Favorite World Wonder ideas

Vote for your favorite World Wonder ideas! Pick as many as you like. Consider your choices carefully, since the results will influence which ideas we include in the project. We might create new wonders, or replace existing ones, and will discuss it further when the poll ends on August 16th.

Several of these concepts create "route" resources, which can be exchanged with trading partners for additional resources or cash. This represents improved flow of people and luxury goods through the new route.

Good wonders have:

• Real-world significance.
• Can possibly play a critical role ingame.
• Eras and regions of the world highlighted in blue.
  (double-blue is better, and represents areas with few pre-existing wonders)

Burj Khalifa - Info Middle East

• The tallest human-made building so far. Contains apartments, a hotel, restaurant, corporate suites and more.
• Possible bonuses: instant population/gold (homes and offices).

Large Hadron Collider - Info Europe

• This is the world's largest and highest-energy particle accelerator. It is expected to address some of the most fundamental questions of physics, advancing the understanding of the deepest laws of nature.
• Possible bonuses: free tech, science from research agreements, and/or percentage science in the city.

Itaipu Dam - Atomic South America

• This gigantic dam on the Paraná River generates the most annual electricity of any operating hydroelectric facility in the world, supplying 90% of the electricity consumed by Paraguay and 20% of that consumed by Brazil.
• Possible bonuses: production across the empire or continent, free Hydro Power Plant.

Maracanã Stadium - Atomic South America

• Opening in 1950, it was the biggest stadium in the world, with a maximum paid attendance of 199,854 patrons.
• Possible bonuses: creates "Sportscast" tradable luxury resources, happiness/culture bonuses, possibly on stadiums and/or colosseums.

Bell Labs - Atomic North America

• This research institution revolutionized the world by inventing the basic components of modern computers, including the most important engineering marvel of the 20th century: transistors. These devices allowed computers to shrink from house-size to pocket-size.
• Possible bonuses: free tech, percent science, and/or space ship production.

ARPANET - Atomic North America

• The world's first operational packet switching network, and the core network of a set that came to compose the global Internet.
• Possible bonuses: spaceship and project production, and/or citystate citystate influence gains to help either block or win a UN victory. Can also give free Internet team project (in National Projects section below).

Akashi Kaikyo Bridge - Atomic East Asia

• The Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge has the longest central span of any suspension bridge in the world at nearly 2 kilometers (6,532 ft). The bridge links the Japanese city of Kobe on the mainland to Awaji Island by crossing the busy Akashi Strait. The bridge is one of the key links of the Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Project, which created three routes across the Inland Sea.
• Possible bonuses: extra gold, creates "Akashi Route" tradable happiness resources, and/or gives a free Suspension Bridge (new building from another thread).

Channel Tunnel - Atomic Europe

• The longest underwater or international tunnel in the world, and second longest rail tunnel, the Channel Tunnel connects Great Britain to the mainland of Europe.
• Possible bonuses: creates "Chunnel Route" tradable happiness resources, and/or sea bonuses like old/production.

Panama Canal - Modern Central America

• The Panama Canal shortcut made it possible for ships to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in half the time previously required. The shorter, faster, safer route to the U.S. West Coast and to nations in and along the Pacific Ocean allowed those places to become more integrated with the world economy.
• Possible bonuses: gold, navy, creates "Panama Route" tradable happiness resources.

Trans-Siberian Railway - Modern Russia

• The longest rail line in the world. Large Railroad projects were common in the 19th century, and the rail line remains a popular travel option for backpackers and adventurers.
• Possible bonuses: creates "Trans-Siberian Route" tradable happiness resources, increase railroad connection bonuses, lower maintenance cost on Railroads, and/or increase movement points on railroads.

Hollywood - Modern North America

• Hollywood is a district in Los Angeles, California. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema.
• Possible bonuses: creates "Movie" tradable luxury resources, culture bonuses.

Wat Phra Kaew - Industrial South Asia

• This majestic temple is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple (wat) in Thailand. The main building houses the statue of Emerald Buddha. The legendary history of this Buddha image is traced to India, five centuries after the Lord Buddha attained Nirvana, till it was finally enshrined in Bangkok at the Wat Phra Kaew temple in 1782.
• Possible bonuses: faith, gold, science, and/or culture for religious buildings.

Crystal Palace - Industrial Europe

• Cast-iron and plate-glass building in London to house the Great Exhibition of 1851. More than 14,000 exhibitors from around the world gathered in the Palace's 990,000 square feet of space to display examples of the latest technology developed in the Industrial Revolution.
• Possible bonuses: Happiness and/or gold bonuses from imported luxury resources.

