Most Pointless/useless things

[Buttercup]

Just a bit of fun really. The game can be played and adapted in so many different ways, but, for the more experienced players, what have you found to be the options/objects/rewards/anything really that you have never found a use for, that make you chuckle at their pointlessness.

For me it would be:

1. Wonder Victory - not that I don't like building Wonders, it's just that the requirements for this victory are so bizzarely uninteresting.

2. Satellites reward of revealing the whole world to you. Apparently this wasn't even in the original game (?) but it's there in conquests, but I've normally "revealed" the whole world 20-40 turns after Navigation.

3. Ironclads Technology. This might be useful for some, but for how I play it's a never researched tech until I'm just filling up gaps in the Tech Tree to get to Future Tech. And I prefer Archipelago.

4. Explorers. Never built one.

5. Battleships. I have tried them a couple of times, but they seem so lame in comparison to Destroyers and Cruisers that I simply never bother with.

6. Helicopters/Parachuters. I keep meaning to try these at some point, but never do.

7. Walls. This might be different for different versions, but I'm sure I read in my game's pedia that these only give a bonus to defence against Barbs, so I don't ever build them.

If you've found use for everything and can't think of any good ones, feel free to illustrate further the same ones as me, or feel free to tell me what I'm missing with the ones I've chosen

 

[dominatr]

I think Guerillas are pretty useless, since you get Infantry with the same Technology and Infantry have the same attack as Guerillas but a higher defense.

 

[Theov]

Just a bit of fun really. The game can be played and adapted in so many different ways, but, for the more experienced players, what have you found to be the options/objects/rewards/anything really that you have never found a use for, that make you chuckle at their pointlessness.

For me it would be:

1. Wonder Victory - not that I don't like building Wonders, it's just that the requirements for this victory are so bizzarely uninteresting.

2. Satellites reward of revealing the whole world to you. Apparently this wasn't even in the original game (?) but it's there in conquests, but I've normally "revealed" the whole world 20-40 turns after Navigation.

3. Ironclads Technology. This might be useful for some, but for how I play it's a never researched tech until I'm just filling up gaps in the Tech Tree to get to Future Tech. And I prefer Archipelago.

4. Explorers. Never built one.

5. Battleships. I have tried them a couple of times, but they seem so lame in comparison to Destroyers and Cruisers that I simply never bother with.

6. Helicopters/Parachuters. I keep meaning to try these at some point, but never do.

7. Walls. This might be different for different versions, but I'm sure I read in my game's pedia that these only give a bonus to defence against Barbs, so I don't ever build them.

If you've found use for everything and can't think of any good ones, feel free to illustrate further the same ones as me, or feel free to tell me what I'm missing with the ones I've chosen

1: agreed
2: I turned off the map trading option in the editor. Makes the game way more interesting. You have to do the exploring yourself and you can't trade your map every other turn to all civs.
3: can be useful to control the seas, if you can get if for cheap of the AI...
4: they move around 6 tiles a turn. The AI doesn't see them as a thread so you can explore other continents without being asked to leave. They can PILLAGE. So have some on the ground before you attack, pillage crucial roads, lux and resources and weaken the AI very much.
5: I build Destroyers mostly. Battleships are powerful to control small oceans though, comparable with controlling the Mediterranean Sea...
6: Don't build them much, no.
7: can't remember building walls.

 

[Desertsnow]

Yeah, walls are pretty useless. You get the same bonus when the city reaches size 7, and then the wall itself becomes obsolete.

Also agreed regarding explorers. I haven't built once since "vanilla" Civ-3 and even then only as a rank newbie.

 

[Puppeteer]

Walls give a 50% defense bonus to cities of size 1-6. They help in a beachhead city or other war chokepoint.

Guerrillas are the no-resource-required IA unit. If you don't have rubber you need them, otherwise, not so much. Like longbows in the MA. Maybe. Sort of. Desperation units.

 

[tjs282]

For me it would be:

1. Wonder Victory - not that I don't like building Wonders, it's just that the requirements for this victory are so bizzarely uninteresting.

I have never gone for this VC (usually go for Space), but I haven't played many Conquests games, especially not at high levels. This one basically triggers a histograph comparison earlier than 2050, doesn't it? I guess that might be useful on larger maps/ epic games, if you've aimed for a scientific VC, but then find you've annoyed too many AICivs, so that they won't vote for you, or sell you any spaceship resources -- or you wanted a Cultural VC, but don't want to wait until you hit the 20K/ 100K limit (or even a 'Dom' vic without having to reach the 66% Pop/Land limits)...

2. Satellites reward of revealing the whole world to you. Apparently this wasn't even in the original game (?) but it's there in conquests, but I've normally "revealed" the whole world 20-40 turns after Navigation.

