Quick Answers / 'Newbie' Questions

[Vaidd]

Does founding and growing a corporation help your civ much? I had Aluminum Co. In my first BTS game and it seemed like it could have helped my science.

I think most people around here--including me--will tell you that the best corps by far are Sid's Sushi and Mining Inc. Because seafood is more plentiful on most maps than grain, you'll actually get more from Sid's Sushi than from Cereal Mills, plus some extra (which may or may not matter in your game). Boosting with Mining Inc. can turbo-charge your military production, or help you build space ship parts faster. The nice part about this combo is you can have both of them in every city, if you want.

The only other corp I sometimes use is Standard Ethanol, but only if my empire lacks oil. Both Standard Ethanol and Sid's Sushi use rice, so you can't have them both in any given city.

If you use corps, be aware of their maintenance cost, which adds up in a big empire. Build courthouses, and try to run Free Market if you can. Also, put the corporate headquarters in your Wall Street city. The headquarters earns for each "branch office" of a corp in another city, so you can offset some or all of the maintenance if that is multiplied by Wall Street + bank + market + grocer.

Finally, keep in mind that you get no benefit from any corporation if you run State Property.

(I am glad for this newbie thread, because some of my questions even embarrass me, I have so little experience and knowledge about this game.)

Heh, you should see some of the embarrassing stuff posted by the experienced players.

 

[ajsciri4]

It's already 225 BC in my Earth 18 Civs game as France, and I got a Great Engineer. I want to save him to rushbuild a worthwhile wonder. I was going to do the Hanging Gardens, but I decided I'd just wait for a better one. What wonder would you save him for if you were in my position?

 

[Jwitti]

I just go for the most expensive one available at the time. Pyramids are pretty comparatively expensive, and if you have a need for it than that's pretty worth-while. What's available

 

[Lord Parkin]

It's already 225 BC in my Earth 18 Civs game as France, and I got a Great Engineer. I want to save him to rushbuild a worthwhile wonder. I was going to do the Hanging Gardens, but I decided I'd just wait for a better one. What wonder would you save him for if you were in my position?

Depends. Do you lack Marble or Stone? Rushing a wonder you don't have the resource for is more efficient than rushing one you do have the resource for.

If everything else is equal, the Pyramids are usually a good choice. The Great Library or the Parthenon can also be worth a rush, as can the Hanging Gardens.

That early on in the game though, it might be worth considering adding the Great Engineer to a city as a super-specialist. Especially if the wonder you want has already been built.

 

[MaxWar]

France has marble and stone at the start right?

Anyway, I dont know about you guys but i really HATE not having the statue of Zeus. So if i had the smallest fear of not being able to do it in the regular way, i would keep the engineer for it.

 

[Jwitti]

You only hate it when someone else has it. You know you could disable it.

 

[MaxWar]

You only hate it when someone else has it.

Which is exactly what happens when you don't have it.

You know you could disable it.

That's just not like me.

 

[AJ11]

It's already 225 BC in my Earth 18 Civs game as France, and I got a Great Engineer. I want to save him to rushbuild a worthwhile wonder. I was going to do the Hanging Gardens, but I decided I'd just wait for a better one. What wonder would you save him for if you were in my position?

Apostolic Palace...

 

[ajsciri4]

I have Warlords, but not Beyond the Sword.
France has stone and marble, yay. Persia took the Pyramids. I'm thinking of saving it for the Great Library.

 

[Akbarthegreat]

France has marble and stone at the start right?

Stone, marble, iron, horse, clam, what, wine, pigs, aluminium, coal and uranium.
And it is on a river and coast.

 

[Akbarthegreat]

I have Warlords, but not Beyond the Sword.
France has stone and marble, yay. Persia took the Pyramids. I'm thinking of saving it for the Great Library.

And in your game if Europe is split between 2 different religions[unlikely, actually], you can rush the Shwedagon Paya.

 

[Sparrow3]

What’s difference between Intelligence Agency and Security Bureau? Which is better? Why should I build the one or the other?

 

[Zx Zero Zx]

They both suck, build nether.

 

[dalamb]

Do you never need the boost from those buildings? I build them frequently as I'm teching toward some late-game victory.

 

[Lord Parkin]

What’s difference between Intelligence Agency and Security Bureau? Which is better? Why should I build the one or the other?

Intelligence Agency gives 8 EP and +50% EP, and is 180 hammers as I recall.
Security Bureau gives 8 EP and extra chance of catching spies in the city, and I think it's 220 hammers.

Build whichever one you need the benefit of more. Generally I find the Intelligence Agency more useful... plus it's cheaper in hammers. It usually comes later though (depending on your tech order), so you may not have a choice during some parts of the game.

 

[Zx Zero Zx]

Do you never need the boost from those buildings? I build them frequently as I'm teching toward some late-game victory.

Nope, I have the game wrapped up by the team I get to either.

 

[Akbarthegreat]

What’s difference between Intelligence Agency and Security Bureau? Which is better? Why should I build the one or the other?

IAs are better for the reasons Lord Parkin just explained.

 

[dalamb]

Nope, I have the game wrapped up by the team I get to either.

So, fine, they're useless to you, but that's why I mentioned "late game". If you're having to invade late-game to stop somebody from getting a 3rd legendary city before you finish your spaceship, you're going to find espionage points useful.

 

[SamSniped]

So, fine, they're useless to you, but that's why I mentioned "late game". If you're having to invade late-game to stop somebody from getting a 3rd legendary city before you finish your spaceship, you're going to find espionage points useful.

And you don't nuke the city instead, then paradrop some dudes in and raze it?

 

[Saru]

But what about the corp. executive?