is probably the strongest effect in game terms, it never feels as instantly good as seeing the next policy drop from 10 turns to 5 turns, or seeing Happiness go up by +8.
