Best builders

[Hornets]

So, after playing a lot of games using different strategies, I reached the conclusion that I'm a builder type of player (a peaceful one, most of the times). So I would like to hear from you what are the best Civs for a player like me. I have already read the individual civs reviews, now I want your opinions. A top three list or something would help. Thanks

 

[Ataxerxes]

So, after playing a lot of games using different strategies, I reached the conclusion that I'm a builder type of player (a peaceful one, most of the times). So I would like to hear from you what are the best Civs for a player like me. I have already read the individual civs reviews, now I want your opinions. A top three list or something would help. Thanks

OK, although war is a necessity, I'll try. You want Industrious for the faster workers and better production. A case can be made for Commercial (lower corruption), Religious or Scientific (cheaper buildings).

With the corruption hurting production in most cities, I'd vote for France - Commercial, Industrious.
Follow up with Egypt and Persia. Persia comes with a nice UU.

 

[Spoonwood]

War isn't a necessity.

It depends on map type and desired victory condition for which tribes will play best. For high-level 20k games, the Seafaring tribes make a good choice. I'll pick the Byzantines, Carthage, and the Dutch here, with Spain as a close 4th and Portugal can work very well when you pop a free settler. For lower level 20k games where you can play pangea or continents, I'd say the industrious tribes in general and pick these three Persia, the Ottomans, Sumeria (not industrious, but Scientific/Agricultural is good). For space/diplomatic games, scientific tribes really can't get beat. I'll say Sumeria, Korea/Greece, Ottomans/Persia. For 100k games, religious, scientific, and agricultural all make for strong traits. This means the Celts, Babylon, and Sumeria that I'd pick. If you just want three in general, I'll say Sumeria, Korea/Greece, Ottomans/Persia.

 

[Hornets]

Ok, let's say it's a random map and I'm going for the UN or spaceship victory.

 

[darski]

France is still your best bet because you can afford more (bribes) gifts for your friends

 

[Spoonwood]

For space/diplomatic games, scientific tribes really can't get beat. I'll say Sumeria, Korea/Greece, Ottomans/Persia.

 

[GamezRule]

Persia is a strong civ no matter what victory chosen.

 

[Pacioli]

This post is a good reference tool.

I once made a list with what top three VCs I thought most suited to for each tribe, under conditions suitable to them (not that I've played everyone for each of these VCs)... e.g. expansionist tribes pop a settler early. I don't know what level I thought of, but Rome came out as a Conquest tribe. Military action favors Rome more than anything else really. Conquest won over domination, because they don't have any signficant advantages in pumping out settlers or producing extra culture. Then again, in most pangea games it might work out as easier to win via domination than conquest no matter who you play. Here's my list in the 1-2-3 order I thought for each tribe. Comments welcome, as much this comes as opinion:

America-Histo, Conq, Dom
Arabia-100k, 20k, Conq
Aztecs-Dom, Conq, Hist
Babylon-100k, 20k, Space
Byzantine-20k, Space, Diplo
Carthage-20k, Hist, Diplo
Celts=100k, Dom, Hist
China-Conq, Hist, Dom,
Dutch-Hist, 20k, Diplo
Egypt-100k, Hist, Conq
England-Diplo, 20k, Space
France-Diplo, 20k, Hist,
Germany-Space, 20k, Diplo
Greece-Space, Diplo, 20k
Hittites-Diplo, 20k, Space
Inca-Hist, Dom, Conq
India-100k, 20k, Hist,
Iroquois-Dom, Hist, Conq
Japan-Conq, 100k, Hist,
Korea-Space, Diplo, 20k
Maya-Hist, Dom, Conq
Mongols-Conq, 20k, Dom
Ottomans-Hist, Space, Diplo
Persia-Space, Diplo, 20k
Portugal-20k, Hist, Diplo
Rome-Conq, Dom, Hist
Russia-Space, 20k, Diplo
Spain-20k, Diplo, 100k
Sumeria-Diplo, Space, Histo
Vikings-20k, Conq, Space
Zululand-Conq, 20k, Dom

Key: Hist-histographic, Conq-Conquest, Dom-Domination, Diplo-Diplomatic

 

[WhiteRabbit]

So, after playing a lot of games using different strategies, I reached the conclusion that I'm a builder type of player (a peaceful one, most of the times). So I would like to hear from you what are the best Civs for a player like me. I have already read the individual civs reviews, now I want your opinions. A top three list or something would help. Thanks

I would think that the commerical/scientific combo (Greeks) would be a good one for a builder since the commercial trait gives a commerce boost and apparently decreases corruption. Having extra money is always helpful. The science trait gives you three free techs throughout the game (which gives you the jump on getting to those wonder-techs faster). In addition, you get half price libraries and universities. Added together, these two-traits seem to favor a builder-type approach to the game.

