Civics and their uses
- Thread starter SneakyJes
- Start date
ParadigmShifter
Random Nonsense Generator
Beurocracy as soon as it is available! Slavery until you have to get rid of it or want caste system instead (want to run lots of specialists basically).
If you get the Pyramids, Bob is your Uncle. Representation until war weariness starts becoming a problem, then Police State. Otherwise, research monarchy for hereditary rule.
Later game civics you have to get your calculating head on really. Is it worth shifting out of beurocracy for an extra hammer for towns? You need to add up how many towns you have.
Religious civics - organized religion when building and theocracy when building units for war. EDIT: Pacifism for lots of great people.
I'm sure lots more people will chime in with advice.
If you get the Pyramids, Bob is your Uncle. Representation until war weariness starts becoming a problem, then Police State. Otherwise, research monarchy for hereditary rule.
Later game civics you have to get your calculating head on really. Is it worth shifting out of beurocracy for an extra hammer for towns? You need to add up how many towns you have.
Religious civics - organized religion when building and theocracy when building units for war. EDIT: Pacifism for lots of great people.
I'm sure lots more people will chime in with advice.
B-u-r-e-a-u-c-r-a-c-y 
A guide: A Guide to Civics by Pfeffersack.
It takes a little time to get the 'feeling' of civics I must admit, although as a first step I'd say understand the wartime civics vs. peacetime civics, and understand the difference between cottage-economy civics vs. specialist- or farm-economy civics.
A guide: A Guide to Civics by Pfeffersack.
It takes a little time to get the 'feeling' of civics I must admit, although as a first step I'd say understand the wartime civics vs. peacetime civics, and understand the difference between cottage-economy civics vs. specialist- or farm-economy civics.
Government
Hereditary rule is good for most of the early game, especially when you warmonger alot. I rarely use Police State for war since i don't prioritize that tech very much and i get by with using peaceful civics late game wars.
(if you get a war you know is gonna last a long time, switch to Police state fast, with short wars it's not that important)
Representation is only good when you do a lot of Specialists and from the pyramids early game(lots of happiness to the largest cities). Use this when you plan to have long times of peace
(not gonna happen!War!War! )
Do Universal Suffrage if you got lots of towns(+1
gives even commerce cities decent production), and you are out of slavery and need to rush buy stuff/units. Very useful civic, you will mostly be using this late game.
Legal
Bureaucracy as soon as possible, switch to Free speech later if you get some good towns(from cottages) going later on. (i usually switch to emancipation the same time) Vassalage is useful for war, but i feel it's not worth it most of the time since the penalty for switching out of Bureaucracy is too heavy. Nationhood is very good with a high food globe city. Draft like mad
. Though i don't use it very often since the economic disadvantage gets too much. (Bureaucracy / Free Speech both gives very good economic advantages, same point as why i don't use vassalage very much)
Labor
Slavery-Emancipation. Rarely use other civics than these. Emancipation is the civic choice who have the most effect on your Cottage Economy (faster towns! lots $$). Slavery
! This is straightforward, abuse your population! Get military! Get buildings! One of the most important civics early game.(just don't use it too much... they tend to hate you a lot after a while 
) Caste system sometimes if the circumstances are right(Philosophical Civ etc), Serfdom sucks never used it ever.
Economy
Free Market/Mercantilism, depends on my relations to other AI's.. sometimes they tend to not like me so Free market is a waste. Representation and Mercantilism is a good combo, so use it if you are using Representation and aim for Statue of Liberty too for some awesome free research from every city you have.
State property is supposed to be good, but my games tend to be over when i get to that point so i haven't used it a lot.
I have no idea why anyone wants Environmentalism, it sucks and it comes late so don't bother with it.
Religion
Religious civics? I end up with no religion in most of my games. (Diplomatic penalties can be suicide at high levels) so it's no State Religion -> Then Free Religion. If you got one it's easy, Pacifism to get great people, Organized Religion to build infrastructure/wonders, and Theocracy for prepping war/fighting war.
