Don't Call It A Come Back - Why The Internet Is The Best Wonder

[davis freeberg]

For the last six months I've read a lot of strategy posts on the CivFanatics forums and it seems like most will agree that the internet is the most worthless wonder in the game. After 50+ games, I would have agreed with you, but last night I played my most satisfying civ game to date.

In the game, I was the Ethiopians and started on a small island with the US. Normally I like to engage in a quick ancient war at the beginning to boost my chances, but Roosevelt used a galley to expand onto another island and it took longer then normal before I had concluded my war.

Between the isolation of my island and the prolonged early war, I was behind in the tech race from almost the beginning. Normally at this point in the game, I would just quit and start over, but I really liked the dynamics of the game and I wanted to see if I could win a come from behind victory.

By the middle ages, it was clear that I had no chance at victory. The other civs hated me (political) my tech was so far behind I'd never get a space race, because of the islands, it was going to be hard to win via domination and without careful planning my chances at a culture win were slim to none.

It was at this point that I remembered the internet wonder and so I set out for a beeline to the computer tech so that I could unlock the wonder.

In the past, I'd get the internet, but by then the game was almost over so it never gave me any free techs. This time though, I was able to make it to the computer tech before the other civs (I think they must ignore it) and ended up being the first to discover the internet.

Had I been in strong 2nd, this strategy wouldn't have helped, but since I was in the middle of the pack, the wonder gave me all but two techs that the AI had.

I can't understate how powerful this was. After computer, it was really easy to tech to the space elevator (another underutilized wonder) and once I had the space elevator completed the leaders stood no chance in catching up with me.

The end result was a space race victory in the 2025 time period. While certainly not my strongest game, it was exciting because I was able to win after being so far out of the race. While players who are much better than I will scoff at the internet, for me, it was a great way to win a game after I had counted myself out.

It may not be the strongest wonder for those in the tech lead, but if you can get it while you're behind you can use it to slingshoot your way to victory. Now that I know how powerful this wonder can be, it makes me want to keep playing games even if I fall behind. If you need to use it, you won't break any point records, but it's great that Civ includes a way for the underdog to win the game.

 

[Maben]

Do you remember how many technologies you were awarded right when The Internet was completed? I'm just curious...it sounds like quite a strategy to use when far behind.

 

[futurehermit]

I wouldn't call it the best wonder, but, indeed, it can be very useful in the right situation.

 

[madscientist]

Numerous times the internet has saved me, especially on emperor level games and certain RPCs.

 

[davis freeberg]

I don't remember the exact number, but I probably was granted at least 8 - 12 techs once I got the internet. This was probably a bit more then normal though because once I knew I was going after the net, I cut off trading with the other civs.

As far as my claim for the Best wonder . . . I mean best as in the most exciting as a player, not necessarily the most powerful. The Great Library or pyramids is probably the strongest from a power standpoint, but I can't tell you how good it felt to win the game after being a third tiered country for most of the game. I would take the victory I had over my best domination game in a heartbeat. Next up, I'm thinking of trying some kind of North Korean strategy where I don't trade at all and make the world hate me to see if I can use the net to still win.

 

[The Rook]

For the last six months I've read a lot of strategy posts on the CivFanatics forums and it seems like most will agree that the internet is the most worthless wonder in the game. After 50+ games, I would have agreed with you, but last night I played my most satisfying civ game to date.

I'd love to know who these "most" people are . The Internet can be an absolute game saver if you are behind in tech. Even at tech parity it is normally more than worth its hammers if you are going for the space win. At the very least I tend to get Artillery and Rocketry on completion, and Satellites on the way to Fusion, and that's not counting all the generally less useful stuff.

I was going to add this to the thread "Top 1000 reasons to move up a difficulty level", only PieceOfMind beat me to it:

140) Building the internet would be a waste.

 

[Red Wegener]

I've used the internet to pull out a few games that looked unwinnable also.

I also understand wanting to continue a game with interesting dynamics even if you are way behind. It's those games that have kept me playing Civ for all these years

 

[TheMeInTeam]

The internet is not a wonder.

However, it can be quite useful.

 

[Khan Quest]

When trying for a domination victory, I will sometimes go after the Internet then move the research slider to zero. I use the cash to build a massive, if slightly lower tech army. The Internet teching is good enough for the rest of the game.

