Hoover Dam useful?

[Effing]

I don't know if that question has been asked a few times before (probably yes), but I think that Hoover Dam wonder isn't very useful. I never complete HD (just if I want to save my production for other wonders), but generally, I don't like any power plants except nuclear plants - I never build any other plants, only solar plants if there is no fresh water tile in my city space.
Because nuclear plants give your production the greatest boost and reduce pollution slightly, and the danger of a nuclear meltdown only occurs if the city is in disorder (sell before rev), I think that HD is rather a disadvantage, since you can't build any nuclear plants anymore.
How about other opinions?

Greets Effing

 

[looper]

HD useful, yeah brother, it sure is.
I cant make all NUKE plant in every city, and plus at that late stage of game, I dont even need that much production in every city. IMHO. I can buy most of them.

 

[Gothmog]

I love Hoover, not only does it give a plant in every city on the continent (even ones with no rivers). It gives a plant w/no extra pollution. I usually want a few plants before reaching the modern era (for nuclear or solar) for 1 turn tank production and end up having to build coal plant places where there are no rivers. Then my finely micromanaged to produce a certain number of shields inevitably get pollution and lose a couple shield production, argh! Later in the game you can build recycling plants and manufacturing plants if you want to reduce pollution and increase production even more.

Also, nuke plant don't actually reduce pollution they just don't produce any.

Finally, I would think you can still build a nuke plant in a city on the same continent as the Hoover Dam (although I have never tried it) - it should just replace the Hydro plant. Just like building a solar or nuke plant in a city already having a coal plant.

 

[Phantom Lord]

It's one of the best wonders. So it's certainly useful.

I wonder if someone will check the "no" option just for being a nonconformist ...

 

[danwhit]

What are you talking about? The Hoover Dam is one of the three best wonders. First of all you said you never built it. Try doing that. Second, you must be playing on a level that is way to easy for you. Otherwise, you would be scrapping for an advantage like I am at that point in the game.

First it makes a hydro plant in all cities with a factory. At this point in the game that saves you a whole lot of production time(that would be spent building plants), while supercharging your production instantly. Really helps in far away cities with lower production. Next it's like the Pyramids, because you pay no cost. HD is a wonder that I plan far in advance to build.

 

[pterrok]

Once you get it, upgrading to nuclear goes twice as fast!

But perhaps the most important reason to get it is to keep the AI from getting it! If you have a strong opponent who gets HD you're in danger of losing a space race...(If you've whittled them down and penned them in, then you don't need HD, either...)

 

[satchel]

As others have said, I believe you can still build nuclear plants once you have HD.

HD is an excellent wonder - you are missing out if you don't build it, really. First of all, it's available sooner than nuclear plants for an earlier production boost. Second of all, it gives you the benefit of a hyrdro plant even in cities that wouldn't be able to build hydro plants. That gets you a huge production boost in your core cities (most of which won't be on rivers), while sparing you the pollution and maintenance cost you'd have if you built coal plants or waited until nuclear plants.

Give the HD a shot - you are underestimating its value.

 

[Koronin]

You can certainly have nuclear plants after you've built HD.

HD is one my favorite wonders, the production bonus on a large single continent civ are just too good to ignore.

 

[CommiePlanner]

I built a nuclear plant in my last game on the same continent that I had built the hoover dam. The city with the nuclear plant did recieve its added production bonus. Do nuke plants only meltdown during unrest in a city?

 

[Koronin]

Yes. Maybe during espionage missions too, not sure. I never bother to carry them out

Originally posted by CommiePlanner
I built a nuclear plant in my last game on the same continent that I had built the hoover dam. The city with the nuclear plant did recieve its added production bonus. Do nuke plants only meltdown during unrest in a city?

 

[cromagnon]

Absolutely a good wonder. To Gothmog's list of goodies, I'll add 'No upkeep for those hydroplants' as another bonus, which is huge. I've never built a nukeplant, because I've pretty much always gotten Hoover, and I'm worried about meltdowns if I'm at war and WW sets in. I've never seen a 'nuclear meltdown' option in the espionage screen, and I haven't heard of it from any official channels.

The last two games my home continents have been riverless. I have actually invaded other continents only to build the HD there and deny them the ability, even though it doesn't benefit me at all.

 

[Oceanus]

Hoo Baby, I always go right for it! True, I might build some nuke plants later, but every city on the continent you take over, BAM, free plant without having to build anything.

 

[Effing]

Okay, conviced . Didn't knwo you can upgrade to nuclear plants afterwards, that seemed to be the only drawback for me (except maybe that it drains production which you could use for other wonders). I think I'm going to vote "yes" as well

 

[DaveMcW]

I'm glad everyone agrees - it's Dam useful.

 

[SanPellegrino]

Originally posted by DaveMcW
I'm glad everyone agrees - it's Dam useful.

the weirdest poll ever

 

[RX2000]

For me, teh HD is THE most important modern wonder, unless I am playing with Diplo victory on, then I make sure I have the UN too. Basically the HD will boost the total production capacity of your empire by 50%, just like that. It is extremely useful.

 

[Gregski]

Not as powerful as in Civ2 IMHO, but certainly can't imagine not building it.

 

[Catt]

Originally posted by Effing
Okay, conviced . Didn't knwo you can upgrade to nuclear plants afterwards, that seemed to be the only drawback for me (except maybe that it drains production which you could use for other wonders). I think I'm going to vote "yes" as well

Effing - I'm glad the others have shown you the error of your ways .

I'd also add that HD shouldn't drain production from other wonders -- there are only three great wonders in the Industrial Age, and both Universal Suffrage and Theory of Evolution (which, for the human, is often just a subset of HD) have probably been built by the time HD is underway.

 

[The Last Conformist]

What strikes me as the most weird about Efffing's argument is that Hoover Dam/Hydroplant comes available wuite a while before Nuclear Plants. Even if I did not nail the HD, and was planning to build alot of Nuclear Plants, I'd certainly build quite a few Hydroplants to boost my industrial capacity in the meantime.

However, in practice I rarely build any Nuclear Plants, because if going for a SS win Nuclear Power will usually be the second last tech I research (it's prerequisite for The Laser, which enables the last SS Part). I've built a few when going for Modern Era conquest, tho'. Actually, I once built one in the city with the Hoover Dam ...

 

[satchel]

Originally posted by SanPellegrino

the weirdest poll ever

This is great! it's 48-0 right now. I don't think I could have constructed such a one-sided poll if I had tried. Maybe:

Do you breathe oxygen?
o Yes - it's the stuff of life
o No - can't stand that crap!