Favorite Ancient World Wonder

TGL because
A) I don't have the DLC (lol)
B) It is only 110 hammers more than a standard library
C) Can get you the jump on Oracle or Hanging Gardens, depending on if you took mining to chop TGL.

 

Conquering it isn't that great because:
A.) you don't get the free tech
B.) there's a chance that the free library is destroyed when you take the city
C.) unless you annex it early and build it up, the GS point probably won't help much

so sometimes all you get is the +3 beakers.

However, I do understand the love for the GL. In the early game, research is key. Technology is obviously crucial for Science and Diplomacy victories but even Cultural victories will need it to get key techs, and Domination victories will want certain military techs.

The +3 beakers is quite a lot in the early game (it's 2 or 3 extra population worth) and can be magnified by the National College.

There are few GS points in the early game (until you get Education), so the GL is one of the few ways to naturally pop Great Scientists early on.

I often like to build the National College before settling a second city, so GL is especially helpful for such a strategy. The GL provides you with a free tech (Philosophy) and a free library, which usually means I can immediately build the National College next.

 

Great Library for me. It makes beelining so much easier, there always seems to be a point where there's that one tech that will take 25 turns to discover that you really want. Great Library = Get it now

 

Wow. Let me just say I am VERY surprised to see Great Library so far out ahead (as of this post). It was almost essential in the vanilla game, but patches and the expansion have transformed this into a new beast, and I thought I wasn't alone in pretty much ignoring it now. Guess I was wrong.

 

I would say Stonehenge is my favourite early wonder...but I have this nagging feeling it may not be as valuable in my games as I like to think....

In one recent game, as Montezuma, which after a long struggle to contain two other strong civs...Elizabeth and Haile.... I eventually won...IIRC...it was a diplomatic win, though I was almost finished my last spaceship part... , my religion was not able to dominate...Haile's, of course, was the strongest....but it didn't seem to make much difference...in most of my cities his religion was the better one anyway. I only bothered trying to keep my religion in my capital.

I also like the Pyramids....and for the reasons typically cited in the other posts....the speed factor is more valuable, particularly a bit later in the game, than the two extra workers.....and I, too, sometimes disband a worker or two if they have nothing valuable to do.

I also think the GL "fixation" is a bit of a hold-over from pre-G&K.... It is still a valuable wonder and I will built it if the game lets me...which seems most likely if the technology is found early in a Ruin....and it is useful if it gives you, say, a jump on Philosophy....or, if relevant to the particular game, Petra....I'm not sure the GL ever remains unbuilt before the tech that lets you build Chichen Itza...but it would be valuable for that tech as well....

Oh yes...I currently play at the Emperor level....

 

There are several scenarios where I see the GL being very helpful strategically and not as a crutch:

Jumping to NC before expanding
Jumping to iron for early war (great for Rome)
Double boosting for Korea (this one is much harder to do on Emperor+)

 

I've done the double boost as Korea pretty often on Emperor and could've done it on Immortal a few times but didn't because of the risk. IMO, the double boosting is actually easier on Immortal/Deity if you can get GL, as you just have to meet a few CSs and sell a lux to buy a regular library before you finish the GL.

 

Great point, I didn't think of that. Usually play on Emperor myself.

 

I always go for Temple of Artemis.

If I have nothing else critical to build and Pyramids is still available, I build it and then embark the workers if I don't need them, and use them to explore... they don't annoy CS if they enter their territory. It's surprising how long and how far they can go sometimes before running into barbarians.

 

I voted the pyramids but I've got to stay I wanted to vote : Mausoleum of Halicarnassus

This is one of the easiest wonders you can get when you get a 2 stone grasland start you can basicly go for it with no difficulty

But the same goes for the pyramids SO.. Pyramids is better

 

Stonehenge get's a lot of love now. I would vote Temple of Artemis though, very nice. Pyramids are good for the free workers though. I often go for henge most days now for the faith.

 

Why bother with SH when HS is much less risky to get (and is on the way to education anyway)?
GL. Good luck getting it.
ToA. The best one to have, but why bother building it when you can take it? Especially because it's only really good later on.
Pyramids. Decent, not game breaking, and possible to get if you go for it. Maybe sometimes, but would rather have the archers usually.
SoZ. If you really want it you should have the army to steal it.
MoH. Meh, not terrible, but would rather have pyramids.

 

Great Library nearly doubles your science output by the time you get it, saving ~13 turns in researching (usually) Philosophy or Drama and Poetry. I use those extra turns to get The Wheel so I can throw down my Floating Gardens and Mathematics for Hanging Garden. I prefer playing on Price because I like to hoard Wonders, so I typically end up building nearly all of them. Stonehenge is probably the most difficult to get if I'm already teching for Writing or building Great Library. I never build MoA, Zeus, or Great Lighthouse though. I put Great Library above all others, then probably Stonehenge, Pyramids, and ToA.

 

personally, toa and the pyramids have something that realy makes me prefer them to gl. great engineer points. especially considering i ( almost ) never go liberty