I've certainly had great success with the Greeks in all types of victory conditions (though I've played only Vanilla). That hoplite unit is very helpful for a strong defense in the early game against dangerous early game Civs like Persia or Aztecs. This is important because it is in the early game that a builder-strategy is most vulnerable to foreign attack.

 

[CKS]

Amusingly, though I play mostly 20K and I don't like warfare, I don't like playing the Greeks - I prefer the Koreans, who differ only in having the Hwach'a instead of the hoplite. I don't really understand what it is I don't like about the hoplite. (I like the lethal bombard of the Hwach'a, but I rarely think to build enough of them until it is too late.)

My civ choices would be Sumeria, Korea, or the Byzantines. I expect that agricultural Sumeria works out the best, but I like the Byzantines the most.

 

[WhiteRabbit]

Amusingly, though I play mostly 20K and I don't like warfare, I don't like playing the Greeks - I prefer the Koreans, who differ only in having the Hwach'a instead of the hoplite. I don't really understand what it is I don't like about the hoplite. (I like the lethal bombard of the Hwach'a, but I rarely think to build enough of them until it is too late.)

My civ choices would be Sumeria, Korea, or the Byzantines. I expect that agricultural Sumeria works out the best, but I like the Byzantines the most.

I only have Vanilla.

For culture games, I would go for the Religious/Science combo (Babylon) since that gives half-price temples, cathedrals, libraries and universities, which are all culture-boosters.

 

[Ataxerxes]

I only have Vanilla.

For culture games, I would go for the Religious/Science combo (Babylon) since that gives half-price temples, cathedrals, libraries and universities, which are all culture-boosters.

On vanilla the best trait is easily Industrious. Industrious was nerfed to merely be a good trait later on. Even for building the speed of your workers in improving the land is a big bonus.

After Vanilla, Babylon is considering by most to be the best for culture victories. Playing vanilla I would still take Persia. Awesome for everything and Egypt is extremely good too.

 

[Hornets]

What about India? I know the trait combination is not the best for a builder but the reduced corruption is very nice and also you get cheap (and hopefully the oldest) religious building in the game. Also: The extra cash from the commercial trait helps you with the maitenance cost of cathedrals, etc.

 

[Spoonwood]

Thanks for that Pacioli. I wondered where I had put that!

After Vanilla, Babylon is considering by most to be the best for culture victories.

Well, I guess they are the most popular in the HoF for both 100k and 20k games. I don't know what else to go by here. That said though, for the top HoF 100k spots you find a lot of the Celts, and for the 20k spots you find a lot of Persia and the Ottomans.

What about India? I know the trait combination is not the best for a builder but the reduced corruption is very nice and also you get cheap (and hopefully the oldest) religious building in the game. Also: The extra cash from the commercial trait helps you with the maitenance cost of cathedrals, etc.

If playing on an 80% archipelago map, maybe. On a pangea map, it more often helps to road up to your borders and sign RoPs to road up extra luxuries to trade for. Then put in markets. Cathedrals *might* help, but only marginally so, and hopefully you can trade for luxuries instead. I don't know about continent maps. Nonetheless, for a space/diplo. game I think that even with few luxuries the scientific trait almost always helps more than having cheap temples and cathedrals as
1. you also get a free tech for having the scientific trait
2. you also have cheaper research labs, which makes for three buildings for the scientific trait as opposed to two for the religious trait.

So, if you like commercial, and want to find a strong builder tribe, I'll pick Greece/Korea over India any day of the week. Then again, maybe India makes for more fun to play.

 

[timerover51]

India does have War Elephants. After looking through this, maybe I should try something besides the Byzantines and the Dutch. I really do like water maps and Seafaring though.