Build order for Cultural Victory

[Mystz0r]

Hey guys,

Just recently got back to Civ 5 and wanted to ask your opions on a dilemma I'm having: Whats your first 5-10 builds/researches when you go for a cultural victory? I've tried more or less all combinations, and have yet to decide on the most effecient.

My main issue is how to time getting my first worker/settler at the appropriate time, compared to my research. Any input?

Situation:
Country: India/Egypt
Pangae, standard, 5 opponents, King difficulty.

Thanks in advance!

 

[qalsip1977]

This isn't the ONLY way to do it but it's the way I generally play as Egypt. Since Egypt is all about fast wonders my strategy is to build as many wonders as possible. Getting the free worker out from Citizenship can help you begin developing your tiles for production. Also, if you can swing it, the Pyramids are also nice to fit in here somewhere to further increase your workforce and speed. I select the Oracle over Stonehenge simply because the free policy is a better choice over the raw bonus to CPT. In lower difficulties you can generally manage both (especially with marble).

1. Build order - monument -> granary -> Great Library (free library, bulb Theology) -> National College -> Oracle -> (free Burial Tomb with Legalism) Monastery (if wine/incense) -> Hagia Sophia -> University -> if still researching Acoustics build Notre Dame -> use free Great Engineer from Hagia Sophia to rush Sistine Chapel.

2. Science - pottery -> writing -> philosophy -> beeline acoustics. The only deviation from this is if you have marble. Then you'll want mining/masonry (just after finishing philosophy).

3. Social Policies - Tradition opener -> Liberty opener -> Aristocracy (should pop about the time you start GL) -> Citizenship -> Legalism -> start on Piety policies ASAP, until then keep filling out Tradition. Piety should finish before Renaissance when you will begin Freedom. Depending on RNG, you may also be able to get Representation and Collective Rule before this as well, which is a great way to get your 2nd city built.

Good luck!

 

[Mesix]

With Egypt, I generally build the Pyramids and Stonehenge first (after a Monument and Granary of course). As the above mentions, Egypt is all about building wonders. Building these two wonders in the capital provides GE points to rush more wonders. When technology allows, I add the National Epic (and Garden if possible) along with an early Workshop to run an engineer specialist and maximize GE points. The additional from SH also helps to get policies much faster in the early game.

I save the 2nd city (from the free settler in the Liberty policy tree) for a specialized science city (which I settle for maximum food to run scientist specialists later on). This is where I will chop/rush the Great Library and Oracle wonders for the GS points.

A third city will have GM point wonders. If possible on the coast to get Colossus and Great Lighthouse, but this is not as important since I often miss one or both of the early GM wonders in favor of the GE and GS wonders mentioned above.

The key to a culture VC is abusing the four free culture buildings from Tradition policy tree as much a possible. For Egypt I generally wait to get four UB temple replacements. When playing other civs for a cultural VC, I generally wait longer to get Opera Houses or sometimes even Museums.

 

[vexing]

first, india is a poor choice, egypt is an excellent choice.

generally i try to start a culture game no different from any peaceful vc.
if ruins are on start scout -> scout -> monument -> granary. you'll want to buy a worker as soon as you get the gold from open borders and meeting city states, and steal another from a city state, and hopefully grab one an encampment rather than build any.

for social policies i take tradition -> liberty -> settler

given that a four city approach is optimal, there are two choices: two city NC approach or four city NC approach. how strong of production cities 3 and 4 will be may help decide which route you go. the four city approach generally delays your early research, but it's an investment that pays off later. for a beginner i'd suggest starting with two cities, and then building the two settlers after your capital is done with nc. this sets up a strong foundation for the rest of the game.

 

[Mystz0r]

Great tips, thanks a lot guys. I normally hate guys like me, who just post "how to do this, this, this" and don't come with anything constructive in return. Thanks for having patience with me

I'll try out some of your ideas and report back

 

[PimpmyCiv]

if playing at king and egypt I personally wouldn't even bother with the liberty tree (much less important at the mid difficulties). You won't need that GP (although its real nice to have) and you will pretty much waste 2 policies at the end of liberty... but buy (or steal) a worker as soon as you can to improve those luxuries (and start on one if you can).

