National Wonders for OCC

[es4]

What national wonders are best for an OCC? The limit is 6 in ROM, and you shouldn't need the Globe Theatre, since the Olympic Games cures happiness problems earlier without counting towards the limit. (there is no world wonder limit)

I ran down the list and took some notes on what appeared to be the most useful ones; I think that Oxford, National Epic, National Park, Ironworks (with iron), a military boost (Secret Army Base is best if you can hold out that long, otherwise West Point is probably more useful than Heroic Epic on any speed but Snail), and a resource provider that is limiting you are the best bet. Of course, it is very situational, since apart from Oxford and National Epic none of them are really mandatory.

Mandatory:
National Epic - more great people
Oxford University - The 3 scientist slots are very valuable, and even +50% science is still so good to be necessary.

Mandatory in Some Situations:
National Park - loss of coal, but will likely save you at least 10 health. Watermills are probably always better than forest preserves (even with a vacation resort as well), so you won't get many specialists, though. If you don't have coal, it has no downside.
Ironworks - probably worthwhile with just the +25% production from iron, great with iron and coal
Temple of Osiris - requires Kemetism (probably means founding it unless you are very lucky), but +25% food with wheat (at Writing!) very useful

Resources:
Steel Mill - +25% hammers, probably not with Iron Works; can't be after National Park
Filing Factory - ammunition can generally be bought, though it may be expensive
Aluminum Factory, Cement Mill - probably buyable when necessary, cement is only needed for skyscraper and hydro plant
Brewery - probably harmful, you aren't happiness limited
Nanite Lab - too late in the game?
Rubber Plant / Chemical Plant - 15% production isn't bad, rubber can also be bought

Military:
Heroic Epic - probably not necessary
West Point - great generals can compensate
Red Cross - probably have super-medics in all stacks without this
Royal Tournament - probably not enough mounted units
Secret Army Base - late game, but very powerful - +100% espionage, plus heroic epic, plus half of west point

Science:
Supercollider - +50% science, but late
Computer Center - +50% science and 1 free tech, but even later

Not Useful:
Any with continent-wide bonuses - not good enough for one city
Any with income bonuses - unlikely for money to be limiting factor, +50% isn't that much

 

[Afforess]

What about the hermitage, and it's +100% culture? If you're being squeezed by foreign culture, it may be useful.

 

[es4]

What about the hermitage, and it's +100% culture? If you're being squeezed by foreign culture, it may be useful.

I almost never build this in any game. If you have 10+ world wonders and several religions (and cathedrals), you should be at 500+ culture per turn without even trying. Sistine Chapel makes this even easier, giving probably close to 100 raw culture per turn on its own (10 from itself, 15 if a state religion, and 2 from each of at least 30 specialists).

 

[generalstaff]

Not Useful:
Any with continent-wide bonuses - not good enough for one city
Any with income bonuses - unlikely for money to be limiting factor, +50% isn't that much

Wall St. turned out to be useful when I had a double religion Holy City which also became my Corporate HQ city. However, I agree the decrease from +100% to +50% made the game very difficult (along with the decrease in Bank bonuses).

As for continent-wide bonuses, its usefulness depends on maps. A Pangaea or map with a few large continents causes these to be useful, where as an island map causes these to be useless.

 

[es4]

Wall St. turned out to be useful when I had a double religion Holy City which also became my Corporate HQ city. However, I agree the decrease from +100% to +50% made the game very difficult (along with the decrease in Bank bonuses).

IWith respect to gold, the one I really want (but can't build) is the World Bank. 2% interest would have tripled my income, and if I stockpiled for a few turns I could rush buy / upgrade everything easily. A 120-unit army isn't free, you know.

As for continent-wide bonuses, its usefulness depends on maps. A Pangaea or map with a few large continents causes these to be useful, where as an island map causes these to be useless.

I only have one city. The map doesn't matter.

