Is Oracle impossible to build ?

[Ehrinn]

Ok so first of all I play the game in french so sorry in advance if the terms I use are incorrect.

I am currently trying to beat the game with cultural in emperor difficulty and Oracle seems a great wonder to achieve that. My issue is that since there is always an AI rushing Oracle in my games and that AI get some headstart in emperor, Oracle is litteraly impossible to build. In most of my games, Oracle is built when I haven't even reached the mysticism civic. I just made a game where I tried to rush it, i built a monument as the first build and got the inspiration for both mysticism and the civic before (don't know the name in english), i had a very high production in my first city but i still lost it.
Is the game badly made or am I missing something ??
Sorry for my english and thank you for your answeres

 

[Minou]

What turn is the Oracle being built? I my experience (usually Deity) the AI will start completing it around turn 50. So it is very hard to get unless you chop forests or harvest Deer or Stone. If you are building jt with 10 production each turn for example it will take 22 turns, but if you chop a forest it may be worth 40 production or so and save 4 turns per forest. With Magnus each forest will be worth 60, and if you add in Corvee and use Autocracy they can even be 75 each and you then only can even built it instantaneously if you have 3 Builders. I don’t go for Oracle every game becuase it slows down things like Settlers and military but usually start building it the turn I send Magnus to the capital and then chop it in when he arrives.

Of course the other way to get it is build some Horsemen or Knights and capture it!

 

[Minou]

What turn is the Oracle being built? I my experience (usually Deity) the AI will start completing it around turn 50. So it is very hard to get unless you chop forests or harvest Deer or Stone. If you are building jt with 10 production each turn for example it will take 22 turns, but if you chop a forest it may be worth 40 production or so and save 4 turns per forest. With Magnus each forest will be worth 60, and if you add in Corvee and use Autocracy they can even be 75 each and you then only can even built it instantaneously if you have 3 Builders. I usually

 

[Ehrinn]

What turn is the Oracle being built? I my experience (usually Deity) the AI will start completing it around turn 50. So it is very hard to get unless you chop forests or harvest Deer or Stone. If you are building jt with 10 production each turn for example it will take 22 turns, but if you chop a forest it may be worth 40 production or so and save 4 turns per forest. With Magnus each forest will be worth 60, and if you add in Corvee and use Autocracy they can even be 75 each and you then only can even built it instantaneously if you have 3 Builders. I don’t go for Oracle every game becuase it slows down things like Settlers and military but usually start building it the turn I send Magnus to the capital and then chop it in when he arrives.

Of course the other way to get it is build some Horsemen or Knights and capture it!

ok thanks for your answer. Seems pretty hard but you gave me hint to get it i didnt have thank you

 

[GalleySlave]

You could always play China, since early wonders are their specialty.

 

[Thunderbull]

Try Qin Shi Huandi. He can use workers charges

 

[Diktaattori]

You could always play China, since early wonders are their specialty.

This is best way to do it. Or massive scale chopping

 

[DeckerdJames]

Tried it with Alexander on deity. Started on the coast so the population growth slowed at population 3 and I didn't grow to population 4 before the wonder completed. I did have 2-food, 3-production deer tile and an amber luxury right away, although it was only 1-food, 1-gold, and 1-culture. Immediately built the monument and worked the deer. Used warrior for very near recon. Found a hut and it gave me an extra population point. I got the extra population almost immediately, so I worked the amber for the extra culture point. After the monument I built a builder. After code of laws, I took God King but because I completed the monument so fast, like 8 or 9 turns, and I was working the amber, I only needed 5 turns for foreign trade which was luckily boosted because a new continent was less that 10 tiles away. I needed 11 turns for mysticism, but I would not get the pantheon in time for a boost. However, I planned to take monument to the gods for the wonder building boost, which I did.

I started a second builder but had to switch to a warrior when another civ found me. I made a second warrior and a slinger in case I was attacked. That ended up delaying the construction of the Oracle by two turns after I had mysticism. I might have been able to hold long enough to complete the wonder and still have time to make enough units to survive.

I had researched though mining and was able to use the builder to develop a 2-food 3-production quarry which I had to buy out to, 3 tiles out, and a 2-food, 2-production mine which was in-between. I researched masonry next because I thought I would be ready to harvest the stone. Because I was discovered and had to prepare for an attack, I never made a second builder. I ended up using my third builder charge on a 4-food farm which didn't help me but since I didn't have any more population, it didn't matter. Still, it was probably a blunder because I could have saved the last charge to harvest the deer and completed the wonder sooner.

After mysticism, I researched state workforce.

I only had three population working tiles when construction started and ended. So, it was 8 production from worked tiles, 2 from palace, 1 from the city center for a total of 11 production and it was projected to take 27 turns. When I took the pantheon and Monument to the Gods, the time was shortened and when it had 7 or 8 or 9 turns, State workforce completed, and I took Corvee for another 15% reduction. I didn't look close enough. It might have saved me a turn.

After I had researched masonry, I was going to go to writing but ended up going to archery because of the possible attack. I did promote the slinger to archer around the time the oracle was completing, so I think I could have held it.


Completed it on turn 53. I think the extra population point was lucky, the 2/3 deer tiles, amber, and the boost to foreign trade. It was unlucky to start on the coast and be unable to get 4 or 5 population points.

 

[Diktaattori]

Tried it with Alexander on deity. Started on the coast so the population growth slowed at population 3 and I didn't grow to population 4 before the wonder completed. I did have 2-food, 3-production deer tile and an amber luxury right away, although it was only 1-food, 1-gold, and 1-culture. Immediately built the monument and worked the deer. Used warrior for very near recon. Found a hut and it gave me an extra population point. I got the extra population almost immediately, so I worked the amber for the extra culture point. After the monument I built a builder. After code of laws, I took God King but because I completed the monument so fast, like 8 or 9 turns, and I was working the amber, I only needed 5 turns for foreign trade which was luckily boosted because a new continent was less that 10 tiles away. I needed 11 turns for mysticism, but I would not get the pantheon in time for a boost. However, I planned to take monument to the gods for the wonder building boost, which I did.

I started a second builder but had to switch to a warrior when another civ found me. I made a second warrior and a slinger in case I was attacked. That ended up delaying the construction of the Oracle by two turns after I had mysticism. I might have been able to hold long enough to complete the wonder and still have time to make enough units to survive.

I had researched though mining and was able to use the builder to develop a 2-food 3-production quarry which I had to buy out to, 3 tiles out, and a 2-food, 2-production mine which was in-between. I researched masonry next because I thought I would be ready to harvest the stone. Because I was discovered and had to prepare for an attack, I never made a second builder. I ended up using my third builder charge on a 4-food farm which didn't help me but since I didn't have any more population, it didn't matter. Still, it was probably a blunder because I could have saved the last charge to harvest the deer and completed the wonder sooner.

After mysticism, I researched state workforce.

I only had three population working tiles when construction started and ended. So, it was 8 production from worked tiles, 2 from palace, 1 from the city center for a total of 11 production and it was projected to take 27 turns. When I took the pantheon and Monument to the Gods, the time was shortened and when it had 7 or 8 or 9 turns, State workforce completed, and I took Corvee for another 15% reduction. I didn't look close enough. It might have saved me a turn.

After I had researched masonry, I was going to go to writing but ended up going to archery because of the possible attack. I did promote the slinger to archer around the time the oracle was completing, so I think I could have held it.


Completed it on turn 53. I think the extra population point was lucky, the 2/3 deer tiles, amber, and the boost to foreign trade. It was unlucky to start on the coast and be unable to get 4 or 5 population points.

Amazingly done

 

[DeckerdJames]

Amazingly done

Well, I think it was a lucky start. I tried it two more times with Alexander. I had a very unlucky start on the next one which was both food poor and production poor. 1-food, 1-production pretty much everywhere, and mostly flood plains as well. I went nomadic for 4 turns, and I won't go into all the details, but I was not able to get it. I was about 16 turns behind. The next time with Alexander, I started near a wonder that doubled the yields around it. Eventually I was able to buy up two tiles that had 2-food, 4-production tiles. The downside was I was overrun most of the time with barb horseman. I did get it, but Rome was close and attacked me soon after and took my city very easily. So, it isn't just about building it, you have to hold it too, lol.

After playing it a few more times I can't help but feel that the quick speed that I was able to finish the boosted foreign trade and the 11 turn unboosted Mysticism, was faster than having just 3 extra culture from the monument and amber. I didn't pay attention to the city states and I might have discovered a cultural city state before anyone else. It is possible. After playing more games, one as Rome, I settled on a marble and had the monument from turn 1 too, but it didn't feel faster than the first attempt with Alexander. Though the production was worse there, I did harvest some deer and had fresh water. I still only completed it after 50, I think.

I tried it with Rome a few times because they start with a free monument. It is still about 50/50 to get it. I thought I had it in the bag on my last go but the AI managed to get it on turn 46. I was going to get it on 48, which would have been my fastest.

I will say that you have a shot at getting it if you can complete it by turn 50 but it isn't guaranteed.

I think the main ideas are to get some extra culture, if possible, by buying tiles, settling near it, or being the first to find a cultural city state and the other idea is to prepare the tiles that your population will work once construction starts. The military needs are to protect those tiles from barbarians and eventually an AI aggression. You have to get the science research finished that is needed to improve the tiles you plan to work. If you are going to harvest, you have to unlock that technology too and have a builder standing by. You have the time it takes to finish mysticism to prepare, which you are doing your best to shorten. It is difficult and risky to try to get the Oracle, but it is possible.

 

[Sukayo]

possible not good to compare as i play mainly marathon, but when i wnat the Oracle i get it, like said before via chopping it ta least. As Great People are not cheaper on Marathon, it is even more needed.