Republic–How does it work?

[MAS]

@SeriousCaller

Many good players that go for very aggressive expansion go despotism > republic. And it works great. Generally speaking republic is the best government for both peace and war.

It still depends on the situation however, there are situation where you are better of not using republic. These situations will appear more often on higher difficulty levels. (meaning: Demigod and up)
And there is one well known exception that always applies: If you are playing an "Always War" variant (where you play with the self imposed rule of declaring war on every civ you meet and never ever signing peace again) There is only one choice: Monarchy.

But by all means, try the other governments, especially since you are new to the game! You should try them all out, even if only to see what they all do.
You could play a variant where the rule is to not use representative governments, and see how you will fare.

 

[D0NIMATRIX]

Thank you very much everybody.

Round 2:

So commerce (roads) is more important than food & shields (mines & irrigation)? I should make an extensive road network, and after it's done start really mining/irrigating?

Is there any easy way to make specialist farms without micromanaging them all?

Which types of buildings should I build, and where?

What is war happiness?

Short, objective wars and long, non-combat wars are the best then?

So since I'm making more $$$, then I can reduce science and get the same end product, and use the lux slider more?

Are there any trade agreements to avoid?

 

[ChaosArbiter]

Thank you very much everybody.

Round 2:

So commerce (roads) is more important than food & shields (mines & irrigation)? I should make an extensive road network, and after it's done start really mining/irrigating?

That's what I do, but I never build enough workers. If you have enough, I'd say to do them both at the same time.

Is there any easy way to make specialist farms without micromanaging them all?

I dunno. I don't use them much because I always forget about them.

Which types of buildings should I build, and where?

Someone's bound to have better answers than me, but basically you will want multiplier buildings in your core and outlying (~50% corruption) cities, with Courthouses/Police Stations if necessary. Barracks (at least once you start needing units) should go in your most productive cities. Aqueducts go in Core/Outlying cities, whether you go for Hospitals is up to you.

What is war happiness?

I'm not sure exactly what triggers it, but I've had situations where I'm at peace with someone, then I go to war with him (generally after having been at war with him previously, and in this case the Iroquois) and ~half my cities spontaneously enter WLKD.

Short, objective wars and long, non-combat wars are the best then?

They always are, but if you can keep your people happy for a longer, conquest-filled ones, go ahead.

So since I'm making more $$$, then I can reduce science and get the same end product, and use the lux slider more?

Yup.

Are there any trade agreements to avoid?

Just the normal MPP, and maybe ROP if you dislike them. I usually don't sign anything with anyone, although one time (as the Ottomans) I was in the middle of an Egypt-Persia Industrial War, and they were clogging my railways, so I ROP'd both of them so they'd kill each other faster and stop bothering my workers.

 

[Aabraxan]

So commerce (roads) is more important than food & shields (mines & irrigation)? I should make an extensive road network, and after it's done start really mining/irrigating?

I wouldn't go so far as to say more important than food & shields, but yes, you'll want extensive roads. You should be doing this under other governments, anyway.

On my usual game (standard size, continents map, conquest or domination), my workers do not stop moving until my entire continent is cleared of AI, roaded, irrigated, mined and railed. (Ok, so some mountains in the hinterlands will remain unroaded, but they'll never be worked and the additional gold would be eaten by corruption, anyway. But they are the exception, not the rule.)

If you want to practice managing a Republic, think about that from the beginning. If the tile is important enough to be improved, it's important enough to get a road. Rule of thumb: Don't move a worker off of a tile unless it has a road. I frequently road tiles first, just to be sure I don't forget.

Is there any easy way to make specialist farms without micromanaging them all?

Specialist farms don't require any more MMing than other cities. Just make sure your non-specialists are working high-food tiles so that you have enough food to hire specialists. In high-corruption, grassy areas, you'll be able to hire several specialists per farm. If you wind up with high-corruption deserts, you may have a bunch of 1-pop farms that never grow. The key is that neither food nor specialist output is affected by corruption.