Gotthard Rail Tunnel - Industrial Europe

• This tunnel was built from 1871 to 1881, long before modern excavating tools. The Gotthard is the biggest pass between North and Southern Europe and the opening of the railroad tunnel accelerated European travel. Italy could now be easily reached from Germany. Construction completed in record time, cost many workers their lives, the first architect died from heart attack in the tunnel, and the army had to put down a strike.
• Possible bonuses: creates "Gotthard Route" tradable happiness resources, turns a nearby mountain into a supertile with large culture/production/gold yields, and/or speeds movement on railroads in the empire.

Churches of Lalibela - Renaissance Sub-Saharan Africa

• Carved directly out of solid rock hillsides in Africa, the 13 Churches of Lalibela are an engineering and architectural marvel created without modern tools. Though the dating of the churches is not well established, most are thought to have been built during the reign of Lalibela during the 12th and 13th centuries.
• Possible bonuses: faith on hills, faster Great Prophet generation, and/or discount for purchasing with faith.

Potala Palace - Renaissance Central Asia

• Founded in 637 CE, this is the spiritual and organizational headquarters of Tibetan Buddhism and the Dalai Lama. It is located in Lhasa, one of the highest cities in the world.
• Possible bonuses: improves nearby mountain tiles with food/faith/culture.

Nazca Lines - Medieval South America

• Series of ancient geoglyphs located in the Nazca Desert in southern Peru. The largest figures are over 200m (660 ft) across. Scholars differ in interpreting the purpose of the designs, but in general they ascribe religious significance to them.
• Possible bonuses: could take the effects of the Stonehenge, allowing it to return to a culture focus, which frees up the Terra-Cotta Army for a bonus fitting its army-of-stone nature.

Puma Punku - Medieval South America

• These ancient ruins are constructed with huge blocks cut with laser-like modern precision. It is often theorized that when a civilization has built something with megalithic blocks, they used logs to move the blocks. However, Puma Punku is located on an altitude with no trees. It remains one of the world's greatest mysteries.
• Possible bonuses: high amount of Great Engineer-points and/or production for World Wonder-creation, since the civ now has very skilled builders.

Cairo Citadel - Medieval Egypt

• The Saladin Citadel of Cairo is a medieval Islamic fortification in Cairo, Egypt. To supply water to the Citadel, Saladin built the 280 feet (85 m) deep Well of Joseph. This well is also known as the Well of the Spiral because its entrance consisted of 300 stairs that wound around the inside of the well. Once water was raised from the well to the surface, it traveled to the Citadel on a series of sophisticated aqueducts.
• Possible bonuses: food to all castles, and/or Great General creation bonus.

Ely Cathedral - Medieval Europe

• Known locally as "the ship of the Fens", because of its prominent shape that towers above the surrounding flat and watery landscape. The first Christian building on the site was founded by St. Æthelthryth, daughter of the Anglo-Saxon King Anna of East Anglia, who was born in 630 at Exning in England.
• Possible bonuses: faster Great Prophet generation, and/or discount for purchasing with faith.

Banaue Rice Terraces - Classical Oceana

• 2000-year old terraces carved into the mountains of Ifugao in the Philippines. It is commonly thought that the terraces were built with minimal equipment, largely by hand. The terraces cover about 4000 square miles of mountainside. They are fed by an ancient irrigation system from the rainforests above the terraces. If the steps are put end to end, it would encircle half the globe.
• Possible bonuses: food on nearby hills and/or mountains.

Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa - Classical Egypt

• Located in Alexandria, Egypt and considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages. The necropolis consists of a series of Alexandrian tombs, statues and archaeological objects of the Pharaonic funeral cult with Hellenistic and early Imperial Roman influences.
• Possible bonuses: large culture gain, so the Terra Cotta Army can provide a culture bonus more appropriate for warmongers.

Pergamon Altar - Classical Europe

• Monumental construction built during the reign of King Eumenes II in the first half of the 2nd century BCE on one of the terraces of the acropolis of the ancient city of Pergamon in modern-day Turkey.
• Possible bonuses: gold on luxury resources, and/or spy bonus.

Parthenon - Classical Europe

• Built during the Golden Age of Athens for the Greek Goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare: Athena. It was during this time that Athens was the superior military and trading power in the Mediterranean.
• Possible bonuses: more powerful Great Generals.

