little tip: annex puppets during golden ages

[a barbarian]

I like to annex puppets primarily during Golden Ages since during those turns, the happiness doesn't count towards the next GA and you get a big production boost. Just don't forget to prioritize production and to build a courthouse right after annexing a city.

 

[KCMcG]

I've thought about this, but I never remember to do it. Thanks for the reminder as it is a good strategy. You also don't get the growth hit if you go below 0 happiness.

 

[budweiser]

I like to annex puppets primarily during Golden Ages since during those turns, the happiness doesn't count towards the next GA and you get a big production boost. Just don't forget to prioritize production and to build a courthouse right after annexing a city.

If you go a conquerin' you will get a Great General after a while. When peace breaks out, use him for a Golden Age to convert the new cities when you are ready.

 

[lindanealmck]

I usually hit F2 to see which puppets have decent production, and annex one or two ot those.

 

[SomethingWitty]

still adds a lot to your social policy cost. Even when I'm not going for cultural victories, I still like the policies.

 

[cman2010]

still adds a lot to your social policy cost. Even when I'm not going for cultural victories, I still like the policies.

do pupets add to the social policy cost or just the annexed citys?

 

[bryanw1995]

only actual cities add to your cultural cost.

 

[ccubed]

How many people generate Golden Ages with happiness? In my experience I get a happiness GA sometime relatively early in the game and then every other one I get is either from social polices, wonders, or burning great people. I don't think I've ever gotten a second happiness based GA in any of the games I've played.

Just wondering what other people's experiences have been.

 

[DiabolicX]

How many people generate Golden Ages with happiness? In my experience I get a happiness GA sometime relatively early in the game and then every other one I get is either from social polices, wonders, or burning great people. I don't think I've ever gotten a second happiness based GA in any of the games I've played.

Just wondering what other people's experiences have been.

I personally only get one GA generated from happiness altough my games never go past the industrial age.

 

[lounahtic]

depends on what kinda of game you're playing... if you go domination, which most ppl do, you're likely to get just 1 GA from happiness since you end up with a huge empire and rest from wonders/policies/GP... but if you do cultural... then you'll hit happiness GA a lot... i'm doing a couple india games... i find that 5 cities is pretty good at keeping a high happiness as well as low policy costs... 50 happiness is not difficult to maintain... the conditions for my cities is that they much be in range of at least 2 different luxuries... and if there's horses then jackpot... however your cities will end up all over the place... making defending difficult... it's important to get the luxuries you cannot get from city states... i like to save my GP for improvements... as you'll often get useless land in trying to get max luxuries...

 

[glaivemaster]

How many people generate Golden Ages with happiness? In my experience I get a happiness GA sometime relatively early in the game and then every other one I get is either from social polices, wonders, or burning great people. I don't think I've ever gotten a second happiness based GA in any of the games I've played.

Just wondering what other people's experiences have been.

I've managed to get 5 Happiness-based Golden Ages in one Indian game I had (only two cities, so plenty of happiness, mixed with Piety), but if I'm not going for a happiness/culture strategy I tend to only get one, and maybe another at the end of the game if I start allying with a lot of city-states and am not conquering (diplomatic pretty much) - but the second is usually just as I'm about to win anyway.

Bear in mind of course that the more artificial golden ages you create, the less happiness will accrue and thus less 'real' golden ages will appear. This is a very minor factor however

 

[a barbarian]

I often have surplus great people like generals or artists, which I use to pop Golden Ages. Especially combined with the Wonder which gives you 50% longer GAs, it's often the best thing you can do with great people (except scientists and engineers ofc).

 

[JudgeDeath]

In my last game I got piles of Happiness generated GAs. Piety, Patronage, Commerce (Protectionism) & City States.

I followed what I believe is the sensible policy for expansion - build two cities, get high GPT & Happiness, and then conquer a Civ, keeping only Capitol and Razing everything else (with the odd exception). Rinse & repeat until you have an area under your control that is easily defended (on Continents, that's the whole continent). Then backfill with Settlers. Keep City States, especially Maritime, and buy the latter as Allies: they easily payback the investment and more.

Manage your Cities so that they don't grow too quickly - don't build many Farms and go for GPT/Production/Specialists instead. Obviously build the Happiness buildings. And the GPT ones - you need these to pay for the Happiness ones!

 

[alpaca]

I would add that even if you don't want to wait for a golden age it at least makes sense to puppet first and wait until the unrest is over in the city. During unrest, the city doesn't contribute anything but causes a lot of extra unhappiness, so leave it in puppet state for that period of time.

 

[jaldaen]

In my last game as Persia, I had three cities (including two former capitals) and was getting +125 happiness each turn... I had 5 happiness GAs... not including golden ages sparked by GP and Taj. In fact, I could have had essentially constant GAs for most of the game, but I was trying to get the trigger 5 golden ages via happiness with Persia achievement. So I had like 4 GG sitting around twiddling their thumbs. Once I triggered the 5th GA, I finished the game the next turn with Utopia.

 

[alpaca]

In my last game as Persia, I had three cities (including two former capitals) and was getting +125 happiness each turn... I had 5 happiness GAs... not including golden ages sparked by GP and Taj. In fact, I could have had essentially constant GAs for most of the game, but I was trying to get the trigger 5 golden ages via happiness with Persia achievement. So I had like 4 GG sitting around twiddling their thumbs. Once I triggered the 5th GA, I finished the game the next turn with Utopia.

Wow, how did you get so much happiness? Or rather: How were you able to trade for so many luxuries?

 

[Tennyson]

Wow, how did you get so much happiness? Or rather: How were you able to trade for so many luxuries?

1) Get luxuries from city-states whenever possible; they don't care who you tick off.
2) Don't skimp on happiness buildings and wonders just because you're running a happy surplus. A colosseum more than pays for itself, but not if you haven't built it yet.

I usually get about 3 golden ages due to happiness surplus. And I do like to annex during golden ages.

Of course, if they build an armory or something else stupid, I wait until the turn before they finish it and then annex no matter what.

 

[kossmikman]

Also, keep them as a puppet until they are happy enough to work in the fields instead of waving angry red fists.

 

[IgnatiusTBarfat]

Of course, if they build an armory or something else stupid, I wait until the turn before they finish it and then annex no matter what.

Can you explain your thinking in waiting vs. instant takeover?

 

[bobshiznit]

My thinking of waiting vs instant takover is never instant takeover.
As was said before there is a period of anarchy before the city can build anything.
The earliest you should ever annex a city is right after this period ends.
I usually wait until I build mines and farms around the city so I can build a courthouse quickly.