Building the Great Library or not?

I don't understand how you can get a NC so fast. Are you building it before your second settlement?
Yes. I build NC before my second city...or I rush buy a Library in the second city to keep the NC going in the capital.
 
There isn't a lot of point having a lot of tech if you don't have the hammers to build anything or the pop to use it!

But it has its place - I built it in Paris for the tourism - the free tech was a bonus that got my Writers guild up faster.

Realistically the only other tech you will be getting is Philosophy which is very good for NC. But going GL + NC is a very slow start given that gold purchase of an early settler is not feasible most games, not to mention the need for military units to protect said settler and your workers/improvements.

You need to look at your specific situation, and need to structure your entire early game tech/build order to stand any chance of getting it. Tradition is almost necessary, and having a lot of forest to chop helps a lot also.
 
I used it before BNW to rush Iron Working-because so much early game strategy was based on finding a good source of iron before the AI claimed that land. But now that you can see where iron at Bronze Working, and the AI isn't spawning settlers non-stop, it's far more important to develop infrastructure before rushing particular techs.
 
Speaking of which, I really hope they patch the Mac version soon, so we get the iron revealed on BW like everyone else.
 
lol no, the Great Library sucks. It's the noobiest wonder in the game and everyone always goes for it

This is exactly why you should build it on lower difficulties.

Other civs will have wasted hammers on it which gives you an even greater edge.

Plus it gets converted into cash for the AI which means you can sell them a resource easier (on lower difficulties, lump sum trades are difficult because the AI very rarely has the lump sum available).
 
I always built it now as if I have Calender by the time it's built I can choose drama and get a head start on the Parthenon(+2 tourism) and be the first civ to generate tourism.

Early tourism is fairly pointless though since their culture will still outstrip your tourism, and by the time you can boost it to significant levels your early gains will be near obsolete.

If you get GL you should use it to unlock Philosophy for the National College. Building the NC so early will give you the edge in tech all the way to the mid-game.
 
I wouldn't say so. In my last game I'd say the head start on the tourism had an impact on me having 4 civs under my spell b4 any ideologies were picked. If you buff your tourism with open borders and trade routes then that accumulates over time. I'd have won that game easily if it weren't for alex and his affinity for city-states(and the ai's silly voting in the WC). Of course you need to get the right world wonders...
 
I gun for glib as arabs. Takes some sacrifice, but finishing glib as soon at you get mathematics gives you a jump to currency, and a bazaar, very early. That's generally 3 or 4 more lux's to finance things. But for any other civ, I skip it. Ill go stonehenge/gardens most of the time.
 
The main factor (although not the only factor) for me on whether I try to grab it or not comes down to where I've spawned. If I'm Brazil or Aztec I'll probably be hurting for production and won't be able to grab it in a reasonable time. Getting a plains start on a river with one or two hills however would tempt me to get it as my production would be excellent. If I'm doing a Culture game I'd be more inclined to get it than if I'm doing a Science game.
 
I find myself rushing Petra more often than not, making Great Library a low priority.
 
Really depends on which Civ leaders you are playing against. Most of time early aggressors (Monty, Attila, Japan) won't priortize GL, but some science-focusing Civs (China, Arabia, Korea) would rush it ASAP. If you have enough :c5production:, maybe it is worth to go for it -- but in Deity games, I wouldn't even bother trying it without Marble.

TLDR: Go for it if you have some :c5production: and civs around you aren't science-focused
 
For me it is - emperor and lower - go for it unless some extremely specific situation occurs (like starting next to GBR and going for settler will make more sense).

Deity - don't even try.

The trick is with Immortal. Here you have a shot on it, but it might not work and then you will fall behind by a lot. You go for Pottery - Writing - Mining - Calendar. While researching steal a worker or 2. Chop down all forests around the capitol while building GL, get Philosophy as a free tech, go fot NC or the Oracle next (2 GS point right away, only 40 +/- turns to first GS and academy). So the bonus is relatively large. Additionally there is the hidden bonus of slowing down other AI's.

After getting Writing exchange Embassies with all known nations and look whether they are already building the GL in their capitols or not. If they already started it (on Immortal) it's not worth it in like 95% of the time. Although I had a game where one AI was building it, stopped due to an early war and did not complete it until turn 70ish (standard pace). But that's more of exception than a rule.
 
Last game on immortal Siam got GL on turn 24. "Lucky" ruin or something...
Anyway building GL isnt my plan on Immortal :)
On emperor its a viable strategy if you got a decent start and go pottery-writing first.
 
I don't understand how you can get a NC so fast. Are you building it before your second settlement?

Either don't expand until NC or if you manage to get 400g to spare, buy a library in second city. It slows your expansion, but you will tech way faster than if you had expanded first and built the NC after the expansion rush has settled down.
 
I can VERY consistently get GL on Immortal using the method Sidor mentioned.

Tech straight to Writing, then start building the Great Library while you research Mining. Cut down two forests, and you win as long as your capital has a couple of hammers.

Assuming you even want the Great Library. :king:
 
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