Hereditary rule is good for most of the early game, especially when you warmonger alot. I rarely use Police State for war since i don't prioritize that tech very much and i get by with using peaceful civics late game wars.
(if you get a war you know is gonna last a long time, switch to Police state fast, with short wars it's not that important)
Representation is only good when you do a lot of Specialists and from the pyramids early game(lots of happiness to the largest cities). Use this when you plan to have long times of peace
(not gonna happen!War!War! )Do Universal Suffrage if you got lots of towns(+1
gives even commerce cities decent production), and you are out of slavery and need to rush buy stuff/units. Very useful civic, you will mostly be using this late game.Legal
Bureaucracy as soon as possible, switch to Free speech later if you get some good towns(from cottages) going later on. (i usually switch to emancipation the same time) Vassalage is useful for war, but i feel it's not worth it most of the time since the penalty for switching out of Bureaucracy is too heavy. Nationhood is very good with a high food globe city. Draft like mad
. Though i don't use it very often since the economic disadvantage gets too much. (Bureaucracy / Free Speech both gives very good economic advantages, same point as why i don't use vassalage very much)Labor
Slavery-Emancipation. Rarely use other civics than these. Emancipation is the civic choice who have the most effect on your Cottage Economy (faster towns! lots $$). Slavery
! This is straightforward, abuse your population! Get military! Get buildings! One of the most important civics early game.(just don't use it too much... they tend to hate you a lot after a while ) Caste system sometimes if the circumstances are right(Philosophical Civ etc), Serfdom sucks never used it ever.Economy
Free Market/Mercantilism, depends on my relations to other AI's.. sometimes they tend to not like me so Free market is a waste. Representation and Mercantilism is a good combo, so use it if you are using Representation and aim for Statue of Liberty too for some awesome free research from every city you have.
State property is supposed to be good, but my games tend to be over when i get to that point so i haven't used it a lot.I have no idea why anyone wants Environmentalism, it sucks and it comes late so don't bother with it.
Religion
Religious civics? I end up with no religion in most of my games. (Diplomatic penalties can be suicide at high levels) so it's no State Religion -> Then Free Religion. If you got one it's easy, Pacifism to get great people, Organized Religion to build infrastructure/wonders, and Theocracy for prepping war/fighting war.
automator
King
I like nothing more in the big 1400s era wars to run Police State, Vassalage and Theocracy. That's +4 xp on units that are produced 25% faster. Combined with a barracks and a great general, that's units out of my main war machine with 10 xp. I've stomped enemies with nothing but hordes of triple city raider cannons.
Because the UN voted for it against their wishes.
Because the UN voted for it against their wishes.
KMadCandy
giggling permanoob
I have no idea why anyone wants Environmentalism, it sucks and it comes late so don't bother with it.
sometimes in OCC it's perfect
Environmentalism is great if your severly lacking health otherwise it isnt very good. This is mostly for ooc or small empires ofc.. since with larget empires the other civics become more and more atractive while you get more and more health reasources, not to mention that it takes longer to swich. Heriditary rule is a must for higher level cottage economy as its the easiest attainable source of happiness around. Vassalage is good with huge empires and armies along when heavy waring. Burecracy is as mentioned most of the time the best civic in the midgame as it gives a ton of reasearch power and/or production when your capital is contributing most of everything to your empire. Best with cottages in capital as i doesnt multiply scientists or merchants. Natiohood is very strong if you dont have loads of cottages or a commerce/hammer heavy capital since it is no upkeep and it can enable you to assemble an army at lgihtning speed.
civconquerer627
Chieftain
i use serfdom in early-mid game when i have to improve my new cities really fast and don't have many workers
Spammurabi
Chieftain
Many of these civics are really quite good for a short term boost, like Nationhood for a drafting rush in a bunch of your cities. With the Spiritual trait, jump into Nationhood, draft up a bunch of Riflemen, and switch back to Free Speech in 5 turns. It's very, very powerful.
