Cultural victories...biggest empire (ignoring puppets) you've done it with

[TrailblazingScot]

Note: Pity this was the only screenie that came out. But, you'll see my start land is nice.

I've been playing a rather enjoyable game of Civ5 aimed at getting the Bollywood achievement. To do this, I need to have no more than 3 cities and win by culture.

I played on King difficulty, on a continents map and got a very nice starting area.

I built a second city to the south of my start (Mumbai) and conquered Japan, who had one city with the Colossus and Great Lighthouse in it.

The continent was shared by the Aztecs and Russia. Russia got defeated by the Aztecs. As it is only King and the AI isn't the greatest at war, I was able to deal with any threats the Aztecs provided. But, given I wasn't to have more than 3 cities for my achievements I couldn't stop them taking over 4 city states.

On the other continent, it was pretty balanced, but eventually Elizabeth dominated and in the late game she colonised any little island that was still free. Rome were hiding in the cold to the south of her. Ottomans, Persians and Chinese - all dead.


So, I was getting most of the wonders, getting plenty of golden ages, building as much culture as I could and yet by 2000 AD, it was clear I was not going to win by culture with my 3 cities. No by a long chalk.

So, I nuked Elizabeth twice who was building a space ship...the irony being, I had no uranium, the missiles were built with uranium she had traded me

I also took the Aztecs down, after one nuke managed to get two of their best cities. I do love the fact that nukes are terrifying again

At least I was able to get Dehli to eventually make 100 science a turn, 100 gold a turn and 100 culture a turn...3 achievements. Got my using a nuke achievement and merchant king achievement. Oh yes, I've learnt that Academies are pointless - they need to be twice as good to make it worthwhile. 5 science...pointless. Oh yes, I also culture bombed twice, to steal some aluminium from the Aztecs...landmarks...again, pointless.

So, my question is this. On normal speed, what is the biggest empire, minus puppets, that you've achieved a cultural victory with? Should I have kept to a OCC, or could I have done it if I had left Japan alive?

 

[Samuil]

I am never even remotely close to winning a cultural victory... No idea how you guys do it?

 

[Frosty_AUT]

So, I was getting most of the wonders, getting plenty of golden ages, building as much culture as I could and yet by 2000 AD, it was clear I was not going to win by culture with my 3 cities. No by a long chalk.

What social policies did you adopt?

 

[TrailblazingScot]

What social policies did you adopt?

I went for aristocracy early, then saved my points till I could get Freedom to get discounted policies. I think I should have avoided rationalism and gone for Piety earlier simply as I had lots of happiness that could have been turned to culture.

I hit up commerce and order also.

Maybe, I should have not done any policies apart from aristocracy till I had that wonder late-game that makes it cheaper to use policies - but also, in that situation, go for Freedom first.

I was still a good 3-4 trees off a cultural win - alot tbh.

 

[Frosty_AUT]

I think I should have avoided rationalism and gone for Piety earlier simply as I had lots of happiness that could have been turned to culture.

Yep, piety is the better choice for cultural victories while rationalism is more beneficial for science victories.

Regarding piety, extra culture from happiness is a nice side effect, but IMO Piety's greatest benefit towards cultural victory comes from Free Religion (2 extra social policies). It effectively reduces the number of SPs you need for cultural victory, which is crucial given how late in the game you can normally expect to complete all 5 required trees.

Anyway, my first (and still only) cultural victory was as Arabia with 4 cities on Prince. No puppets as I never went to war (yeah, it got slightly boring).

 

[Aldor]

Playing as the french, I had a nice 5 city empire (+2 puppets which I annexed when building utopia). Won in the, 1870's? or around there. Used piety as mentioned above, and also had the luxury of having a LOT of cultural city states around...they really help!

 

[brianshapiro]

Whats the most culture you've earned per turn? I've got as high as +1020 (with Arabia, not France)

 

[Peng Qi]

I'm close to a cultural victory as Rome with about fifty cities. If I end up winning it I'll post the screenie.

 

[PieceOfMind]

I am never even remotely close to winning a cultural victory... No idea how you guys do it?

You can do it with even one city.

Though it was only on a Duel map, Immortal, so in a way it was cheese.



Trading post spam? Naaah. Landmark spam.

