how to build wonders

[slothman]

Hows do you actually get wonders?
I never get them because I am busy build other wonderful and fantastical things.
When do you build them?
How do you allocate resources and citizens?
Which cities do you use?
What buildings do you have to have before getting them?

 

[Eagle_Seven]

Well, you put a really big rock on top of really big rock. Rinse and Repeat 10000 times, and you got yourself a pyramid!

For starters, the city should be near 1. Forests or 2. Forests. Forests are critical to early wonders. You can't get mines up fast enough for early wonders, but you can cut trees. And trees make great wonders. Finally, make sure that the city that builds the wonder is large enough to supporit it....aka more than 4. Don't stunt the growth of a small city early in the game.

 

[Astax]

Stone or marble are godsend too. Use em with Industrious and you are in business.

 

[Finite Monkey]

Astax is right. A lot of wonders are sped by a certain resource. If it is going to be close pay attention to the resources you have an which wonders they hurry.

On higher difficulty levels wonders are very difficult to complete first. You need some ingredients to be successful.

Forests (if possible)
Resource
Be the first to the tech. This is crucial. If you can get 5-10 turns head start because you have the tech first you stand a decent shot. As a result if I research a tech that allows me to build a wonder but the AI has had the tech for 10 turns already I don't bother, you lost that race before it even began.

The cure all? A great engineer. Some might argue for better uses, but a great engineer can just about guarantee a wonder.

 

[Azragaul]

I think you also need to pick and choose which ones to build. For example I don't build wonders that work for "all cities on this continent" in an island game. Also I try to pick wonders that compliment the way the game is progressing, I am playing and what victory condition I am going for, no use building the SpaceElevator if you going for a cultural victory, well, except to keep others from getting it. Finally I kinda hate going for wonders that obsolete so quickly, Stonehenge comes to mind. I like it and its a great wonder for expanding borders quickly but if all the resources in my empire are going to require plantations to exploit I might skip it that game.

 

[Vizzini]

the AI has had the tech for 10 turns already I don't bother, you lost that race before it even began.

Ahhh but what if you can't yet build coin and your economy is lagging and Hmmmmmmmm you know the AI is building it and will probably win the race but.... *hint* *hint* *nudge* *nudge* *wink* *wink*

 

[tempuraki]

since production doesn't rollover in civ4, i am a lot more hesitant when it comes to wonders. my usual strategy now is to have a city that focus on great engineers, then when the wonder comes around (or just around the corner), start pumping great engineer points, switch to pacifism if you need to. With the GE you are almost certain to get the wonder, even if the AI gets the tech before you do (not too far before i hope).

In the late game getting the Kremlin wonder will help. With the Kremlin and universal suffrage, you may turn off your research (0%) for a couple of turns and just buy the wonder you want. I cash-rushed the pentagon, three gorges dam, and the space elevator that way.

That was back in Prince. Monarch is a different story...

 

[KrikkitTwo]

since production doesn't rollover in civ4, i am a lot more hesitant when it comes to wonders. my usual strategy now is to have a city that focus on great engineers, then when the wonder comes around (or just around the corner), start pumping great engineer points, switch to pacifism if you need to. With the GE you are almost certain to get the wonder, even if the AI gets the tech before you do (not too far before i hope).

In the late game getting the Kremlin wonder will help. With the Kremlin and universal suffrage, you may turn off your research (0%) for a couple of turns and just buy the wonder you want. I cash-rushed the pentagon, three gorges dam, and the space elevator that way.

That was back in Prince. Monarch is a different story...

Actually production does roll over....it just can't be converted from one thing to another.

(also the roll over is a bit wierd as discussed in a Strategy articles thread.

 

[petey]

Actually production does roll over....it just can't be converted from one thing to another.

(also the roll over is a bit wierd as discussed in a Strategy articles thread.

I think he was referring to the wonder production not rolling over if someone beats you to it. If you spend 20 turns researching a wonder and the AI gets it before you, then you've wasted all the production time. Sure, you get some gold, but that generally doesn't make up for the time lost trying to get to the Wonder, especially at the start of the game.

Also, if you want an early religion, then Stonehenge is well worth going for. It gets you early Great Prophet points so you can put the Shrine up quickly and start reaping the benefits of that right near the start of the game.

 

[Dikaioma]

Also, if you want an early religion, then Stonehenge is well worth going for.

Whenever I play as Isabella, I get stonehenge asap...

 

[Vizzini]

Sure, you get some gold, but that generally doesn't make up for the time lost trying to get to the Wonder, especially at the start of the game.

I disagree. Have you any idea what a sudden influx of 200+ gold can do for a warmonger in the Ancient Era?

If you win the race, great, you got the wonder.

If you lose the race, great, you just financed the downfall of your neighbor without having to sacrifice research to do it.

 

[Radres]

What can you do with gold in the ancient era?

 

[Dikaioma]

What can you do with gold in the ancient era?

Well, you won't rush anything until universal sufferage. Unless you have the pyramid. Which, btw... shouldn't the ability to pay with gold be a labor/economic civic? But anyways, you can buy stuff from other players, or if your research is considerably low, you can raise it since you can afford be in the negative for a while. I usually horde gold to support a bigger empire until I can get the cities to pay for themselves.

 

[Vizzini]

What can you do with gold in the ancient era?

Keep your economy from crashing when you haven't got the money to pay for all the troops you've built and the cities you've taken.

Ancient era you can't really support a huge military because your economy can't pay for it without tanking your research - which gives the AI a massive tech lead that can be difficult to overcome.

Worse each city you take becomes a further drain on that economy. A Warmonger can easily crash and burn their civ if they expand too fast with too much. A sudden influx of cash like this gives your empire enough of a bankroll to allow you to sustain your expansion until those captured cities have enough infrastructure - all while keeping reasonably close to the AIs in tech.