Wich are the best wonders?

[WeirdoJoker]

Pyramids, hands down. Free Granaries = fast growth for the entire game! Would rather take it from a neighbouring AI, though: I'd only build it myself if I got an SGL (as is true of most of the Ancient GWs).

Cops is nice to have built in a good core town -- but again, at such an early point in the game, I rarely if ever do that, because (playing at Emp/DG) I'm usually much more worried about staying alive!

Bach's is great for happiness, but I'm not usually thinking about building GWS until the Industrial at the earliest (assuming I've survived that long!). Then TOE, Hoovers, UN is my usual jam...

(Also, might I congratulate Mr RELIGION on another fine example of thread-necromancy...?)

Oops, forgot about Pyramids. I rarely get it, because it's so early game I don't want to build it. I will, however, if I get an early SGL, like you in that respect.

(I had an early GW addiction that I managed to break without too much difficulty, fortunately.)

 

[BAD-RELIGION]

Pyramids, hands down. Free Granaries = fast growth for the entire game! Would rather take it from a neighbouring AI, though: I'd only build it myself if I got an SGL (as is true of most of the Ancient GWs).

Cops is nice to have built in a good core town -- but again, at such an early point in the game, I rarely if ever do that, because (playing at Emp/DG) I'm usually much more worried about staying alive!

Bach's is great for happiness, but I'm not usually thinking about building GWS until the Industrial at the earliest (assuming I've survived that long!). Then TOE, Hoovers, UN is my usual jam...

(Also, might I congratulate Mr RELIGION on another fine example of thread-necromancy...?)

thanks, here to try to revive this amazing game.
Pyramids used to be my go to wonder, specially on easier levels and big maps, but now I have been playing tiny world and harder levels.

 

[jarred!]

Copernicus, Newton, ToE, Internet. Pyramids are great but if I can't get an early SGL, it's faster to get granaries up by hand. Colossus is nice on tiny and maybe small maps for a boost in commerce, on larger maps the boost can be extraneous. Bach and Shakespeare are honorable mentions for me in the MA. I build Hoover Dam as well but it's not vital.

 

[WeirdoJoker]

While I'm thinking of Hoover Dam ... it puts a hydro plant in every city (on the same continent). But a hydro plant increases factory production. Am I correct, then, in concluding that without a factory in that city it simply has no effect there?

 

[CKS]

That is correct. You still have the plant, but it doesn't do anything.

 

[vorlon_mi]

While I'm thinking of Hoover Dam ... it puts a hydro plant in every city (on the same continent). But a hydro plant increases factory production. Am I correct, then, in concluding that without a factory in that city it simply has no effect there?

Given that I play at a lower difficulty level (Regent), I sometimes have this fortuitous timing.

• Start a pre-build for Theory of Evolution in my best production city
• Start a pre-build for Hoover in a river city with decent production
• When I finish ToE, I have focused on the lower part of the tech tree. I often take Atomic Theory and Electronics as my free techs. I finished researching Replaceable Parts while ToE was building.
• My Hoover may finish before I have built many factories. After researching Industrialization, the factories still take time to build

The end result is that the first few factories are not boosted, but the next 3, 4, or 5 factories that finish are immediately boosted because the Hydro plants already exist.

 

[Lanzelot]

(Also, might I congratulate Mr RELIGION on another fine example of thread-necromancy...?)

He should have waited one more year... 2004 --> 2024... make it a round number...!

 

[BAD-RELIGION]

I have been fascinated about the Knights Templar: to have free attack 5 units in such early in the game is amazing, and I can use my production for non-units improvements.

 

[vorlon_mi]

I have been fascinated about the Knights Templar: to have free attack 5 units in such early in the game is amazing, and I can use my production for non-units improvements.

The Knights Templar are often the first world wonder I build consistently. Statue of Zeus depends on whether I have ivory close by; following the articles about "fighting wonder addiction" I have avoided many of the ancient age wonders. My cities tend to stay small, popping out settlers, so I don't always have a good production city ready to dedicate to building an ancient wonder. Pyramids would be great, but an AI often gets it first. It's easier to conquer it.

Like you, I like having a stream of attack units for a push against a neighbor, while I build up knights that will eventually become cavalry.

 

[LordofDread]

Leo's is my favourite. Nothing sweeter than to upgrade Horsemen to Cavalry for 75 gold instead of 150. And it never gets obsolete. All those built and captured catapults/trebuchets and cannons make for very nice artillery later. Also the upgrade from Musketman to Infantry and Longbow/Meds to Guerilla is nice (I tend to avoid Nationalism early on unless I plan to mobilize).

Others depend on the victory condition, difficulty, civ and game I have in mind. If my continent has only few lux I like to go for Hanging Gardens.

If I want a core city to become a super+ science city, for example in a 5CC game, it's the low shields wonders I head for (Colossus, Mausoleum of Maulossos and Statue of Zeus if I have access to ivory). Not because of the benefits itself, with the exception of SoZ, but because of the tourist attraction bonuses that kick in after some time. Of course getting Copernicus, Newton's and SETI later is a must then. Ok I'll admit, here is my still latent wonder addiction talking . Science output from the capital going over the screen in modern age is still so beautiful to see ...

 

[Spoonwood]

The most important wonder in the game is Forbidden Palace. Corruption is such a problem, Forbidden Palace is the best way to fight it. Balance it against your capitol - you want your empire to look like the figure 8, with capitol in one center, forbidden palace in the other.

The next best wonder is whatever I can get from an AI by conquering its cities.

Even though written with Play The World or Civ in mind, I agree with Nelson Minar. Unless a limited city game or maybe a tiny map, I think the Forbidden Palace number 1.

The 2nd class of wonder importance has as it's leading member, the Apollo Program. O. K., maybe you have spaceship victory disabled or will plan to win another way. But still, no other wonder makes for an absolute prerequisite on winning by some victory condition. The U. N. can similarly qualify as the 2nd most important wonder. But, it's at least conceivable to not make it, capturing it instead, and still win diplomatically. Thus, it doesn't have quite the same importance as The Apollo Program.

The 3rd most important wonder is the Military Academy. No other wonder can quite unlock as much power of consequence. It's value comes very high in terms of your military, if your military can serve your goals well enough.

important -

"marked by or indicative of significant worth or consequence : valuable in content or relationship"

If playing Always War or anything close where the soldiers fight on every turn, the above list might not apply. The most important wonder may then be The Heroic Epic.

No! The above is wrong. In all cases.

The most important wonder is the Palace (or at least I believe it makes for an unlisted Small Wonder). Without a palace, you can only move units and order actions. Without a palace, there can be no victory at all. The palace also comes as the most powerful tool when in doubt about the ability to complete a Great Wonder and when in doubt about any ability to consecutively transition between great wonder builds. It's size also correlates to the productive capacity of one's empire both in terms of shields and commerce. Also, to the size of one's empire if one does not deliberately try to cram cities as close as one can. The palace is also the source and necessary link in all trade routes from other civilizations (but not within one's empire). It also makes for the natural home of the AIs toughest units. It seems that the most important wonder for both the AIs and human players is the palace. And it reduces corruption nearby.