Wodan
Deity
It's not so much whether it can be subjectively qualified as "expensive" as what is given up or delayed in order to build it. Everything has a cost. Even if you simply have the NE build units or Research, that's something you have to give up.I've usually found that by the time I want the NE I often have marble available, and even without that, the NE is not too expensive a wonder.
That's an issue we haven't really discussed. For example, a parallel SE can spread out wonder builds to multiple cities, and make effective use of them. A serial SE, to maximize GPP production, has to delay wonder builds (i.e., has to queue them up) and this both risks losing the wonder to an AI and also delays getting the benefit of the wonder.It assumes stagnant GPP production capacity, but I think that's not too big a concern if the GPP production capacity across the cities increases roughly at the same rate. I have a feeling that a gradually increasing rate of GPP would give more reason to build the NE, rather than less reason.
This is where you say yes but this pollutes GPP type in the GP farm. Yes, and that is a reason why you may desire to build a wonder in a city you never want a GP from, period. Nevertheless, that is lost GPP and perhaps a tiny % risk of pollution is worth it to increase GPP production. Or, perhaps you're doing a golden age strat and thus any GP is put to good use. Or several other scenarios. Anyway.
A parallel SE can focus different cities on different types of GP, and build appropriate wonders in each. GPP pollution can be controlled as desired, either to eliminate it or to choose to intentionally place it in certain cities. i.e., one city with 30% pollution but will only produce 1-2 GP over the course of the game may be more desirable than having a GP farm with 7% pollution and producing 15 GP over the course of the game.
Yeah, that's certainly a big affecting factor. Choice of parallel or serial SE as part of overall game plan is part and parcel with what civics are desired to be run.I have to agree that things like the Parthenon and Pacifism and Phi leaders are going to make the NE bonus less game-changing. So the idea of a single GP farm I guess is more important in economies that have none (or few) of those other GPP modifiers.
No I think you misunderstood... I must have not said it clearly enough.Ok ok but what is the point? I feel it's like saying that if two stores have a sale on - one has 30% off store-wide and the other has 50% off store-wide - and you go spend all your money at the 50% off store, then you are sacrificing the potential for any savings at the 30% off store. I know analogies like that can be annoying, but it's about the same level as how I imagine delaying a NE is.
Say in a parallel SE you have a city specifically producing prophets (for shrines) at the same time you have a GP farm. Delaying production of multiple prophets can mean a HUGE amount of lost gold.
My usual problem is that I often HAVE TO HAVE a specific guy, say a merchant to found sushi. I have to "turn off" my GP farm (which is producing a huge chunk of my total empire reserach) in order to spit out that merchant.I would like to note as well, that normally I am going to be trying to produce scientists in the GP Farm, and whatever other GP types I consider most valuable. Even though the odds are less certain, and the GP pool is a little bit muddied from the NE and any other wonders, I still feel that having the NE overtake other cities multiple times in GP production is worth it because they are GP types I want anyway.
Well good I sparked a discussion then. I myself like game variety and experimenting different strats... I think it keeps the game fresh and interesting. Which is why I keep playing after what 3 years now?I have to agree the whole argument is a bit fuzzy, because you can't pin anything down into even a remotely simple formula. I would just be very interested to see a real game example where the decision to delay the building of the NE was a good move. I just had never thought of the idea of a parallel SE after NE before your post.