National Epic - when and where??

[gettingfat]

I always find it a bit puzzling where and when to build NE. To me in BtS there are three options:

1. In the wonder city particularly where Great Library is. Pros: you get GP earlier and maximize the value of GL, cons: with other wonders chance is you will have GP "contamination", and the return of GPP tends to diminish in late game.
   
2. In the traditional GP farm city, where tons of food from farms and probably seafood resources. Pros: you get GPP return early, and getting a further boost from the discovery of Biology. Cons: there's no point combining it with the National Park, unhappiness and unhealthiness may become an issue if you are at war and miss a number of resources.
   
3. In the highly forested city with the National Park: Pros: tons of free specialists and enjoy the synergy of the two national wonders, no problem of unhappiness and unhealthiness; Cons: city grows slow in early game and not many GPP sources, only become valuable after mid-game.

So which is the better option?

 

[SpiderMinky]

imho it is hidden option #4 if you can manage it which is all 4 combined.

Really though as improbably as it sounds the wonder city if you leave forests near it and be an excelent place for national park and the eipc.

I have done this in two games now and it works at least in thsoe two game very well.

 

[KrikkitTwo]

^ above is right, it depends on what city spots you have available

If you have one with good food, good forests and good production (at least enough to get you GLib) then go for it

Otherwise weigh each city on its combination of those three factors

 

[gettingfat]

^ above is right, it depends on what city spots you have available

If you have one with good food, good forests and good production (at least enough to get you GLib) then go for it

Otherwise weigh each city on its combination of those three factors

The problem is, in almost one-third of games, we start with a highly forested location with just one food resource (and if you are unlucky, that will be a non-irrigated rice). If you want to preserve some forests you can't farm much and this city will not be populated and productive. Choice is not as easy as it seems.

 

[Mesix]

I always put the national epic in the same city as the national forest if possible. I usually plan ahead for this from early in the game. The extra production from the forests usually helps me to get a couple of wonders in that city for additional boost in GPP.

Every once and awhile I get a city that is surrounded by forest with two or three food resources in the production cross. That is always sweet.