Buildings worth powering tier list

Mango201

Chieftain
Joined
Apr 1, 2019
Messages
71
My opinion:

S
  • Factory: with proper placement you're boosting 5 cities, using 2 power for 15 production (1 power -> 7.5 production)
A
  • Stadium/Aquatics Center: As with the above example you can produce Colosseum level amenity boosts
B
  • Research Lab: 1 power ->1.66 science
  • Broadcast Center: 1 power -> 1.33 culture (culture is a bit harder to get than science so despite producing a bit less than the Research Lab I put the Broadcast Center in the same tier)
C
  • Shopping Mall: 1 power -> 2 gold + amenity
D
  • Airport: 1 power -> 2 production. The bonus XP is ok but high production cost means I'll usually prioritize pumping out aircraft before AA shows up
F
  • Food Market: 1 power -> 2 food...
  • Stock Exchange: 1 power -> 2.33 gold
 
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I would bump up Stadiums and Aquatics Center to S tier. Amenities are one of the few ways to get % based boosts which become huge later in the game. If the extra 2 amenities from power (3 in total) get your city up just one amenity level (which is guarenteed for 3 if you are not on the lowest or highest tier) you will likely get around as much production as you get from the power bonus of a factory AND you will get an increase on every other yield on top. Also these yields will continue to grow as you develope your city and increase its yields.
Otherwise the list is quite good imo.
 
  • Factory: with proper placement you're boosting 5-6 cities for 30-36 production
Power is only responsible for half of it, so your numbers here should be 15-18, as for other buildings below you take into account only the added values from power. And if to apply the same format, 1 power ->1.5 production per boosted city.
5-6 cities is a rather optimistic scenario, 4-5 would probably be closer to life, when you exclude overlaps.
 
I would bump up Stadiums and Aquatics Center to S tier.

I guess my reasoning is that a factory offers its bonuses way earlier in the game which results in snowballing benefits.

But yeah, if we're judging purely by the outcome once built then I'd agree, amenity % based boosts are always bigger in the long term.

Power is only responsible for half of it, so your numbers here should be 15-18, as for other buildings below you take into account only the added values from power. And if to apply the same format, 1 power ->1.5 production per boosted city.
5-6 cities is a rather optimistic scenario, 4-5 would probably be closer to life, when you exclude overlaps.

Fair (I'll update for consistency) but even assuming 4 cities within range of the factory (i.e. 5 total) that's 2 power -> 15 production or 1-> power 7.5 production.
 
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I don't know if we could only look at the powered yield without looking the main building first: you cannot enjoy the former without the latter. Furthermore, looking it from a yield-over-power ratio seems kind of flawed to me: you can only have 1 building per city. If a Research Lab gives 15 Science for 10 Power instead of 5 for 3, it would have a worse ratio but be better because you gain more Science from it. The opposite is true: if a Research Lab gives 1000 Science for 200 Power, it would have a ratio 3 times better, but it would be useless because you will be almost never able to enjoy from it.

I roughly agree with your list with one exception: I will put the Stock Exchange in the B-tier. People often underestimate the Stock Exchange, because they forget buildings have a Maintenance cost. The Stock Exchange could be seen as an equivalent to a 7 Gold + 7 Gold (Power) at 3 Maintenance, available one era earlier meaning it can pay itself back faster. For example, an unpowered Research Lab is just +3 Science for -3 Gold.
The main reason I would put the Stock Exchange up there is City-States: the 6th Envoy bonuses give it +6 Gold. It really add up fast. Of course, tt is not worth as much as the Research Lab or the Broadcast Center, but it is way better than the Shopping Mall in C-tier that needs a Neighborhood while not enjoy any GPP or City-States bonuses.
Edit: But I agree: the powered bonus is quite underwhelming. If they changed the 4 Gold + 7 Gold (Power) with no Maintenance, to 7 Gold + 9 Gold (Power) with 3 Gold Maintenance, it would be way better. Overall, it is just a 2 Gold increase when powered. Even when not powered, the Free Market policy will be more interesting to use: +100% of 7 minus 3 (=11) is better than +100% of 4 (=8), meaning a +3 Gold increase for each Stock Exchange. They could do the same with the Market and the Bank: a Market at 4 Gold and 1 Maintenance instead of 3 Gold, and a Bank at 7 Gold and 2 Maintenance instead of 5 Gold.

I do agree with Factory being 1 tier higher than the Stadium. The Factory is both an area of effect building and a building enjoying from City-States, while being available two era earlier meaning you will enjoy from it way longer. The Factory is just that good.

But now I am asking myself: what is the cost of Power? And therefore: the opportunity cost of powering your city.
 
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As Victoria I want my military academy powered for drone expertise.
Never used those type of units...in what ways are they useful? I guess I play too much for cash and peace!
 
Never used those type of units...in what ways are they useful? I guess I play too much for cash and peace!
Is was a sort of advanced quip.
Victoria gets a bonus on anything powered, so the more things powered the better.
Military academies are not powered but if they were that would be yet more production, as it is an airport gives you +10 production.
Drones are great regardless, they give 5 tile visibility!
But I was referring more to the real world building killer drones.
 
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