 

[Negator_UK]

When going for a space victory I tend to like the internet even if I am ahead, as I always get a couple of old techs I bypassed and I think its safer for me to have it that for a AI to get the benefit - I prefer the internet to the space elevator in this regard. It doesn't necessarily help you win, but you slam the door shut in the AI's face when you build it.

 

[Neoclast]

When trying for a domination victory, I will sometimes go after the Internet then move the research slider to zero. I use the cash to build a massive, if slightly lower tech army. The Internet teching is good enough for the rest of the game.

This is a decent strategy I used in a recent game as well. I finished up the internet and after finishing the composites tech for the MA, I put science to zero and pushed up the culture to keep my people happy as I went to war. I also slid up the esp slider too, using that to destroy one of my vassals space ship components.

 

[§L¥ Gµ¥]

I never get to computers, so the internet is never a factor in my games.

 

[Antilogic]

The internet is not a wonder.

However, it can be quite useful.

Totally. Perhaps that is where the confusion is.

The Internet can be quite useful for pursuing a Space Victory, either to grab techs at the AI's expense (and you also benefit from AI trades--as soon as an AI trades away a new technology, you get it too) or to prevent an AI from catching up quickly through the same method.

However, if you are going for Conquest, Domination, or Culture...the pieces should be set by the time you get to the Internet. If not, you might want to change your goals to a Space victory.

 

[mystyfly]

Dang it TMIT, my post was looking exactly like yours from the point I've read the thread title


If you consider the "wonder" strong to save you games, you might also consider that there are wonders that prevent your game from needing saving. Someone remember the "Flight - the most important tech" (or similar)?


Also, @OP; you mention the SE. I find it only useful if you have few or only 1 strong production city. Since you had the internet, you basically needn't have done anything but workshop every tile. Why build SE then? Since you have the beakers (don't call it teching, I'd call it leeching ) you only lack the hammers.... Hammers that are, if I may use that word, wasted on the SE.

 

[r_rolo1]

The Internet is only strong if there are two AI that are teching faster than you.

The fact that it can't be rushed ( in spite of being choppable ) also limits a little it's usefulness.

 

[dirtyparrot]

The internet certainly has its uses in some circumstances. For example, it let me completely ignore a whole set of techs and once I built it, allowed me to drop the slider down to 0 while at war so that I could upgrade everything.

 

[UWHabs]

You don't need 2 teching faster, just 2 teching differently than you are. So, you can rush down one line, and let the AI grab artillery, flight, and those type of ones, which they tend to prioritize. Say it gives you artillery and flight. I don't have the numbers in front of me, but how does that compare in a beaker-to-hammer ratio than the Oracle, and grabbing Code of Laws?

 

[r_rolo1]

UWHabs, I didn't said that the net would not be useful in other situations than 2 civs teching strongly. I just said that it would not be that strong outside of that.....

And that comparation with Oracle is somewhat flawed. You can whip/$rush (sic) the Oracle and you can finish the oracle with 2 or 3 chops if you have marble ( of woods in the BFC, that you probably have in excess in those days anyway ). But you can't whip/$rush the internet ( and it would take 2 digit whipped pop anyway if it was whippable or 10k+ cash ) and you would need to chop probably 2 digit woods to make it ( even factoring forges, factories, power and copper ). And this is without looking that the Oracle comes far earlier and the leverage effects of making a thing earlier in Civ IV......

 

[Antilogic]

The fact that it can't be rushed ( in spite of being choppable ) also limits a little it's usefulness.

In other news, you have forests when you discover Computers.

Well, okay, I might have a pair leftover somewhere.

The Internet project has a good benefit, but I'd rather have a solid benefit earlier in the game (like the Oracle, as has been pointed out, or the Great Library) than an awesome one when the game is wrapped up. But, if the game isn't wrapped up, the Internet can give you a second chance.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

The one difficult thing about internet is that when you need it most, you're in danger of losing it to the computer because you're backward. There is still a window in which it can allow you to win:

- You're going mass warmongering, and temporarily shift all hammers into wealth to get you to 100% science, then build research in the rest, selling out HARD to get there. With copper and the fact that you went hammers, you're going to win the "building it" part, if you can get there first/tied. After that, every fiber of your being can go into military.
- You're shooting for somewhat tight space and have more than 1 AI that's at least semi-relevant in tech. Go for fusion/genetics while they tech out satellites, composites, etc. This can let the player come out ahead in beakers even if he would research slower otherwise.