Ever play a game without trying to build a single great wonder?

[jb1964]

I'm trying my hand at playing a game without building a single great wonder and was curious if others have given this a try. If so, what were your experiences?

I play vanilla Civ3 v1.29f. I'm playing France on a standard pangea map with maximum AI's and regent difficulty.

Currently it's ~1300, I'm a republic, tech advanced and at the top of the food chain. I have left both Russia and China with a single city. England is my next target.

It's been odd not going for the GW's but it does put ones focus on everything else. I don't think I have had an army this size (~200 units - workers, muskets, cav, few swords & longbow) this early in a game ever.

 

[Pounder]

When playing at the higher levels, I've played games where I never had a chance to build a wonder. Is that the same thing.

 

[HalfBadger]

Yeah I've played games, where I don't even try to build a GW until Late Middle Ages/Early Industrial age, usually going for ToE. It's usually because I'm at war and can't spare the resources, or am trying to expand and again need all my resources on getting a good start early.

I usually play on Regent, as stated above and from what I've heard other ppl say, that on higher levels, it's very rare that you get a GW, especially since the AI is usually a head of you in tech, so a SGL is very unlikely.

 

[sabo]

Just as Pounder said on Deity and Sid level you don't have to worry about not building any wonders because you don't get a chance!!

On Demigod and Emporer it's still very possible to stay ahead in the tech race the whole game and build at least the really important wonders, that's why I like those two levels the best.

 

[jb1964]

The idea is to intentionally not get any great wonders whatsoever.

I have propped up my game at times by always going for the Great Library or ToE or whatever so I thought I would try a game with zero GW's.

So far I'm kicking the snot out of the AI's and am going to go for Domination.

 

[Frostyboy]

Often I don't build wonders since I rather capture them.

It's too bad Wonders isn't an option, since they can really unbalance the game.

 

[JazzToucan]

As has been said, on Demigod and above usually you won't even get a chance to build a wonder due to the AI's accelerated production.

I also think people make too much of a big deal about Great Library "addiction."

Playing emporer and below, I'm usually ahead of the AI at the end of the first age and instead of putting science to 10%, I just keep researching at a normal rate -- I'm lucky if I get one or two techs from the Great Library before I discover Education.

 

[Longasc]

I agree with JazzToucan, the GL is not really necessary if you are trading well - 1-2 Techs is not that exciting at all...

 

[Tomoyo]

Try reading This and this

 

[Gainy]

I'm trying my hand at playing a game without building a single great wonder and was curious if others have given this a try. If so, what were your experiences?

Yerp. I started a few months after a found this site, and haven't looked back. There's no point in building your own wonders unless you're going for a culture victory, but they're boring anyways
I let the AI build the wonders, then generally go for the civs that have the wonders I want - unless a better opportunity arises.
Not buildng wonders gives you the time to build other, more useful things - ie a military

 

[SesnOfWthr]

I rarely build wonders until the end of the game. (ToE, Hoover, etc.) I read ision's article (which I imagine was one of Tomoyo's links) and started playing this way to make level transitions easier. Still trying to get good at Emperor, so I can imagine how much harder it would have been with "wonder addiction".

 

[Jawz II]

i play on emperor so building wonders were out of the question till i read about the fake palace building(to switch to wonder when availabe)

before that i never even tried to build them,without GLs,no point really,what takes u 100 turns,takes AI like 50,why even try?

and the GLs i used for the top 2 or 3 wonders,not the other ones

 

[rschissler]

I also think people make too much of a big deal about Great Library "addiction.

I tend to agree. If you get it at the lower difficulty levels you're probably ahead in tech anyway so it doesn't do you any good, and at the higher difficulty levels you can't get it anyway, so it doesn't do you any good.

 

[HighlandWarrior]

After reading an article about newbie wonder addiction i stopped building them, i used to be beaten playing regent(i dont get to play often) now i win easily. the article is in the war academy i believe

Also the artillery articles are a must read, makes it so much easier take a city.

My last game i built only one great wonder the theory of evolution, but that was hurried with my scientific leader.

 

[dreamvirus]

I play on Deity or Sid exclusively now unless I'm trying out a new civ for the first time so unless I have a lock on ivory and can build SoZ, I generally have absolutely no chance at a wonder until the industrial ages when factories and coal plants come along - the AI does not seem to know how to use these and emphasizes city population over production to a stupid degree as far as I can see.

The first wonder I get is usually Theory of Evolution. The tech catapult from this allows me to get an unassailable head start on the Hoover Dam. After that I will (of course) usually build the U.N. Anything else is a luxury which I will only build if I'm not doing anything else more important. The Internet is pretty useful but it's not a disaster not to get it because all the most productive cities can build research labs in 2-3 turns anyway.

My game plan often revolves around getting TOE but I can usually manage without it, it just makes the difference between being tech leader and stinking rich and being at tech parity and dirt poor I used to rely on the Great Library but now I've found that isn't necessary either.

 

[Cuivienen]

I play on Emperor through Deity, depending entirely on what civ and type of map I'm playing. During the AA, I will try, but usually not try very hard, to get the Great Library. It is a huge help and far easier to acquire than the other AA wonders, as the AI tends to ignore Literature. If I get an SGL, I'll use it to rush the Pyramids, but I won't actually build any but the GL (well... maybe the Great Lighthouse on Emperor Archi. maps).

In the Middle Ages, however, I've found that the wonders are much easier to build. On Deity, the early wonders are impossible to acquire, but, on Emperor/Demigod, Art of War, JS Bach's and Smith's, at the very least, can be acquired without too much difficulty.

The moral: Be minimal, but do try to build a few in the MA if given the chance.