Flavian Amphitheatre- Classical Europe

• Commonly known as "The Colosseum," this elliptical amphitheater in the centre of the city of Rome is the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and Roman engineering.
• Possible bonuses: lots of free buildings like amphitheater, barracks, shrine, and/or colosseum.

Regarding the Trade Route Ressources. I like the idea. Though I'm thinking wether they might be applicable as strategic ressources instead and being used as a prerequisite for a national wonder or building. Just brainstorming to get away from the happiness bonus which seems strange on those wonders.

On another note, the picture you used for the Gotthard is from the new second tube (?) that is being built right now to expand capacity on the old one. And to what continent do we count the Trans-Siberian Railway? (Also, this thread needs a bump )

Vanilla G&K already have _alot_ of wonders, how would you balance out these extra powerful wonders without making any of them a "Create or Lose"-wonder? Will they replace existing wonders?

The ideas are extraordinary and inspiring. I would just like a bit more info on the thinking behind making it viable.

Thank you for all your work Thalassicus & Company! =)

I voted for the transport-type wonders - I think a railway-type bonus is a very good idea as railways are underutilised (in my games at least) as harbours do the same thing cheaper.

At the risk of being a killjoy, I am strongly AGAINST the idea of adding more wonders to the game, particularly of the type listed here. The majority of the suggestions add nothing to the game, and instead just overpower Egypt/Marble/Tradition even more. If anything, there are currently too many wonders in Civ V, especially with the Ancient Wonders DLC. Wonders and buildings should only be added if they add something to the GAME, not because someone in real life built a tall building. I hate the idea of this sort of bloat, and furthermore I don't think a poll like this is a good method of choosing wonders to add. I'm sorry for being so grouchy - I mean well. And the pictures in the OP are beautiful and very evocative.

While we're on the topic of wonders just wondered what people think about the Porcelain Tower being a science-focused wonder. Makes absolutely no sense from a historical perspective. If anything it was a cultural and architectural achievement.

Anyway, I voted for the Wat Phra Kaew, Arpanet, The Nazca Lines and the Catacombs. I would have voted for the LHC, but my games usually have more or less ended by the info era.

I think the gaps for wonders are in the late game, so I voted for Hollywood, Bell Labs and the LHC. I think there are enough wonders in the earlier stages already. There are lots of cool things on the list, but I don't think the gameplay needs them.
In retrospect, I wish I'd voted for the Crystal Palace as a representative of Victorian Britain industrialism and empire rather than the LHC; I think the LHC doesn't add anything that Hubble doesn't cover, and the LHC hasn't really done anything much yet either. I also wonder if Sputnik might not be a better wonder than Hubble.

Ahriman said:

I think the gaps for wonders are in the late game, so I voted for Hollywood, Bell Labs and the LHC. I think there are enough wonders in the earlier stages already. There are lots of cool things on the list, but I don't think the gameplay needs them.
In retrospect, I wish I'd voted for the Crystal Palace as a representative of Victorian Britain industrialism and empire rather than the LHC; I think the LHC doesn't add anything that Hubble doesn't cover, and the LHC hasn't really done anything much yet either. I also wonder if Sputnik might not be a better wonder than Hubble.

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Personally I feel that the ages that need a boost in wonders are the Industrial, Modern and Atomic. the Info era doesn't really need extra wonders as by then you'd probably be focusing on achieving victory. I only voted for the Nazca Lines and The Catacombs because we need a wonder to replace the Terra-Cotta Army (I find the effect weak and not very fitting).

I've always noted the lack of wonders in the Industrial Era onward and thought the Wat Phra Kaew was a good way to fill that gap, especially since there are no science focused wonders until the Hubble Space Telescope (although I now notice the suggested effect for the Wat Phra Kaew has been changed).

because we need a wonder to replace the Terra-Cotta Army (I find the effect weak and not very fitting).

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Why does this need a new wonder - why not just change the effect? Or are you saying that you like the effect, but that it doesn't fit very well with the wonder?

lack of wonders in the Industrial Era onward and thought the Wat Phra Kaew was a good way to fill that gap

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Why would the Wat be industrial era? It was built in the late 18th century - the beginning of the industrial era in Europe, but surely not in Thailand?

I think wonders should fit into the era of the culture that built them, not the era that Europe was going through at the same time.

I would like to see mirrored- or twin-type wonders. For example, lets say, Hanging Gardens vs Banaue Rice Terraces, they both have pretty much the same bonuses. You can only build one of them, leaving the other one for a second civilization. Giving a second chance at getting the same sort of bonuses.

The mirrored wonder can be one step further in tech-tree to give the first one the advantage of getting the bonus first.

Ahriman said:

Why does this need a new wonder - why not just change the effect? Or are you saying that you like the effect, but that it doesn't fit very well with the wonder?

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The latter, it would be best on an earlier wonder. Either the Stonehenge or a new wonder would work. I'd still like to have a early culture wonder.

Ahriman said:

Why would the Wat be industrial era? It was built in the late 18th century - the beginning of the industrial era in Europe, but surely not in Thailand?

I think wonders should fit into the era of the culture that built them, not the era that Europe was going through at the same time.

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By this logic, the Chichen Itza should probably be built in the early classical, not the medieval. The thing is, it's important to note that eras in civ are very much Euro-centric and not at all applicable to everyone. For example:

Thai history, based on the capital at the time:

1. Sukhothai: Classical (Thai Alphabet introduced)
2. Ayutthaya: Renaissance (Contact with Europeans = Trade = Tech such as guns)
3. Thonburi: Brief Dark Age (Fall in power)
4. Bangkok: Renaissance/Industrial to Info (Rama 4 and Rama 5 (1851-1910) very quickly westernized the country.)

By this logic, the Chichen Itza should probably be built in the early classical, not the medieval

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Yeah, there are a few vanilla wonders that are weird like that. I wouldn't mind fixing those.

I voted for

Itaipu Dam: Partially because of the era/location. Partially because I miss the Hoover Dam. Not for play balance... I just want the production.

Panama Canal - My favorite "tradable route" wonder. (Second fav: Trans-Siberian Railway.)

Crystal Palace - I often hanker for another Industrial Wonder, the effect looks interesting, and the CP strikes me as very Wonder-ish.

Potala Palace - Actually, I voted for the Rice Terraces, but I should have voted for this one...

I feel it's important for wonders to appear on techs in a realistic and balanced arrangement. The era of the tech matters less to me than the tech itself, because eras are a vague concept in real life.

@sukritact
The important thing at this stage is the general concept for each wonder. I condensed each suggestion down into that core idea (and expanded a few the other way). For example, the suggested Wat Phra Kaew basically adds yields to religious buildings, so that's what I put on the list. I did some research on the building's history and feel faith/gold/culture are realistic bonuses it might provide.

Yeah, come to think of it, from south east asia there aren't many.

Also, I think there should be more wonders with more interesting yields that change gameplay uniquely instead of simply giving +x faith, or +y culture, +z great person points. Being able to build a wonder before others should matter more than it does right now, and it should somewhat affect subsequent gameplay/strategy for the player.

Also, benefits of building a wonder should be more in accordance with the wonder's history (in the real world).

Some wonders that I suggest, with reasons:

1. Nalanda university (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nalanda)

Ancient center of higher learning in Bihar, India. First modern sense university, with dormitories.
Should yield something related to faith and science.
Amazing fact: Had students and scholars from all over the world. Was renowned for extremely huge
libraries, which during Turkish invasion burnt for 6 months straight. :O
Approx. time: 5th century AD

Reason:
There are very few wonders around that time which give you science. Some faith bonus should also be good
so that the general monotonous rush for stonehenge/hagia sophia in order to found a religion is not there.
Wonders like notre dam which give good faith come much later.

2. Konark Sun temple (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konark_Sun_Temple) -- also called Black Pagoda

In Konark, Orissa, India, built in 13th century AD it is a temple for sun god.
Should give faith and culture (because of magnificent architecture)

Amazing fact:
Its peak was a 52 ton magnet (lodestone), and magnets were arranged in the inner sanctum in such a way that
the main idol floated in the air. Also, there was a lot of reinforcement done with iron plates between rocks,
which along with the magnets gave a huge boost to stability and firmness of the structure. This was the
the main reason why structure remained intact in site of it being on the sea front for centuries. Later britishers
removed the lodestone, and the inner sanctum hence collapsed along with a few other walls.

Reason:
Same to before. Also, being a temple built at the sea front, it should be allowed to be built by coastal cities
only. And maybe give faith based on sea resources/tiles?

3. Bahubali (Gomateshwara)

Largest monolithic (made of a single rock) statue in the world, it is a giant statue of Bahubali, a Jain saint,
visible from even 30 km afar.
Should yield culture (one of the best examples of monolithic sculpture) and faith.

Reason:
Other than terracotta army, there is no other wonder which gives sizeable amount of culture. Faith bonuses are
also bland (+X faith) and not interesting at all, so maybe its yield could be different, like each missionary/great
prophet gets more movement or gets more resistant to attrition, etc. with something like +4 culture or a few
great artist points.

Another interesting yield for this could be that every 12 years, it gives faith. (every 12 years there is a HUGE
ceremony there attended by hundreds of thousands of followers)

Also, some more interesting faith based benefits for wonders:
1. City-states following same faith as the city with wonder give more benefits or influence decreases slower, etc.
2. +1 faith for ocean tiles/+2 for each sea resource
3. Each incense gives +2 faith
4. Religious units gain +2 movement
5. Religious units X% more resistant to attrition
(this has historical significance also, as there used to be (and still are) travelling monks who used to get bheeksha from homes)
6. A religious curse -- like wrath of the gods? Like if a unit built from the wonder containing city is killed, the killing unit will have a health decrease of 20 or it may not heal for the next 3 turns. (doesnt apply to city)
7. Every unit built in the wonder containing city will have a small amount of religious pressure. Even workers!
8. Production bonus towards wonders that give any faith based benefits.
9. +1 gold / culture / faith from any other faith based wonder (any wonder which gives faith based benefits)
10. Free shrines and temples for all cities.
etc.

Thalassicus said:

@sukritact
The important thing at this stage is the general concept for each wonder. I condensed each suggestion down into that core idea (and expanded a few the other way). For example, the suggested Wat Phra Kaew basically adds yields to religious buildings, so that's what I put on the list. I did some research on the building's history and feel faith/gold/culture are realistic bonuses it might provide.

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I concur that it historically it makes more sense, but in terms of gameplay I felt science seemed more interesting and based on how wonders are given bonuses in game, I personally felt that we didn't have to go entirely according to history. The Wat Phra Kaew already has if not as much then more justification for giving science than the Porcelain Tower (which from what I have read, has nothing to do with science) or for Leaning Tower giving a free GP. (although at this point, judging from the votes, it probably doesn't matter)

EDIT: Noticed that you added science back to the suggested effect, thanks, I appreciate it!

Many of these are neat ideas, but I do some small concern that the Parthenon would have some conceptual overlap with the Temple of Artemis that's already in the game.

I'm voting for the LHC alone.

My take is that only the late game needs more wonders.

Past that, we already have a plethora of "big beautiful building" wonders.


To me, a lot of wonders now a days are simply scaled up architectures of ancient buildings. Sure they are bigger and better, but no real difference overall.

But with the LHC, we have invented something that is poking the fabric of reality itself, something that no generation before us has ever been close to attempting. The LHC isn't just a bigger game, its a completely new one.


Also, is it possible to throw in an anti-vote for Hollywood? For the love of god, please no, there is nothing wonderous there imo.

Also, is it possible to throw in an anti-vote for Hollywood? For the love of god, please no, there is nothing wonderous there imo.

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Even if you don't like any movies at all, it's hard to dispute that the US film industry, centered around Hollywood, has had a huge social and cultural impact throughout the world. This is literally the single most significant factor in the export of western culture.

Welcome to the forums, raikage!

I'll keep those ideas in mind when we get to the final stage of adding/replacing wonders. Thank you for the detailed descriptions!

Stalker0 said:

To me, a lot of wonders now a days are simply scaled up architectures of ancient buildings. Sure they are bigger and better, but no real difference overall.

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What about the Internet, or the Panama Canal?

Thalassicus said:

What about the Internet, or the Panama Canal? Surely you can agree these have no direct parallels in ancient times.

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Internet might not directly, true, but the Panama Canal is a entirely a modern version of ancient ideas for waterways and systems of locks. The Grand Canal in China is at least 1300 years older than it, with some parts much older still and is still the longest canal in the world. There was also an older Suez Canal under the Ptolemic pharaohs in Egypt, using a system of locks. Romans had a number of them, and intended to replace the track the Greeks had used at Corinth with an actual waterway (like the modern canal in the same place).

These aren't necessarily "ancient", but they're certainly "classical era" at least. Planning to travel by water where there was once land is a very, very old notion. I'm fine with it being reflected in more modern times by a wonder, but it's not a new idea. The significance of Panama was the conquest of disease and terrain combined in one place to complete the work (and that it cut a much, much larger distance for travel).

(Personally, I voted for Panama, Bell, and Wat Phra Kaew).