Organized is underrated

[Landmonitor]

I used to seriously underestimate Organized. At first I mistook the -50% civic upkeep for -50% city maintenance. When I figured out that wasn't the case, I was like, "Gee, then what's the point? Screw organized." I just didn't appreciate how big an effect half-off civic upkeep can have, especially during the middle ages when I'm usually running Vassalage and/or Organized Religion. Organized gets a nice assortment of building construction bonuses too. Courthouses are an obvious plus, but fast lighthouses can be useful for fledgling coastal cities. Not to mention the new factory bonus.

On a side note, I'm really bummed that Tokugawa lost his awesome Aggressive/Organized combo in Warlords. Organized was a really good compliment to Aggressive's warmongering. Japan's UB is kind of crummy too.

I agree strongly on the first paragraph, Civic upkeep is not trivial, even though I thought it was, and Augustus is just phenomenal for me since Granaries, Courthouses, Libraries, and Forges are the top priorities, typically in that order. Getting half of those really cheap is great, and as long as the city is pulling its own weight in upkeep and research/culture (hence the courthouses and lirbaries), then the forge can be built slowly while working cottages that are multiplied through the library.

Also, I lament the loss of Agg/Org as well. It was a great combo, but at least they provided us with Cha/Org, which is a decent replacement... still, I hope Agg/Org comes back.

 

[cabert]

Peace

Giaur

P.S. My wish is too get 300 hundred posts today

should be easy!
just answer every single thread and you're done

 

[Giaur]

should be easy!
just answer every single thread and you're done

It's not so easy, while you have to read first the whole thread. That's why I prefer short threads.

 

[popejubal]

Personally, I would beg to differ. 50% is my comfort zone, and running 20% for any length of time amounts to near suicide unless you are very friendly and trading with a handful of AI who won't backstab you. Unless your "short" time literally refers to less than 5 turns. I don't think I've ever dropped below 30% intentionally (unless it was future tech or otherwise at the end of the game where it didn't matter) for longer than a turn or two.

It certainly depends on the game speed, but 5 turns only about twice as long as a standard civic change on a large map Epic game (my preferred play size/speed). Running a very low science rate for 20 turns in order to swallow a large and potentially lucrative neighboring empire is well worth the hit to science as long as you are not actively chasing something like Music or Liberalism or a religion.

The key is to make sure that you're doing it for a reason and that you have a strategy to emerge from your economic nightmare.

If I have to switch to 30% culture and increase my gold per turn output at the same time during a war in order to pay for military expenses and then keep the culture high and keep the gold high for a short time after the conquest in order to

Also, don't forget that 40% of 1000 is still quite a bit more than 90% of 100. Bigger empires will eventually mean more research once you've hit the stabilizing point of balancing the cost of each new city with the income that you get from each.

3 trade routes will most likely generate 2 commerce each.
1 religion will generate either 2 or 3 gold.
2 religions will generate 3 gold for the first and probably 2 for the second.
Each worked tile will generate between 2 and 6 gold worth of commerce or something of equivalent value (i.e. hammers). Alternatively, hire a specialist.
Number of Cities upkeep has a maximum value of 6.
Distance from Capital upkeep per city is eliminated with Communism.
Statue of Liberty gives a free specialist

Eventually, even a frozen tundra city becomes instant profit when you conquor it.

...you just have to make sure you don't conquor yourself into a corner before you get to that point.

 

[Antilogic]

I know there are ways to do it...I just don't like dropping below 50% (although I have on occasions...in wars with the culture slider, especially).

I tend to play more conservatively until about the mid-game, and post-gunpowder I take out the world. I don't set any records, but it's a fun fight none the less. And fighting in the Renaissance-Industrial eras is my personal favorite.