Most useless city improvement

[ArmOrAttAk]

I vote for courthouse, it's been years since I've built one. Does anybody use them?

 

[Smash]

Not really.Sometimes though.More for the extra happy citizen under Democracy(for "we love") than the corruption.

They should be 40 sheilds and require no upkeep.

It depends on how you play and the particular circumstances.Only a few cities really need walls or barracks so they could be thought of as less than useful at times.
I don't build many libraries until very late so they are a tad useless to me.
Oh I know,I have never built a nuclear power plant

 

[bellisaurius]

Actaually, I do use courthouse quite a bit. I like to start an early democracy while I'm still exploring with ships (prior to magnetism). Court house allows me a cheap way to have a happy citizen to counter act the two unhappies I get. The other happy comes from a wonder or a small luxury rate (a larger one would affect the whole empire, I like to keep the damage localized).

I hardly ever build colleseums, however. They cost a lot early, and I by the time I feel I can afford them my cities are big enough not to have happiness prblems. I build maybe 2-3 during a game as an ICS'er. The only thing I build less is the SAM emplacement. Fighters are about as good, and more mobile.

 

[CivMonger]

I vote for walls, cause they disappear once your city hits (surpasses?) size 6. I would go for colisseum as well, but I changed it to 1 happy person in every city small wonder, due to the fact that it was CRAP.

 

[Ace]

Originally posted by CivMonger
I vote for walls, cause they disappear once your city hits (surpasses?) size 6. I would go for colisseum as well, but I changed it to 1 happy person in every city small wonder, due to the fact that it was CRAP.

Are you in the right forum? in civ II, walls last forever, or until you sell em for cash, or they get sabotoged. A small wonder is only in civ III, should this post be there too??

 

[Ace]

Courthouses will save you a lot of coins and shields in a sprawling empire until you reach democracy, and the extra happy citizen in a democracy does not hurt either.
I have two city improvements I never build. first is a cathedral because I always get mike's chapel, and the second is police station because of women's sufferage.

Both of these city improvements, while very useful tools, are useless to build because you can get them via wonders.

 

[ArmOrAttAk]

I usually just park my caravels in a city till Leonardo's makes them galleons, which isn't too long after i go to democracy/republic. As far as saying cathedrals, and police stations... You're still using them> just using the one that covers every city. Collesiums i build when my cities get big and there's that one unhappy keeping me from we love the president day.

 

[Sodak]

Very easy choice, the nuclear plant. What is the point? I've used all other improvements at least once in a great while, but have never once (in ~6 years of civving) build a nuclear plant.

 

[duke o' york]

I've never built a Civ 2 nuclear plant either. Then again, I've never built a hydro plant or a cathedral but that doesn't mean that they're useless . I hardly ever build barracks unless there is a possibility the AI will have vet mech infantry, but the airport will give me vet stealths so that's very good too.

 

[Simon Darkshade]

It's the nuclear plant.
The only time I have ever built one was in an American city called Springfield, and I tried in vain to get a meltdown...
Cop stations and cathedrals are also not used by moi.

 

[Old n Slow]

Agree on the Nuke plants & Police Stations. Add to that list the Research labs.

Haven't built a Granary in two years -- even when I don't have the Pyramids.

I don't build a lot of the modern stuff -- ususally the game is under control, so the value just isn't there.

 

[gatomarado]

Must useless:
Granary, why to have 100 granaries if you can build the pyramids
Power stations - to expensive to much pollution (nuclear plants are better and cheaper then hidro)
All kind of power plants (except solar) - the same as granaries but with Hoover Dam
Police staions - (if someone didn't talk about them in this thread i wouldn't remember) the same as granaries but with Women's Suffrage

 

[Marlos]

The MOST useless? Power plants, nuclear plants, and SAM missile batteries. I have never built any of them except to see their effects on production or the city itself. Power and nuclear plants aren't needed when you build Hoover Dam, which is a must have in every game!! (sorry, not trying to digress into a WoTW discussion! )

Courthouses are very useful under Democracy (my preferred government) for the reasons others have already posted.

I do not build City Walls much, except in areas close to "the front" :rocket: , because there is no point in wasting shields when I can be building units to send there instead.

 

[Andu Indorin]

Tough call. There are so many that I never build: Granary, Temple (except at Deity plus), Power Plant, Nuclear Plant, SAM Missile Battery, SDI Defense, City Walls, etc. But I think my vote must go for the "all-powerful" Recycling Center.

 

[JuicyCivNewbie]

Temples are useful on king level too. Remember a temple with myst is one of the cheapest ways to keep the pop happy (20 shields and 1/2 gold per turn, much better than cathedrals and colosseums).

Granary gets the vote, I never build them and they are made completely useless due to:
1 - republic celebration which virtually makes them obsolete
2 - they often end up causing your cities to grow faster than they can handle the unhappiness

Much better to build a temple and caravan with the shields you spent on the granary.

 

[Marlos]

I don't understand those of you that list a granary as the most useless improvement. First, granaries cause early growth in the game, providing a population burst that allows for scientists/taxmen. This gives a great amount of flexibility in meeting your needs, as well as additional productive citizens that can build settlers, units, etc.

Second, while republic/democracy causes WLT*Ds, there is nothing more frustrating than losing a settler/engineer because your food box is empty!

Granaries rock!

 

[Sodak]

Originally posted by Andu Indorin
But I think my vote must go for the "all-powerful" Recycling Center.

I actually build these in my most productive cities if a game lasts that long. I ought to just wait for the solar plant, but don't. O well, gotta do something with all those old phalanx shields.

 

[Zedd]

Acctually I have never used port facility, and only once have i used the coastal fortress. The AI is usually too dumb to attack with a battleship and if i have a damaged ship it is usually becouse i went out on the attack so by the time i got it back to the city to be repaired and then out to the same attack position, i could have sust had it sleep a couple turns and saved myself the trouble.

wanted to add that the one time i needed a coatal fortress was when the AI made not one but two battleships and placed them in a "lake" about 4 land squares in size. I just happened to have one of my cities touching it as well. the only thing those two battle ships could do was ride in circles and attack my city.

 

[Kev]

I agree with Andu:

With Mass Transit and a Solar Plant, the city will not have pollution issues (Too bad it's not like that in real life). The RC, therefore, is moot.

As far as units, I don't think that I've ever built marines... at least not on purpose Funny thing is, the AI LOVES to build them. Go figure.

 

[ferenginar]

Nuclear Plant, I didn't know there was one.

Definately the most useless as I have never build one or needed to.

ferenginar