Celebrating anyone?

[Kev]

Given our well-established democracy and the fact that we do not have a huge amount of military units outside of cities, the opportunity to grow by celebrating exists should we wish.

All but a slight few of our home-island cities have aqueducts, and the others are building them now - along with several others. They can be rushed relatively soon to benefit from celebrating. Those cities that are size 2 or 3 right now can benefit very well to size 8 also.

Add to this mix that we're probably going to get our next 2-3 techs by stealing anyway, so taking a 3-4 turn hiatus with low science wouldn't hurt THAT much.

Of course, we'll only be able to get cities to size 12 (with aqueducts), but that extra population can prove to be very valuable.

On the downside, it WILL involve lowering science. I'd like to keep taxes up if we do this for the rushing of needed caravans for wonders. It will be a bit of a short-term slow down.

Further, a batch of extra citizens may actually mean that we have some that are unhappy - leading to the use of entertainers or, later, putting 10% in luxuries.

Finally, our SSC is already at size 12 and would not benefit. This is usually the city one tries to concentrate on when growing by celebration.

So what does everyone else think on this?

 

[Duke of Marlbrough]

I keep waiting for a time when this 'feels' right. I was hoping that right after getting Sewers into our biggest cities, we could start this.

Plus, the dip in science would not be very good. We are looking at trying to get some very important techs very quickly. I would like to see up to sanitation discovered from my list and then celebrate. At that point we would have cancelled the GL and the GW and have Riflemen, as well as built Newtons and WS. Then, if we like, we can take a dip in science, but I wouldn't really like to do it until we are out of the 'tech war' we are in.

 

[goodbye_mr_bond]

It seems to me that we've reached the limits of out-and-out expansion. If this is true, I'd be for a short term burst of growth. The increased science output of substantially bigger cities should make up the science gap (if any develops) in no time. Especially considering that we're poised to steal two techs in the near future.

As for unhappiness--well, there's nothing like passing a few bucks to your local media baron for sustained good news...

 

[duke o' york]

I think that it'll be possible to squeeze an extra city onto the Vironconium island between Dukeshire and Spice Haven, but have not checked the map with regard to this. However, I think that we can still celebrate before we have finished settling and then do it again later. I agree with Duke though, the tech race should be sorted out and the SSC fully operational before we start to reduce the science slider. Even with a low science setting we can still produce a load of beakers each turn with the SSC and that'll keep us ticking over while we boost luxuries.

 

[Kev]

Very well. I think that I'll go full out for this next batch of turns (1660 - ?) and then look to celebrate soon after that.

By that time, the SSC will be set, we should likely have a decent tech lead, and during the turns I'll be sure to try to get aqueducts in some additional cities.

 

[Zwelgje]

Isn't it so that when celebrating the city will grow regardless if granary, aquaduct or sewer is installed? In Civ1 at least granary is not necessary for the city to grow when celebrating.

 

[Kev]

In civ2 a granary is not necessary either. An aqueduct is needed to grow past size 8 and a sewer system is needed to grow past size 12.

Other than than, if it has at least 1/2 of the citizens happy, NO unhappy citizens, and enough food, it will grow by one each turn (starting at size 3 I believe).

 

[Duke of Marlbrough]

Size 3 is correct. So, how many cities would be left out of the celebrateing because they are too small?

How are we on Marketplaces also? That would greatly improve our luxuries too.

 

[Kev]

A few cities would have trouble feeling the full effects of celebrating:

THDP is already size 12 and we've not discovered sanitation yet. Athenae is (I think) size 11.

Thunder Falls, Pellaken Bay, and St. Leowind (I believe) are too small at the moment to start proper celebrations.

Some cities like Becka-Becka and Kevholm are islands that have just started to build harbors. Without harbors, they would not have th ability to grow too large right away.

Other cities have just started to build aqueducts who are size 6-8 already like Hippoville, Fort Pornstar, Sixchan, etc.

All of the above would probably tell me it's better to hold off for a few turns and make sure the empire is better prepared to take full advantage of the celebrations.

Further, marketplaces are high on many cities' building list. They will start to be built in earnest over the next few turns as well.

 

[Mr Spice]

I too think we should wait for a little while, at least until we have indusrtialisation and the caravans needed for both Newtons and WS. A few more aqueducts would also be nice. Other than that, the sooner we start celebrate the better. The population boom will do wonders for our empire.

 

[Duke of Marlbrough]

Do we want to look at celebrating before we send waves of troops out into the field?

 

[duke o' york]

I say afterwards as then we can grow our captured cities too.

 

[Dell19]

As we are going to war, we need to keep a nice large income coming in each turn so that we can rush build troops if we lose more units than expected. Also we need money for bribing. We could reduce science more but I would like to not hurt research too much...

 

[Zwelgje]

Right now with the upcoming war against the Chinese we need production and money so we can't afford luxuries as we will have to cut down in science then and I don't want to give away the lead we have in science. So celebrating will have to wait.

 

[Duke of Marlbrough]

My point being, if we celebrate while we are building up and grouping our forces (before we attack), the dip we take in money and science will be made up with the new citizens we will have. They will not only give us more trade, but more production also.

It just seems to me that if we could solidify our core cities it will make it much easier to carry on a sustained war.

Maybe we should re-address this issue after the Chinese are taken care of?

 

[Dell19]

It will probably make sense to wait...

 

[duke o' york]

I like Duke's thinking. I prefer annihilating the Chinese and then waiting a little, celebrating, and then moving on to whomever our next targets will be. That would provide a nice little boost to our cash reserves for any further actions we may care to take.

 

[Leowind]

Can we afford to celebrate a few turns while we finish off the Chinese and regroup for our next assault, wherever that may be?

 

[Dell19]

We could but I do like the idea of us waiting to finish building the sewer system in THDP...

 

[Mr Spice]

Then you need not wait any longer Dell! Those sewers are already in place and quickly becoming a stronghold for garbage, rats and the occasional criminal.