Don't Satellites give you (regular? turn-by-turn?) updates on all the AICivs' city-sizes and borders, without having to trade maps with them? If not, then yes, I agree -- useless.

3. Ironclads Technology. This might be useful for some, but for how I play it's a never researched tech until I'm just filling up gaps in the Tech Tree to get to Future Tech. And I prefer Archipelago.

I built Ironclads in Vanilla for coastal patrols, because I could do that with SteamPower. In Conquests I don't even bother, just go straight for RepParts to build Arty for shoreline defence (via my rail network).

4. Explorers. Never built one.

Occasionally will build for pillaging and peacetime resource denial. Also potentially useful as a 20s short-rush target for Settlers in the mid- to late game, or for transferring shields to/ from outlying corrupt cities in the late game

5. Battleships. I have tried them a couple of times, but they seem so lame in comparison to Destroyers and Cruisers that I simply never bother with.

Agree -- this is an 'only because I can' unit

6. Helicopters/Parachuters. I keep meaning to try these at some point, but never do

I've never built a single one of either of these units in any Vanilla or Conquests games, ever, so definitely gets my vote as the most pointless units for the human to build in the main game (don't know about the Scenarios). I have seen the AI use them reasonably well, though (all things considered)...

7. Walls. This might be different for different versions, but I'm sure I read in my game's pedia that these only give a bonus to defence against Barbs, so I don't ever build them.

Disagree on this one, at least for my preferred playing style. As Puppeteer says, Walls increase the D-values of all units in a town by +50% -- and they did this in Vanilla as well (the Barb-defence bonus in Walled towns is the GreatWall's effect in Vanilla, as opposed to 'gives free Walls to all same-continent towns' in Conquests -- and PtW?). So a Spear fortified behind a Wall can defend at D=3 (or even D≈4, if the town is also on a hill and/or across a river). This can make a big difference if playing a more defensive game, as I tend to do: since I'm usually aiming for Space, I'll usually be building infrastructure (Libs, Markets, Ducts) as much if not more than mil-units, making the Walls' 50% D-bonus invaluable to me, to strengthen my minimal garrisons against the inevitable Barb-attacks and AI-DoWs.

I also generally play on Standard-size 70%-water Continents maps. So while I won't have every AICiv breathing down my neck from the get-go, I'll still try to avoid (early) warfare in my games -- at least until I'm (significantly) stronger than my immediate neighbours -- but Xerxes, Hammurabi, and Shaka (to name but three) feel no such restraint! So if I can soften up their incoming SoDs with my meagre attack-stack(s) of Warriors/ Archers/ Horses/ Swords, during the following IBT, even a single rSpear ( Walled+fortified) can be a pretty useful opponent vs. any remaining healthy AI attack-unit(s) (apart from Immortals...), thus preventing/ minimising further damage to my recovering low(er)-D attack-units (and hence preserving my mil-strength rating).

Since Construction is expensive, it's usually one of the last required AA techs that I research/buy; in a dry town Walls are therefore buildable a lot earlier than a 'Duct (for the Pop7+ 50% D-bonus). Walls also cost a lot less to build than 'Ducts, and have zero upkeep. So during the early game, especially while I'm still expanding, I'll routinely build Walls in all dry and/or slow-growing (+1-2 FPT) border/coastal towns (and maybe also in an otherwise exposed Settler-pump that's going to be bouncing up and down between Pop4-5 and Pop6-7 until the next ring(s) is/are complete). Once a dry town reaches Pop6, I'll start building a 'Duct (if it's worth it), and I'll sell the Walls from any non-pump town after it reaches Pop7.

 

[templar_x]

future technologies... that hardly add any points to your score.
t_x

 

[dgfred]

Paras are fun in the WWII scenario... but never make in regular game. Attack 8 and defense 6... can land right beside city and used in attack next turn.

 

[dgfred]

I see no reason to ever make a heavy cruiser.

 

[timerover51]

As I modify the game quite a bit, I make some of the units a lot less "useless", as Ironclads now upgrade to Battleships, and both are quite a bit more potent than the standard game version. The naval units in the standard game are very badly unpowered.

As I play on larger than huge maps, typically 240 X 240 or larger, I do find a use for explorers.

As for Walls, as I have my Barbarians always Raging, and also a bit more potent, they do come in handy.

 

[Theov]

As I modify the game quite a bit, I make some of the units a lot less "useless", as Ironclads now upgrade to Battleships, and both are quite a bit more potent than the standard game version. The naval units in the standard game are very badly unpowered.

As I play on larger than huge maps, typically 240 X 240 or larger, I do find a use for explorers.

