Recent content by ShaqFu

I'd like to hear input from a MP player (well, those that tolerate it right now) on ICS in MP. If it's as strong as it is in SP, then Civ5 turns into what FreeCiv used to be: two players trying to out-ICS each other. Hell, Civ5 ICS is probably stronger than FreeCiv's, since you get a free...

You're right, you could horse rush and win by turn 100. :D I used Sulla's game as an example since it's well-documented and shows the issue with ICS: it obviates actually playing the game. Economy management? Caring about diplomacy? Prioritizing techs? Nah, just throw cities at the...

The difference between Civ4's combination of exploits was that none of them, nor all of them in tandem, were as game-breaking as ICS. Civ4's exploits never singly won games. Having a Globe Theatre draft city was powerful, but it never conquered the world. Whipping out 6 Axemen in 4 turns was...

Hence why I said it's supposed to. ;) When Firaxis was trying to figure out corruption/upkeep-free expansion limiters, they probably assumed that, since you're building at least some buildings (Coliseum, Library, Monument), the accrued maintenance would function as a light limiter. After...

In a way, building maintenance is supposed to fill the same role as city upkeep, since you're paying gold for the city either way. Unfortunately, it's so easy to get back your money for the first level buildings (and if you're China, they're functionally all free!) that it isn't nearly as...

If your strategy calls for early wonders (Stonehenge, Library, Oracle), it's a nice way to get a needed edge against AI builders. This is doubly true for a culture game, where the wonder boost is useful through the end. Otherwise, you're better going for the other ancient trees, or saving up...

"When I first came here, this was all swamp. Everyone said I was daft to build a trading post on a swamp, but I built in all the same, just to show them. It sank into the swamp. So I built a second one. That sank into the swamp. So I built a third. That burned down, fell over, then sank into the...

I vaguely recall reading somewhere that Jon Shafer typically played with ~3 cities. Needless to say, that's not really a good idea, the way things stand.

I think this nails the crux of which ICS is so much better than concentrated growth; namely, your cities functionally stop growing at a very low level*, since it starts taking obscenely long times to get new citizens. I could grow my capital by 1 pop, which takes 30 turns at max growth, and...

Not really, since it becomes increasingly hard to grow cities after a point, until you hit what's functionally a food cap (usually in the low/mid teens - there's a reason so few cities get over 12-13 pop).

Buildings are irrelevant, since you only need cheap ones (Library, Monument, Coliseum). It certainly helps that you can rushbuy buildings, and ICS shines at having huge gold intakes. I can't think of any situation where I wouldn't want to ICS - hell, you could do a cultural victory through ICS...

I always quickly enter Freedom, but I'm also big on running 2+ Scientists in each city. Getting that many beakers out of 2 citizens, plus the huge boost from Great Scientists, makes Freedom/Civil Society/Democracy obscenely useful. Half-angry, half-food Scientists that provide 50% more free...

Now I'm curious as to how the AI uses its Great Scientists. I've seen Academies around AI lands, so I suspect they're not using them for slingshots like a human does (and not using them to their potential).

I'm more unhappy with some of the straight-shots on the tech tree. The ease of going from Gunpowder->Rifling-> is just obscene. Someone must really love Babylon. :D

Stardock Hires Fall From Heaven Creator After 'Challenging' Elemental Launch Congrats on the new title of Senior Producer; we look forward to your work in the big leagues. :goodjob: