Cities needed for science victory?

Ninakoru said:

4 is the easy spot, but placing your capital near a mountain is more important.

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Mountain in cap is important, but not that important like a lot of people thinks. Observatory gives +50% science, so your capital:
-with NC, university and observatory. +133%=233%
-with NC, university. +83%=183%
If we suppose that by this time your other cities output is ~ your cap, we have:
333% vs 283%.
After getting +17% from rationalism and +50% from labs difference becomes even smaller.

I can say that mountain in your 2nd, 3rd, ... cities is more important [I do not say that you gain more, I say that when you want to settle additional cities you should really want them to be next to mountain, when for capital a lot of nice tiles, like junles in 3rd radius, are more important], cause those cities do not have +50% from NC.

Ok, for "how many cities" people are posting replies, but would be most helpful is:

1. Tell us how many turns your science victories take
2. Tell us the settings (level, map, resource settings etc.)

For me, I use single player to practice for multi-player games, so settings are 6 players/quick and deity like typical MP games.

With power civs like Poland and Spain (when Spain finds wonder first and settles it) I go:

4 cities with full tradition (Poland gets trad and liberty, Spain buys settlers)

I have gotten several 170 turn wins, and an under 170 with a lucky Spain start. For civs without faith or science abilities, can do under 200 turns. But I am still learning the BNW tricks, and doing much more MP than SP, so I hope to get some those numbers down.

I haven't done a faith-spamming tech win (like Ethiopia or Maya) but in GK I had some fast wins with liberty spam. I haven't tried city spam in BNW FFA yet, as the gold becomes such a challenge.

NOTE: in order to practice for MP, I don't use the crazy exploitive tricks like excessive RAs or using scouts to rob dumb AI of workers early in game. But of course play against the AI can't help but being exploitive, so not being "holier than thou" against the players who have taken exploiting AI to an art form.

I play emperor, continents, standard, marathon.

I won my science victory in 2012 with a 4 city Siam with tradition.

As the Russians with 10 cities and liberty, I was on track to win a science victory much earlier, but won a culture victory first.

Just did a deity Babylon science win, 160 turns on quick speed (pangea/6 civs.)

4 cities, everything flowed, with more planning maybe shave off 6-10+ turns?

But of course... I had 5 gems in empire with the +2 faith gems pantheon, got religion, that was a big deal. My lands were just incredible, got to make 2 observatories.

Babylon just crushes... early academy so that you finish nat college in time for settlers after doing basic builds (scouts, shrine, monument, grainery, worker, library THEN nat college!)

Early universities... hit Ren age just as you are ready to open rationalism... no waiting to make key buildings, always have the tech open in time for next build... if I don't get attacked, Babylon is guaranteed early tech win for me on deity. If I get attacked, well those pesky wars sure seem to delay things.

Silverfuturist said:

Just did a deity Babylon science win, 160 turns on quick speed (pangea/6 civs.)

4 cities, everything flowed, with more planning maybe shave off 6-10+ turns?

But of course... I had 5 gems in empire with the +2 faith gems pantheon, got religion, that was a big deal. My lands were just incredible, got to make 2 observatories.

Babylon just crushes... early academy so that you finish nat college in time for settlers after doing basic builds (scouts, shrine, monument, grainery, worker, library THEN nat college!)

Early universities... hit Ren age just as you are ready to open rationalism... no waiting to make key buildings, always have the tech open in time for next build... if I don't get attacked, Babylon is guaranteed early tech win for me on deity. If I get attacked, well those pesky wars sure seem to delay things.

Click to expand...

That must be awesome! I've never been that lucky!

FrostK said:

Mountain in cap is important, but not that important like a lot of people thinks. Observatory gives +50% science, so your capital:
-with NC, university and observatory. +133%=233%
-with NC, university. +83%=183%
If we suppose that by this time your other cities output is ~ your cap, we have:
333% vs 283%.
After getting +17% from rationalism and +50% from labs difference becomes even smaller.

I can say that mountain in your 2nd, 3rd, ... cities is more important [I do not say that you gain more, I say that when you want to settle additional cities you should really want them to be next to mountain, when for capital a lot of nice tiles, like junles in 3rd radius, are more important], cause those cities do not have +50% from NC.

Click to expand...

Yeah, this. The observatory bonus is additive, not multiplicative, so it doesn't get boosted by your national college, but by the fact that you usually have much higher population plus settled academies in your capital compared to your other cities. What does work with the observatory is your base science, so try to get your observatory city alot of jungle tiles.

Spain 4 cities, buy 3 cities with wonder gold (reroll that puppy until you find 2 early wonders, if you are playing single player nobody will know except for you and anonymous maniacs online who don't know who you are anyhow.)

2 of the cities settle the natural wonders. With a total of 4 cities and full tradition you should be able to get a crushing science victory, faster than any other civ. Just for yucks and lutz I rolled a few times until I had a start with Uluru and Grand Mesa nearby, got the +4 faith per wonder (turns into +8 per wonder with Spain) which means you get to buy several scientists and engineers throughout the game (after finishing trad and rationalism.)

Part of the strat is pop great writers for culture blast to get rationalism ASAP and then get the Order tenants that give factory/science and extra prod. Do the international games to get free policy also, AI will love you for proposing it.

I had cargo ships originally, but too lazy to kill barb camp so switched to caravans cuz cargos got pillaged. Least amount of mouse clicks felt is what I felt like. It was funny in last 10 turns of game barb camp sends organized effort of 3 privateers and archer to get my trade routes, and they succeeded.

158 turns on quick speed with very sloppy play, blew through the game quickly: