if you are spending down your gold to the point where you dont have 1000 in reserves in the mid and late game you are doing something seriously wrong period
If you are not spending gold , then you're doing something seriously wrong. You're not rushing things to get them many, many turns ahead than with pure hammers. So yes I would rather rush my buidings and units than looking at 1000 gold in my treasury, even though I can't touch it.
By the time I go for econ victory, I can get from 0 to 20k gold in 15 turns. So yes, I don't have any fear of my treasury ever being at 0 gold. Because I know my gold cities can produce so much gold, turn after turn after turn. In essence, my gold cities are my "reserve".
again its got nothing to do with rexing or ics please tell me how many games you have played where you have created 2 or more settlers prior to getting your free settler from 100 gold
there are many stratregies where founding new cities is much more important than waiting for glaciers to melt.
i looked at the math and its meaningless when taken out of context like you have done you ignore research which is much more important than gold in the early game
i would say research in the early game is not that important. more important are rushing a warrior and settler to start a new city. with 2 cities you can focus one on science and another on gold or production or even science. now i have twice as much research as you.
the point is that the 2% can get you to your second city which you might not be able to get if the barbarians arent giving up any money
the second city bumps research which helps to grow both cities quicker and helps you get to code of laws quicker and allows you to expand quickly and cheaply
you are quoting number in a vacuum rather than how the game actually plays out
if you actually play out the math, i could have 3 cities by the time you just reach 100 gold. tell me which civ is ahead now when you havent even started a second city.
1000 gold earns you 20 gold the first turn again the concept of compounding seems to be eluding you oh thats right you are spending all that money even though you claim you are going for a gold victory right
I can spend gold as I go for the econ victory because I earn 50 times more than the 2% interest. I can make back what I spend in just a few turns, not every 36 turns or however long you have to wait for the interest to compound. Sure compound interest is good, but not at the measly rate of 2%. If it was that good, why dont you retire on $1000 at 2% interest and see how far that gets you.
Another math example. If my cities are making 250 gold a turn, I can make 1000 gold back in 4 turns. so why would I fear having any trouble reaching 1000 gold? By then, 20 gold a turn is chump change. In the late game, 20 gold is the difference of
one and a half tile being worked.
and yes +50% is better but again auto upgrade elites beats other bonuses hands down does that mean they are useless no it doesnt
They serve different purposes.
Upgrade is long term effect. Upgrading is conditional on the fact that they have to be elite by the time you get the tech. Usually though no more than 2 or 3 armies get elite, and you dont need more than that against AI.
Early veteran warriors give you a head start. You get a better chance against barbarians. So you spend less time healing and more time getting the goods. Also vet warriors need fewer experience to become elite.
On the other hand, 2% doesn't give you a headstart and not even decent as a long term benefit. By far this is the weakest ability.
you refuse to look at the synergy and refuse to take the civs as a whole
if you added +50% to the civs that have 2% they would be grossly overpowered compared to everyone else
That might be true in your eyes, but fact is if I have +50% gold already, I dont want a pathetic ability like 2%. I actually want something good and that actually does something to help me win. Hell, give me vet warriors so I can get more goods from barbarians. You know what else they give besides gold directly? Spies to steal gold, caravans to convert to gold, galley for reaching ruins, etc. Not only that, the sooner I get to the barbs, the fewer there are for the opponents to grab.