remconius
Deity
DISCLAIMER: Without having played the game, this is my view on strategy. Based on facts from the manual and logical reasoning.
Civilization V is about several key concepts.
Science
Main source : Population (raw)
Secondary source : Tiles, agreements, buildings & policies
Production
Main source : Population (working tiles)
Secondary source : Buildings, Policies
Gold
Main source : Population (working tiles)
Secondary source : Trade routes, diplomacy, conquest, etc
Great People
Main source : Population (specialists)
Secondary source : Wonders, policies, techs.
Unhappiness
Main source : Population (raw)
Secondary source : Number of cities, Annexing cities
Happiness
Main source : Buildings
Secondary source : Resources
Culture
Main source : Buildings
Secondary source : Wonders, policies
BOTTOM LINE: you need high population, because high population gives science, gold (from tiles), production (from tiles) and great people (from specialists).
But, high population gives unhappiness…
So you need high happiness!
The more happiness, the more people and the more people the more science, gold, production, great people. With this you can produce and maintain buildings and units.
And thus begins the search for happiness…
Scalable happiness
Each city gives 2 unhappiness and each population 1. At the same time each city can build 3 happy buildings (colosseum, theatre and stadium) each giving 4 happiness and circus if horses or elephants are near for +3.
Without circus, the average size of cities would be 10 (2UH for city & 10UH for pop) if cities had all three buildings (12Happy).
On top there is Social Policy (Meritocracy +1 Happiness per city connected to the capital) and Humanism with (+1 per city with university) increasing the base to 12.
Fixed happiness
Apart from scalable happiness you can get a number of fixed happiness bonuses that can be shared across your cities. One is a basis from difficulty level, another +2 from adopting piety and up to 15 luxuries giving 5 happiness each (6 with protectionism). Total is 77+ (92+ with protectionism). Trade or war for luxuries will be as normal as over strategic resources.
Huge cities for the win!
An empire of very large-cities will probably not be the way to go in civ 5. But you do need huge cities to maximize the benefit of multiplier buildings without having to build them in every city.
In order to have a limited number of huge cities it looks like you’ll need support cities that are small in size and that provide happiness to the empire.
Your big cities will be near lots of grassland (15 grass tiles can eventually support a city of size 30). These cities will be made to grow, produce, have specialists and have all building that have multipliers for science, production, gold, etc.
And small cities should have limited population of 3. They should build (or buy) colosseum, theatre and stadium. And, circus with horses or elephants. After they can build a market and put 2 pop in specialist slots to pay for some of the maintenance of happy buildings which is quite steep (colosseum 3, Theater 5, Stadium 6). The last pop can work a 4 food tile to support the city. These cities provide 12-15 happiness eventually for unhappiness of 5 at the cost of 14 maintenance - Market 8? Lot's of these small cities can support the uber-cities.
It is my strong belief that if you can find happiness in Civilization 5, you will be very powerful!
UPDATE AFTER PLAYING THE DEMO:
From the first 100 turns it become apparant that finding happiness is indeed key in Civ5. You really need to get cities around luxuries and trade for others (city states). This together with circuses this should get you through the early game. Support cities for happiness are only really needed later on when you can keep them small and buy buildings.
Civilization V is about several key concepts.
Science
Main source : Population (raw)
Secondary source : Tiles, agreements, buildings & policies
Production
Main source : Population (working tiles)
Secondary source : Buildings, Policies
Gold
Main source : Population (working tiles)
Secondary source : Trade routes, diplomacy, conquest, etc
Great People
Main source : Population (specialists)
Secondary source : Wonders, policies, techs.
Unhappiness
Main source : Population (raw)
Secondary source : Number of cities, Annexing cities
Happiness
Main source : Buildings
Secondary source : Resources
Culture
Main source : Buildings
Secondary source : Wonders, policies
BOTTOM LINE: you need high population, because high population gives science, gold (from tiles), production (from tiles) and great people (from specialists).
But, high population gives unhappiness…
So you need high happiness!
The more happiness, the more people and the more people the more science, gold, production, great people. With this you can produce and maintain buildings and units.
And thus begins the search for happiness…
Scalable happiness
Each city gives 2 unhappiness and each population 1. At the same time each city can build 3 happy buildings (colosseum, theatre and stadium) each giving 4 happiness and circus if horses or elephants are near for +3.
Without circus, the average size of cities would be 10 (2UH for city & 10UH for pop) if cities had all three buildings (12Happy).
On top there is Social Policy (Meritocracy +1 Happiness per city connected to the capital) and Humanism with (+1 per city with university) increasing the base to 12.
Fixed happiness
Apart from scalable happiness you can get a number of fixed happiness bonuses that can be shared across your cities. One is a basis from difficulty level, another +2 from adopting piety and up to 15 luxuries giving 5 happiness each (6 with protectionism). Total is 77+ (92+ with protectionism). Trade or war for luxuries will be as normal as over strategic resources.
Huge cities for the win!
An empire of very large-cities will probably not be the way to go in civ 5. But you do need huge cities to maximize the benefit of multiplier buildings without having to build them in every city.
In order to have a limited number of huge cities it looks like you’ll need support cities that are small in size and that provide happiness to the empire.
Your big cities will be near lots of grassland (15 grass tiles can eventually support a city of size 30). These cities will be made to grow, produce, have specialists and have all building that have multipliers for science, production, gold, etc.
And small cities should have limited population of 3. They should build (or buy) colosseum, theatre and stadium. And, circus with horses or elephants. After they can build a market and put 2 pop in specialist slots to pay for some of the maintenance of happy buildings which is quite steep (colosseum 3, Theater 5, Stadium 6). The last pop can work a 4 food tile to support the city. These cities provide 12-15 happiness eventually for unhappiness of 5 at the cost of 14 maintenance - Market 8? Lot's of these small cities can support the uber-cities.
It is my strong belief that if you can find happiness in Civilization 5, you will be very powerful!
UPDATE AFTER PLAYING THE DEMO:
From the first 100 turns it become apparant that finding happiness is indeed key in Civ5. You really need to get cities around luxuries and trade for others (city states). This together with circuses this should get you through the early game. Support cities for happiness are only really needed later on when you can keep them small and buy buildings.