Do you build factories?

[Arathorn]

Not only are factories something I build, I prebuild for factories. They are about the only building I will systematically prebuild for. It's not at all unusual to switch over 90% of my core to factories immediately upon the knowledge of Industrialization. They're that important.

I suppose not building factories might be one way for the human to compensate for the AI's inadequacy in the Industrial and Modern Age, but it sure feels like an odd variant and not a smart way to play.

Arathorn

 

[Beamup]

Just agreeing with everybody else:

I build them in ALL my cities with halfway decent production. If I have big problems with pollution, I build more workers. (Then I yell at myself for not building enough in the first place!)

And I certainly don't irrigate everywhere. I will (almost) never have a city with more than 21 citizens - my goal is (almost) always the city's available tiles + 1. So there'll be one specialist, who will be the person to starve if/when pollution empties out the food store.

Food is power, yes, but only as long as the extra citizens are productive (i.e. not specialists). Shields are far more powerful than specialists, in general.

 

[Tomoyo]

One thing you should note is that most Industrial Age pollution will come from having cities with a high pop if you irrigate so much. A size 14 city with no factory pollutes just as much as a size 12 one with one.

 

[Bagatur]

Thats true, I used loose city spacing before and had big cities, like 16-18-20 size and each time I was going for mass transit building ASAP, bcs I was annoyed from pollutions. Since I use tight spacing cXXc, I dont have such problem anymore. Clearing two, even three pollution spots on turn isn't annoying that much.

 

[Emp.Napoleon]

Without factories, I could never build the upper end units.

 

[Kietharr]

Why wouldnt you build factories? i've gotten 60+ SPT in several citys in every game i play just with coal plants+factories, when it gets to nuclear power i've gotten upwards of 75 in my capitol.

 

[eldar]

In COTM7, I managed to get 3 cities with 100+ shields (Factory, Nuke Plant, Manufacturing Plant).

Neil.

 

[citizen001]

Hell yes! I haven't played a single game without building at least one. Added to that you need a factory to build future modern age shield improving buildings. (unless you're talking Hoover's Dam) You wouldn't want to be going into the modern age with your capital getting only 20-30 uncorrupt shields per turn.

 

[Bagatur]

I just finished COTM7, where I hadnt to build any factory(well, I rushed one, just for sports ). I never played before Standard map, game is 4-5 times shorter than Huge map and its over before any factories needed. But for sure, on levels >=Empreror and map bigger than Standard, factories are a must in core.

 

[Xerol]

Another point here, as you brought up Hoover. The free Hydro Plants don't take effect unless the city also has a factory in it!

 

[microbe]

I always build them in core cities. The rule of thumb is that if I can build it within 20 turns, I'll do it.

 

[Zardnaar]

Yes. If I'm a Democracy and can afford it I'll rush them in my capitol, any city with a coal plant (or to build a coal plant) and sometimes my core as well depending on $$$$$

 

[WackenOpenAir]

I never get to industrial, but if i would, factories could be a first priority.

Depending on the estimated duration of the remaining game, i would build them.
I'd state a minimum number of production for cities to get a factory and build one imeadiately in every city that meets the criterium.
The longer i estimate the game to last, the lower that number would be.

 

[DS_Legionary]

I rarely get to Indutrial, usually once I hit Cavs it's all over. Although when I do make it to being able to build factories I build them in all cities (this is easy enough to do under communism). Then no one can stop me. It's essentially a mop-up after that point.

 

[zeon252]

I always build them, but ussually in only my most productive cities

 

[YanksGiants87]

I would imagine building factories is essential in higher difficulties, we need every advantage we can get at diety+

 

[Quilty]

Yes, always, although in cities that are already high production (ie my capital and core cities). I'm usually able to build most of the available improvements by the end of the game, and the high shield output can be converted into wealth when there's nothing left to build.

 

[Desertsnow]

I build them not whenever I can, but I do build several for production.

 

[Shinatoo]

Sometimes, when i'm up at 4 in the morning.....10 hours into an obsessive "one more turn" session. I'll build a coal factory, then a hydro, then a coal, then a hydro..... not realizing that they replace each other.

I need to start doing drugs, I don't think it would mess with my brain as much.

 

[TeeAhr1]

Building factories is like voting in Chicago, do it early, do it often. That having been said, I don't waste turns on coal plants or (usually) nuclear plants, I either try for the Hoover or wait for solar plants, by which time those cities are hopefully sufficiently built that a solar plant will take 10 turns or less anyway.