As for Walls, as I have my Barbarians always Raging, and also a bit more potent, they do come in handy.

thanks, instead of hearing what is the most useless thing, I'd rather hear ideas of how to improve them with the editor.

 

[Desertsnow]

thanks, instead of hearing what is the most useless thing, I'd rather hear ideas of how to improve them with the editor.

Is it possible to change future technologies with the editor? Templar x is right, future tech is nigh worthless.

 

[Buttercup]

To be honest, I rarely get to Future Tech, I only bother with it if it's a game that gets to that stage + I'm 4 turns per tech even at the end of the Modern Age and all the other Civs are still waaay behind in Industrial.

Otherwise I get wherever I want to get to on the tree then go 0% science, 100% Happy people and all the rest in Tax.

It has a cool factor though, I think anyway, as it gives you a marker, or personal limit, to challenge yourself against, going for the highest FT possible etc.

 

[timerover51]

thanks, instead of hearing what is the most useless thing, I'd rather hear ideas of how to improve them with the editor.

Greetings, Theov, here is the link to my naval mod, which also includes modifications to land units as well. The battleship and ironclad are still works in progress, as I do not view either of them as tough enough, but I have not tried using either Steph's or Quintullus editors to really boost the initial hit points to something like 20. I would be interested in hearing your thoughts, however, as a very long-standing Civ3 player.

Is it possible to change future technologies with the editor? Templar x is right, future tech is nigh worthless.

Desertsnow, I have not tampered with the Future Tech at all, but you might check the Creation and Customization Forum, as I think that there might be some information there. It does require modifying the Tech Tree, and I have so far been very reluctant to do that.

 

[Theov]

Greetings, Theov, here is the link to my naval mod, which also includes modifications to land units as well. The battleship and ironclad are still works in progress, as I do not view either of them as tough enough, but I have not tried using either Steph's or Quintullus editors to really boost the initial hit points to something like 20. I would be interested in hearing your thoughts, however, as a very long-standing Civ3 player.

Fellow greetings, but ehm... where is 'here' (the mod)??

 

[timerover51]

Fellow greetings, but ehm... where is 'here' (the mod)??

Something got lost is the typing.

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=322522

It is also known as Timerover51 Naval Mod in the Completed Modpacks in the Creation and Customization Forum. Towards the bottom of the first page of threads, last updated in 2013, which means I need to take a look at it again.

 

[Desertsnow]

I rarely get to Future Tech

I rarely reach future tech myself. I think it's unusual for most players. Certainly it's unusual for me. If I win it's usually by domination, culture or the space race. I'll concede that future techs are a marker for progress.

 

[Quintillus]

Explorers are indeed useful in some cases for pillaging. If your rival has their only source of a useful resource within 5 tiles of your border, an Explorer is great for pillaging it on the first turn of the war. If not, they do indeed have little use case in most games.

Battleships do have one noteworthy advantage with their bombard range of 2. If your enemy has a critical resource on the second tile inland, far away from your lands, send a battleship or two over and bombard it. An aircraft carrier and a few planes would work too, but you'll probably want some naval cover for the carrier if you do that, so a battleship may make more sense if the goal is to take out just one resource. For general naval superiority, however, I agree that they generally do not justify the increased cost.

Helicopters/paratroopers are one that I have had little use case for. On occasion a helicopter can substitute for a transport when invading an island, but if a transport's available, I'd nearly always go with it. Paratroopers are weaker than infantry and require an airport to paradrop without a helicopter, making them poor value for the investment. I think Civ4 actually did something sensible to make them more valuable by allowing them to paradrop and then take a move, provided they aren't shot down. When they can, for example, paradrop and pillage on the same turn, they're a lot more useful. I don't know whether giving them 2 movement would allow the same thing in Civ3 or not.

I agree on future tech and wonder victory.

 

[Kirejara]

I found the unfair and (more important) permanent trade reputation hits somewhat pointless.

In my current game I sold the Romans some furs. Two rounds later they were furious on me and told all other civs that I had cheated them.

What happens?

They were alone on their own island and sold or lost their harbour. There was no war and no vulcano as cause. And then blame me for not delivering the furs...

 

[Immortal7777]

I found the unfair and (more important) permanent trade reputation hits somewhat pointless.

In my current game I sold the Romans some furs. Two rounds later they were furious on me and told all other civs that I had cheated them.

What happens?

They were alone on their own island and sold or lost their harbour. There was no war and no vulcano as cause. And then blame me for not delivering the furs...

Yeah I have the same problem. If a civilization declares war on me and I get a milllitary alliance with somebody against my attackers, when the war ends it says that we know that your alliance betrayed your friends (The one who attacked you)

What would happen if you destroyed rome though? would that reverse it?