Luxury - just don't get it!!

[david1806]

Hi all

Still getting to grips with Civ V. So, it clearly states that regardless of the amount of a type of luxury resource you have, it only counts as one. But it clearly says I am getting 5 happiness for my 5 salt resources. Honestly!

And while I'm at it, I have become Allies with two city-states....what's in it for me? Nothing has changed - I want my pearls! Lol! Do I need to link them by road, maybe?

Aha - Sofia has just become an alliance again, and I have all my Iron back - now I get it!!

 

[Browd]

But it clearly says I am getting 5 happiness for my 5 salt resources.

When playing on Settler or Chieftain, each unique luxury provides 1 more happiness than normal (i.e., 5 happiness instead of 4). Trade away 4 of your 5 salts, and you will see no change in your happiness (unless you trade for another civ's luxury, in which case that luxury (if you don't already have a copy) will also provide +5 happiness). The only value in duplicate copies of a luxury are their value in trade with other civs -- either trade for gold or gold per turn, or another luxury, or a batch of strategic resources, or as a gift (to improve relations), or to bribe another civ to declare war on a third civ.

As for CS luxuries, you get them when you are allied (and not just friends) and the CS has improved the luxury. Same goes for strategic resources (like iron). Note, however, that you cannot rely on a CS's diplomacy screen to tell whether that CS actually has the luxury listed -- that screen tells you what luxury that CS potentially has access to, but it does not tell you whether the luxury tile is actually inside the CS's borders yet or that the CS has improved the luxury tile.