Timing GL to Civil Service (if start is on a river) or Theology is a real bonus

Buy your settler for 2nd city after you have completed the NC (unless its a ridiculously good spot)

You should have no problem getting the vast majority of the wonders... even the early ones (been a while since I've played king but I'm assuming the AI still loves the great wall and HG like they do at the higher difficulties) just concentrate on building them and keep selling everything you can to buy what you need. I'd recommend wonder order of GL - NC - Stonehenge - Oracle (AI always seems slow building that one) - pyramids - if you are real ambitious and think you can get the hanging gardens in there do it (but it may be too big of a risk) - HS

I'd personally fill out the tradition tree first... but don't pick up legalism until you have atleast philosophy, and holding off on legalism until later can be real nice (but not game breaking. Plus you have to sacrifice those late Tradition policies and finishing off the tree until later which really grow your capital city quickly).

Forgot to mention build order:

scout - monument - warrior (for clearing out barb camps) - GL

 

[vexing]

liberty is a must for multicity approach. with 4 cities, representation reduces policy cost by over 10% - more than finishing piety.

 

[PimpmyCiv]

liberty is a must for multicity approach. with 4 cities, representation reduces policy cost by over 10% - more than finishing piety.

but a multicity approach isn't necessary for a cultural victory.

 

[omgsrsly]

ideal opening depends on timing. i dont know how late the great library goes on king and if you get a cultural ruin for e.g. you can time things slightly differently &c &c

you are probably going to want to go scout - scout - granary unless you dont have any food resources/production tiles in which case the monument is better. growth trumps production over these first 25 turns or so. then either monument/granary goes next

around turn 30 you can steal a worker. (maybe not on king?) your tech order should be pottery - writing - mining - calendar unless you have no calendar luxes in which case take animal husbandry - trapping. if you have only sailing luxes take calendar. either way try to time the great library so that coincides w/ finishing philosophy then bulb either theology or civil service. if you have to delay to trapping then you can put some turns into a unit (usually a warrior but you might have popped archery).

at the same time take liberty opener than settler and settle on a calendar lux if you can. you should be able to combine open borders + lux to buy a library. use the stolen worker to work tiles around memphis. build order in memphis should be stonehenge - granary - unit(s). wait for the piety opener to build a monument. if the production in this city is really good you can take a stab at chichen itza or angkor wat. the earlier you can get the second city up the better.

your third policy is the liberty worker then take piety straight through. try to get at least one cultural CS once your into medieval to really blow through the tree. after the great library is done you want to go oracle - national college - settler in your cap. at king you might want to consider going nat college - oracle tbh especially if you can build the oracle quickly. (i think my best was like 8 turns w/ marble) save the gold to buy a fourth settler unless you have spare production in memphis. settle both at the same time, ideally right after finishing a policy.

techwise you can shift around based on yr game sometimes you might need sailing sometimes you might need archery for defense othertimes masonry is your next priority. generally aim for education than metal casting for workshops. youll get an early great scientist from your cap, use it to bulb into medieval after signing RAs.

 

[Camikaze]

3. Social Policies - Tradition opener -> Liberty opener

for social policies i take tradition -> liberty -> settler

So to get a clarification on this; it's preferable to go tradition opener before liberty opener?

but a multicity approach isn't necessary for a cultural victory.

Though it should generally be beneficial, I think. You can produce more additional culture per city than gets added to social policy costs, especially with Representation.

 

[vexing]

yeah, if you're going down tradition eventually anyway you should start with the opener. the 3 cpt does add up, and the border cost reduction is very nice. also you want it open for legalism eventually (probably post acoustics for hermitage).

 

[Buccaneer]

I have found that Tradition does help speed up Citizenship and Collective Rule, I think.