Trying to win Culture as France. Couple of Questions

[Towerbooks3192]

I know France was a great choice for culture back then so how is it now in BNW? I got a game going on and trying to build the culture wonders and build up tourism, my question would be, is it better to use Great Musicians as tourism bombs or just create a great work? Also, how does France's UA work? and does the tourism bomb last only a couple of turns or its permanent?

Lastly, do I need open border and tourism bomb the other civs in order to achieve a culture victory?

 

[Browd]

Chateaus, baby. Culture is so hard to find in BNW, so spam those chateaus. Prior to BNW, France got +2 culture from each city. It now gets that with each Chateau, and (terrain permitting) you can build 3 chateaus adjacent to each luxury. Yes, they aren't unlocked until Chivalry, so you won't see France motoring through its initial policy tree they way it used to, but once you get to the mid-game, oh Lord.

And remember to build all wonders that contain GW slots in Paris -- double theming bonuses really boost your tourism.

On your last question, the answer is generally yes, although open borders need only be one way (you want his OB and would prefer to deny OB to him) -- so pay 1 gpt (sometimes 2 gpt) for his OB.

 

[tedoll78]

Those chateaus are a thing of beauty, oh yes! Once you get education, chivalry should be high up on your priority list. Even if aiming for a non-cultural win, France can become a really tough nut to crack for other civs aiming to conquer the world via tourism. And more policies makes the game easier in most other aspects as well, lending France a surprising bit of flexibility going forward.

 

[ajok]

their UA+Aesthetic finisher= boom! doubled and doubled again!

 

[mrwho]

I know France was a great choice for culture back then so how is it now in BNW? I got a game going on and trying to build the culture wonders and build up tourism, my question would be, is it better to use Great Musicians as tourism bombs or just create a great work? Also, how does France's UA work? and does the tourism bomb last only a couple of turns or its permanent?

Lastly, do I need open border and tourism bomb the other civs in order to achieve a culture victory?

France is in my opinion probably the easiest to win a cultural victory with thanks to the theming bonuses. As far as I know you should pretty much never use the tourism bomb until very near the end of the game. Before then it's definitely better to go for the great works. France's UA works by doubling the theming bonus of great works you place in the capital. For a normal building with two slots for great works you usually get +2 tourism if you have two great works from the same civlization and era. This bonus is doubled to +4 for France. You can get as much as a +16 with the Louvre as France which is just amazing when all the possible tourism multipliers are taken into account. You don't need to tourism bomb to achieve victory but it's easier if you do.

For a culture victory remember to swap great works for good theming bonuses, to have open borders with as many AI as possible (as this increases influence), try to have the same religion as the majority of the AI and if possible spread your own (same religion increases influence and your own religion can get +50% tourism in the capital if it becomes the world religion), have trade routes with rival civs (this again increases influence).

 

[Towerbooks3192]

I never really understood France's UA at all. But just to be safe, I already built the Uffizi and the Parthenon on Paris and I plan to build the Louvre on paris as well. I got other wonders on my other cities like the Himeji Castle, Alhambra, Petra and Red Keep in one city and I got the guilds (musician, writer, artist, on another). I am currently having a wonder-ful game since I am not expanding much.

So about Chateaus, it is best to build as many as possible on every luxury when map permits it? I think I already finished aesthetics but I forgot what great person I chose for it.

 

[Browd]

Yes, build Chateaus everywhere the game allows, unless your city will starve or stagnate of course. Need a few farms.

 

[jayburr]

yea first time i played BNW i wanted to try the culture VC and I was doing quite well, but i noticed that for some reason France would not buy my blue jeans or pop music. I was like wtf and then when i saw there new UB i was oh good god. I had to switch to dip vc quickly lol

 

[Towerbooks3192]

I planned to make the game as peaceful as possible. Assyria is fighting with Egypt while Zulu was gobbling up everyone. I decided to try and liberate them and be the arsenal of democracy (just for role playing sake). I gave them Krakow but kept england's canterburry for myself and would probably take London as mine. Shaka is hell bent on destroying me and I am currently outgunned by him and I am just relying on my out of date navy. He is starting to bomb me with his WWI bombers. I swear from this day forth that I will never ever stand idly by while a civ will go warmongering and gobble up the other civs. If only I could tech directly to nuke and nuke them to end the war.

Here is a screeny though. I already built the Louve and eiffel tower then chose freedom as my ideology. I think Assyria and Egypt is just a tourism bomb away while I have a problem with shaka holding more cities than me. Too bad egypt and assyria hated me for warring with Shaka.