Does the Great Wall give you city walls in all your cities?

[db105]

I had always assumed that the Great Wall strengthens you only against barbarians (and forces other civs to make peace with you), and I seldom build it, but according to the civ2 War Academy it does give you the benefits of city walls in all your cities:
http://www4.ncsu.edu/~jjseater/PDF/Civilization/Civilization2FanaticsManual.pdf (see chapter 1, page 2, which ios actually page 3 of the document). Is that info wrong?

 

[Valka D'Ur]

The Great Wall gives you City Walls in all your cities, yes. So make sure you defend the city that contains this Wonder.

 

[db105]

Are you sure? The Civilopedia just says "Enemy civilizations must offer cease-fire/peace in negotiations. Combat strength doubled against barbarians."

 

[Prof. Garfield]

It does in Classic Civ 2. I'm less sure about Multiplayer Gold Edition. Just open the game and run a test in cheat mode.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Are you sure? The Civilopedia just says "Enemy civilizations must offer cease-fire/peace in negotiations. Combat strength doubled against barbarians."

It does in Classic Civ 2. I'm less sure about Multiplayer Gold Edition. Just open the game and run a test in cheat mode.

I have never played the Multiplayer Gold Edition. I'm going by my experiences with original Civ II and ToT.

Besides, there are always differences between what the Civilopedia says and how the game behaves in practice. Just start a game, build the Wall, and look at your other cities. They'll all have City Walls appearing around them.

 

[mackerel]

It gives all your cities the effect of walls, but does not construct "City Walls" structures in the cities. This prevents using the wonder as a gold generator - it doesn't create anything you can sell.

The game descriptions for several wonders are misleading (Hoover isn't limited to one continent, either) but as far as I know, only in the direction of the owner's benefit.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

In my games, I see my cities acquire the City Wall graphic. City Walls do not appear in the list of improvements; you are correct in that they cannot be sold unless built prior to the Great Wall (or after losing control of it).

 

[db105]

It does in Classic Civ 2. I'm less sure about Multiplayer Gold Edition. Just open the game and run a test in cheat mode.

I have MGE. I have tested it, and the icon representing the cities changes, as if there was a city wall. However, I can still choose to build a city wall. Is that normal? When you build the pyramids you can no longer choose to build a granary. But then, the effect of the Pyramids is permanent, while the Great Wall's is not. Maybe that's why?

Is the Civilopedia description of the Great Wall different in Classic Civ II?

 

[Prof. Garfield]

However, I can still choose to build a city wall. Is that normal?

Yes, I remember having the option to build walls even when controlling the Great Wall, and I assumed it was because the Wall expires.

The description of Great Wall in Classic Civ 2 does include providing walls to every city.

 

[Ali Ardavan]

When you build the pyramids you can no longer choose to build a granary. But then, the effect of the Pyramids is permanent, while the Great Wall's is not. Maybe that's why?

That is exactly why. Similarly, if you build Marco you are still prompted to establish an embassy when your diplomat attempts to enter a foreign city; when you build UN you no longer get that option.

 

[stoferb]

I seldom build it too, but yes it gives all your cities a wall until it expires. But it's way cheaper to build walls in the few cities where you need them, and these walls won't suddenly disappear. The only reason to build it is to stay out of early war as you can force peace with it.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

I build ALL the Wonders, whether I need them or not. Three reasons:

1. They're worth 20 points each toward your final Civ score.
2. If I have them, that means my enemies don't.
3. I like to collect things...

 

[Sir_Lancelot]

I build ALL the Wonders, whether I need them or not. Three reasons:

1. They're worth 20 points each toward your final Civ score.
2. If I have them, that means my enemies don't.
3. I like to collect things...

I'm also a builder and a perfectionist, but I build very few of the early wonders, typically just the GL and one other. This has two reasons, first, I simply can't build more than the most important wonders, but I also don't care so much for many of the wonders. I don't desire their bonus enough, or I think that it's a waste of caravans for wonders that will expire.
Later in the game I'm stronger and can afford to build most of the wonders.

I'm not good at early expanding and I have my hands full keeping up with the AI on Prince and now King level. But I have so little experience I should maybe not say anything. I have played a total of three Civ2 games, two on Prince and one on King.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

While points can give you a boost toward your Civ score in a significant way (ie. getting all the Wonders, having the maximum # of colonists on your space ship, getting all the allowable Future Tech), for strategic purposes, my second point above stands. If YOU have the Wonder, that means your enemies/AI do not, and therefore they get no benefit of any kind (and hopefully never will).

 

[Ali Ardavan]

I build ALL the Wonders, whether I need them or not.

You must be playing at the lower difficulty levels. There is no way to do that at King and above. AI will build some ancient wonders. If you really go out of your way, you can deny them the remaining 21 wonders but the effort will hamper you far more than the AI.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

At King and above, I'm just happy to survive the game. I have no other ambitions than that.

So yes, I do prefer the lower levels, until I feel ready to seriously tackle the harder ones. I think I've survived Deity level maybe twice (survived all 6000 years).

Mind you, my preference is for Test of Time, which puts a whole different twist on it, given the multiple-level maps and having to bribe special units and steal or cooperate with non-Human AIs long enough to get specific techs (without which the game is effectively OVER, as you won't progress any further except in simple survival, and what fun is that?).

 

[starlifter]

The hidden benefit for 'Great Wall' city walls is that they are instantly placed when you conquer a village or found a new city, and take no queue time. Similarly, they cannot be destroyed with sabotage. Unfortunately, its normally the human that is the one sabotaging walls to break an early game city, not the AI. Which means the AI that you direct with Marco Polo to build the wall should not be an early game target.

That all said, the Great Wall really is nearly useless at Deity even with Raging Hordes, unless you truly have the spare resources for it without slowing Marketplaces, Aquaducts, Banks, Temples, and other wonders. Lower levels dont the the Wall at all, but it gives a nice warm feeling in the belly if you got it.