Best use of hammers when there's nothing to build?

BenitoChavez · Mar 11, 2014

I build a market (and bank, and stock exchange) in every city. However I do prioritize it in some cities and delay building it in others. If a city has lots of luxuries or is a trade hub its a priority, otherwise I can put it off.

Bulldog Bats · Mar 11, 2014

Also move your city focus to another focus. Add science, faith, or whatever you need.

CraigMak · Mar 11, 2014

Magma_Dragoon said:
Hammer decay. Better to just build the unit and disband it for gold. Or just build wealth.

I have no idea what you mean by hammer decay but this works like a charm. It's like having units on call that pop out 1 turn each and don't show up in the demographics.

beetle · Mar 11, 2014

CraigMak said:
I have no idea what you mean by hammer decay but this works like a charm. It's like having units on call that pop out 1 turn each and don't show up in the demographics.

Disbanding units 1 turn after creating them is a poor way to convert hammers to gold.

Hammer decay refers to mechanism where if something is left in the build queue a long time, but not finished, previously accrued hammers will start to disappear. The decay does not start for something like 30-50 turns though, so usually not a big deal.

reddishrecue · Mar 11, 2014

When there's a deficit, hammers can also build wealth.

CraigMak · Mar 12, 2014

beetle said:
Disbanding units 1 turn after creating them is a poor way to convert hammers to gold.

Hammer decay refers to mechanism where if something is left in the build queue a long time, but not finished, previously accrued hammers will start to disappear. The decay does not start for something like 30-50 turns though, so usually not a big deal.

30 - 50 turns? lol Why would you even use this to discredit a great use of hammers. Having units that you can pop out whenever you want is a huge advantage if you are surprised by war.

I never said anything about disbanding units into gold but sure whatever. That sounds better than nothing. I think you're just a negative Nancy.

Tabarnak · Mar 12, 2014

CraigMak said:
I have no idea what you mean by hammer decay but this works like a charm. It's like having units on call that pop out 1 turn each and don't show up in the demographics.

beetle said:
Disbanding units 1 turn after creating them is a poor way to convert hammers to gold.

Hammer decay refers to mechanism where if something is left in the build queue a long time, but not finished, previously accrued hammers will start to disappear. The decay does not start for something like 30-50 turns though, so usually not a big deal.

CraigMak said:
30 - 50 turns? lol Why would you even use this to discredit a great use of hammers. Having units that you can pop out whenever you want is a huge advantage if you are surprised by war.

I never said anything about disbanding units into gold but sure whatever. That sounds better than nothing. I think you're just a negative Nancy.

I started a discussion about hammer decay(and unit pre building) more than 3 years ago back to vanilla and it can still be useful sometimes.

I like to pre build a barrack and armory in a city and chunk 3-4 types of units before moving to newer techs. Switch between units each 9-10 turns to prevent hammer decay. Finally, the decay is much slower for buildings and inexistent for wonders.

"BUILDING_PRODUCTION_DECAY_TIME","50"
"BUILDING_PRODUCTION_DECAY_PERCENT","99"
"UNIT_PRODUCTION_DECAY_TIME","10"
"UNIT_PRODUCTION_DECAY_PERCENT","98"

Pegasus_77 · Mar 12, 2014

I sometimes convert the redundant production into money in order to prepare for instant units building when a horde of enemies encroach upon my empire

beetle · Mar 12, 2014

CraigMak said:
30 - 50 turns? lol Why would you even use this to discredit a great use of hammers. Having units that you can pop out whenever you want is a huge advantage if you are surprised by war.

You misunderstood that part of my post. I also think queuing units is great use of hammer. Note that I am apparently wrong about the hammer decay being generous for units.

I never said anything about disbanding units into gold but sure whatever.

Okay, then I misread you as I understood you to be endorsing the idea.

That sounds better than nothing.

It is not better than the alternatives. Disbanding units is often quite sensible. Building units just to immediately disband them is not.

happyturtle · Mar 13, 2014

Securion said:
Units to gift to city states?

This one. Especially if you have Arsenal of Democracy, but even without it, those 5 influence points add up pretty quickly.

jmartin251 · Mar 17, 2014

A good way to get 2000 gpt late game. Why build units when you can just by them.

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DrwHem · Mar 17, 2014

what....you always need markets in cities. you can never have enough money!

chazzycat · Mar 17, 2014

If you want to build troops just to increase your "pointy stick rating" (which can help avoid DOWs), cavalry-line units are more effective than their infantry or ranged counterparts.

joncnunn · Mar 17, 2014

chazzycat said:
If you want to build troops just to increase your "pointy stick rating" (which can help avoid DOWs), cavalry-line units are more effective than their infantry or ranged counterparts.

If there's any coast at all, I prefer naval units and at around the time you are talking the Privateer.
It's much easier to take coastal cities by sea than by land.
Privateer built in a city with both a Barracks & Armory => can start with Coastal Raider III.

(I normally pre-build all Frigates I'm going to build as the first naval ranged unit that's available an era earlier and just upgrade them)

chazzycat · Mar 17, 2014

strictly speaking with regards to deterrent value, horse units are much better than ships. a horseman is basically equivalent with an ironclad, and a knight is almost as good as a battleship.

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=442365&page=2

I couldn't find the values for privateers in that thread, but I would be surprised if they buck the trend of ships having lower value.

reddishrecue · Mar 17, 2014

Frigates and caravels can sometimes take a city better than ranged units like crossbowmen or even composite bowmen. Crossbowmen can sometimes do better than galleasses though.

lindsay40k · Mar 19, 2014

If an AI can't see a resource yet, put an archaeologist on it.

Best use of hammers when there's nothing to build?

BenitoChavez

Elderly Tortoise

Bulldog Bats

King

CraigMak

The Borg

beetle

Deity

reddishrecue

Some dude on civfans

CraigMak

The Borg

Tabarnak

Cut your lousy hairs!

Pegasus_77

Prince of the Wealth

beetle

Deity

happyturtle

Mrs GrumpyOldCivver

jmartin251

Chieftain

DrwHem

Prince

chazzycat

Deity

joncnunn

Senior Java Wizard

chazzycat

Deity

reddishrecue

Some dude on civfans

lindsay40k

Emperor

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