a4phantom said:
Is it generally wise to go for all the religions? I always make a straight line for Hinduism, and then go for Judaism. My thinking is that I'm going to have to research the associated techs anyway, so I might as well get the holy city. I wonder if I'm hindering my early growth by focusing on non-economic techs? My neighbors are switching to slavery (so they have bronze working) while I'm still working on getting mono. Is there an order good players <i> tend </i> * to research the early techs in? I'm a Noble player who's going to start playing Prince and doesn't get to play often enough.
* obviously highly situational.
The basic answer is that it all depends on the game. But you seem to know that.
I personally don't go for the religions at the start of the games. But I play at the highest difficulty levels and that changes the game. You just can't keep up with the spread and the development of your cities if you can't chop trees, build mines, build cottages and so on. The AI will outproduce you if you don't go for the development technologies first.
Also, if you don't start with mysticism at the start of the game, then you typically won't be the first to develop Hinduism/Buddhism on a immortal+, 8+ civilizations game. The AI will beat you to it, because there are multiple opponents who do start with mysticism and can research the technologies needed for Hinduism/Buddhism faster than you.
Another reason to not go for such a religion is that a religion will cause bad relations with your neighbours. They typically will have a different state religion and thus hate you. You don't want neighbouring civs that hate you at the start of the game in an immortal+ game. You can conquer the holy city later in the game to get the shrine income.
If you can comfortably win on a difficulty level, then a holy city will help you. The extra gold early in the game with the shrine can certainly be helpful. Especially if you are the builder type of player who typically doesn't conquer a holy city fast.
The Thracian said:
What Are good ways to maintain a good income?
One could write a strategy article to give an answer to that question and even then there will be additions and remarks from other posters that add ideas. A short version here:
1) Start building a serious number of cottages on the tiles that are being used by your cities. Remember that citizens in the cities need to work on the tiles to gain the income from the cottages. The earlier the cottages are being used by your citizens, the sooner they will grow into nice big towns that give a huge income. Each of the citizens in your cities need 2 food to maintain them, so don't build only cottages if the city has a lack of food. The city also needs citizens to work the cottages and thus needs food to grow.
(income from land and trade routes is commerce and needs to be divided over gold/culture/science with the slider)
2) Use the science/culture/tax slider to get the right amount of science, culture and gold in your empire. Typically, you'll want a large science rate to get ahead in science. But some money is needed for the upkeep of the cities and units and a large empire typically needs a larger percentage of its commerce to be spend on gold.
Gold and thus a high tax percentage is also useful for mass upgrading of units, gold rushing of buildings and some spying actions.
Culture and a moderate culture percentage is needed when you have a lot of unhappiness in your cities which cannot be battled with luxury resources and happiness buildings. Typically this unhappiness is caused by war weariness.
A high culture rate is needed for the cultural victory.
3) Build the income enhancing improvements in your cities:
for gold: banks, marketplace, groceries
for science: universities, libraries, observatories, laboratories
for upkeep reduction: courthouses
4) develop trade routes and research the technologies that give extra trade routes (currency and corporation). Foreign trade routes that are enabled by open borders and a connection over roads/rives/coastal areas with your neighbours will increase the income of the trade routes spectacularly. Harbors will also dramatically increase trade income.
5) Some civics increase commerce income and some technologies do the same. Free speech increases gold income from towns, free market increases the number of trade routes, state property removes city distance maintenance, the printing press technology increases commerce income from villages and towns, etc.
6) Direct gold income from the holy city. A holy city combined with lots of cottages and some merchant specialists or merchant super specialists and the gold enhancing buildings + wall street small wonder can do wonders for your income. Spread the religion far and wide and this city can give you many hundreds of gold income per turn.
7) Pick a good site for a super science city (flat lands + a small coastal access + a few food resources would be ideal). This city should get only cottages and the special terrain enhancement for the food resource and all the science enhancing buildings + oxford university.
8) You can use great persons to great effect. Great scientist for an academy in your super science city, some super specialists in your great cities and the great engineer that can rush a crucial world wonder. The great persons can help in countless ways.
Ok, I'll stop here. Some refinements can be added and some additions on some world wonders that could help, but the above is a good start.
thadeus said:
How do I upload my game for review?
Use the upload file ability which can be found in the bar when you scroll all the way down. There's a list of abilities there:
Forum Rules - Chat Room - Upload File - Contact Us - Civilization Fanatics' Center - Archive - Top
You need to click the upload file ability and follow the instructions there.
Mark Bade said:
Why can't I post in the subforums? I try to do the same thing I'm doing here but can't!
You should be able to post there. Try again.
Oh, and of course,
Welcome to civfanatics, jennieah and Nirvana24
The game is all about choices as a good strategy game should be.