 

[TrailblazingScot]

Yep, piety is the better choice for cultural victories while rationalism is more beneficial for science victories.

Regarding piety, extra culture from happiness is a nice side effect, but IMO Piety's greatest benefit towards cultural victory comes from Free Religion (2 extra social policies). It effectively reduces the number of SPs you need for cultural victory, which is crucial given how late in the game you can normally expect to complete all 5 required trees.

Anyway, my first (and still only) cultural victory was as Arabia with 4 cities on Prince. No puppets as I never went to war (yeah, it got slightly boring).

Wait a moment, I just need 5 trees? Right, I should be able to do it lol!!!

Perhaps my nuking of everything was premature!!! Reload!!!

 

[TrailblazingScot]

You can do it with even one city.

Though it was only on a Duel map, Immortal, so in a way it was cheese.



Trading post spam? Naaah. Landmark spam.

Dude, it is easier with one city.

 

[TrailblazingScot]

I meant Freedom, not Rationalism, but the point is well made.

As for the dude doing it with 50 cities - if these aren't puppets, I'm amazed.

Yep, piety is the better choice for cultural victories while rationalism is more beneficial for science victories.

Regarding piety, extra culture from happiness is a nice side effect, but IMO Piety's greatest benefit towards cultural victory comes from Free Religion (2 extra social policies). It effectively reduces the number of SPs you need for cultural victory, which is crucial given how late in the game you can normally expect to complete all 5 required trees.

Anyway, my first (and still only) cultural victory was as Arabia with 4 cities on Prince. No puppets as I never went to war (yeah, it got slightly boring).

 

[PieceOfMind]

Dude, it is easier with one city.

I agree it's easy, but why is one city easier? Why would you ever expand at all if that were the case?

IMO what made it easy were the small map and only one opponent. That makes for some cheese, but not the one city part. It does however make the game very fast, so probably 1000 times less tedious.

 

[TrailblazingScot]

I agree it's easy, but why is one city easier? Why would you ever expand at all if that were the case?

IMO what made it easy were the small map and only one opponent. That makes for some cheese, but not the one city part. It does however make the game very fast, so probably 1000 times less tedious.

It is easier as each additional city raises the cost of social policies. The capital is easy to boost culture in due to wonders and national buildings getting concentrated there. I think it is harder to ensure all additional cities pull their weight given the additional social policy cost they bring.

Duel maps are cheesy. I wouldn't have beaten deity in Civ4 BTS without duel or some other dodgy settings.

 

[Veshta]

Did it with 5 cities using Persia .. the gold from a near permanent golden age allowed me to buy each and every CS on the entire map early on so had troops, culture and food coming in by the truck load.

 

[Peng Qi]

I meant Freedom, not Rationalism, but the point is well made.

As for the dude doing it with 50 cities - if these aren't puppets, I'm amazed.

OK I went back and counted and it's only 28. And none of them are puppets. xD

 

[Lanstro]

Most was 5 or 6 with Askia on Emperor. My single city at with Elizabeth was way easier though, so just goes to show how powerful single city is.

 

[gaiko]

50, 28...if you are doing this in an ICS-like grid, it would be interesting to see the results.

OK I went back and counted and it's only 28. And none of them are puppets. xD

 

[Black PrinceIV]

I had 5 cities as my Egypt cultural win. I prolly could have done it with 3 or 4 but I couldn't resist the urge to expand some more. I started off with a bunch of mountains and rivers so I had a huge production going on. I had at least 5x the production the other civs had. With Tradition and my UA I built every single wonder except for 2 early ones. I also managed to build every single building in a couple cities and a large navy by the end of the game.

 

[Blackfang]

If all the cities will have about the same culture output (and that will be the case, since you'll need all the culture buildings, probably), then building the second, third and fourth cities will actually help you.
2 cities: 1.3x cost, 2x culture; 3 cities(compared to 2): 1.3x cost, 1.5x culture; 4 cities(compared to 3): 1.3x cost, 1.33x culture.
At some point you'll build Hermitage, that'll make a 3-cities-empire numerically superior. Still, I think, 4 cities is better, as it'll help with gold, science and other things.
At large and huge the optimal number of cities will be bigger (the increase of policies cost at large is 1.2, and at huge 1.15).