I just lost an OCC on Immortal to a diplomatic victory (lesson 1: Never build the UN, so you can raze the city it is in), ending up with the 5 mentioned plus Aluminum Factory since I couldn't get it in trade, and missed on Aluminum Co. It worked out pretty well, having a military production boost will be useful since you won't be building Modern Armor in 1 turn regardless. And I got Secret Army base before a level 6 unit as it was. I'm not sure the National Park is worthwhile, but I'd have about -25 health without it.

The other wonder I didn't mention but am considering is National Courier Service. This will generally let you switch religions without Anarchy, making diplomacy easier and letting you get all of the religious wonders (Masada and Pyramid of the Magician most critically). The other benefits are minor, but not that bad. And a few early Great Spy points aren't the worst thing in the world.

 

[generalstaff]

I only have one city. The map doesn't matter.

I just lost an OCC on Immortal to a diplomatic victory (lesson 1: Never build the UN, so you can raze the city it is in), ending up with the 5 mentioned plus Aluminum Factory since I couldn't get it in trade, and missed on Aluminum Co. It worked out pretty well, having a military production boost will be useful since you won't be building Modern Armor in 1 turn regardless. And I got Secret Army base before a level 6 unit as it was. I'm not sure the National Park is worthwhile, but I'd have about -25 health without it.

The other wonder I didn't mention but am considering is National Courier Service. This will generally let you switch religions without Anarchy, making diplomacy easier and letting you get all of the religious wonders (Masada and Pyramid of the Magician most critically). The other benefits are minor, but not that bad. And a few early Great Spy points aren't the worst thing in the world.

Ah. I have not played OCC (overlooked that part). So yes, in OCC continent based things (or all city things) are not worth the cost. I would consider the National Courier Services not worth taking up one of the six nat. wonders, mainly since it becomes obsolete. Oxford is necessary, the Secret Army base is huge late game, IMO the World Bank is a great gold wonder if you stockpile gold (but is probably optional or skippable picturing a single city), the Filling Factory and Rubber Factory provide the necessary resources to survive late game. That would leave one or two Nat. Wonders left. I agree the Ironworks are huge for production, even with the bonuses reduced; in a regular game, I use them for a city I need to hold a few useful modern wonders.

Also, the Steel Mill is not a National Wonder (at least in the version I am using). You also forgot the Central Bank (+3 Gold, +30%? Gold, +1 G.Merch. Points), however, it probably falls into the same category as Wall St., even though the +3 Gold is multiplied by various gold buildings, and the National TV Station (Provides a Commerce Bonus with a late game resource, however, for the purposes here, it is to be skipped since it is a multiple city bonus wonder).

As for the Military Wonders, I agree. There are not enough Mounted Units for the Tourney to be useful, in addition to it being useless late game. The Red Cross can be replaced by Medics (unit). It is easy to survive without the Epic or Westpoint with skillful diplomacy and tactics.

I also agree that the UN is good to avoid. It has messed me up in regular games, I could not image it in a single city situation. Just thinking about it seems nightmarish.

 

[es4]

Also, the Steel Mill is not a National Wonder (at least in the version I am using). You also forgot the Central Bank (+3 Gold, +30%? Gold, +1 G.Merch. Points), however, it probably falls into the same category as Wall St., even though the +3 Gold is multiplied by various gold buildings, and the National TV Station (Provides a Commerce Bonus with a late game resource, however, for the purposes here, it is to be skipped since it is a multiple city bonus wonder).

Gah, I forgot to upgrade to 2.71 after my previous game finished. Downloading now (in 2.7, it was a national wonder). That will make getting Ammunition / Rubber easier, though Aluminum is still only 1 per building.

The World Bank requires at least 5 cities.

I also agree that the UN is good to avoid. It has messed me up in regular games, I could not image it in a single city situation. Just thinking about it seems nightmarish.

I was in control of it for the first two elections. Then the previous #1 population got destroyed in war, and the other two large AIs were at +15 with each other. I declared war and razed 4 cities between the vote and the result, but it wasn't enough to prevent the diplomatic defeat.