You can use the specialist farms to: (a) build artillery; (b) build settlers and workers; or (c) build wealth. I use them for (a) and (b), until I get to the point where I don't need any more arty, settlers, or workers. For me, that's very, very late in the game.

Watch each farm's food supply. I tend to use the ones that hit zero growth & zero food surplus for artillery and the ones that I can't "zero out" for building settlers and workers. That helps reduce some of the MMing.

Which types of buildings should I build, and where?

Depends on what kind of game you're playing. If you want to self-research, libraries and universities in your core. If you want to buy techs, banks and maybe stock markets. Markets in either case, both for the gold and the happiness. Not to toot my own horn too much, but there's an article linked in my sig that might help you on this.

What is war happiness?

War happiness is (basically) the opposite of war weariness. It occurs when another civ declares war on you.

Short, objective wars and long, non-combat wars are the best then?

As long as you manage your losses, you can war for a long, long time in Republic. Fight smarter, not harder. You will not be able to take the same losses that you could under Monarchy. Again, this is something that you should be doing under any government -- trying not to lose troops -- but you will have to be more careful.

So since I'm making more $$$, then I can reduce science and get the same end product, and use the lux slider more?

Usually, yes. This is especially true once your core is developed and has things like markets and libraries. Any additional, uncorrupted gold is raw commerce, so it gets run through the multiplier buildings.

Are there any trade agreements to avoid?

Nothing particular to Republic. Just MPPs, as always, and, as ChaosArbiter pointed out, ROPs if you dislike them.

 

[scoutsout]

Is there any easy way to make specialist farms without micromanaging them all?

It depends on what you call "easy", and how much MMing you like or hate to do. There are a couple of ways to go about it, but the name of the game here is to have towns you can grow to size 6 and hire 2-4 specialists. (2 citizens supporting 4 specialists is generally not possible until Steam Power and rails...)

One thing you can do is build the specialist farm towns and let them grow to size 6...THEN do the MMing. This won't get you the benefits of the specialists while the town is growing, but it involves less MMing.

Another thing you can do is go to the F1 screen and sort you towns by commerce. Clicking the coin icon at the top of the listings will sort the cities in descending order, clicking the icon a second time will sort them in ascending order. Those at the top of the list are the most corrupt...and you can see which towns have specialists, which don't, and which ones are a little long on food (and can support the hiring of additional specialists).

Utilities like CivAssist 2 will let you know which towns have reassigned specialists, and which have grown...so only those towns might need to be micromanaged.

Which types of buildings should I build, and where?

Does anybody have Bede's "Temple Rant" handy? Seriously, the answer is "it depends". Marketplaces are more powerful than Temples and Cathedrals for managing happiness. I generally prefer Libraries over Temples for culture. I only bother with Universities in the more productive/less corrupt cities; and then only if I'm planning to take the game past the Middle Ages. Coastal cities will get a harbor if they need food (you get an extra gold piece if your citizens work coastal tiles). Any town that will peel off multiple settlers and/or workers will get a granary if I can afford it. I don't normally build a barracks in a settler pump unless I'm doing some sort of unit/settler combo....

Short, objective wars and long, non-combat wars are the best then?

War weariness isn't quite that simple... but you shouldn't generally see it kick in until the war has been going 20 turns or so. If you have units in enemy territory, each one adds a bit to the WW factor. Getting your units killed will add to it, and losing cities will really hurt you.

 

[Aabraxan]

Does anybody have Bede's "Temple Rant" handy?

You mean this one?

Temples...temples...priests are prevaricating parasites who pillage the body politic.
You want culture, build libraries. You get something back from the investment.
You want content citizens, build marketplaces, trade for luxuries, build towns for luxuries.

If happiness is a problem in a settler or worker farm, it is a self-limiting problem. Raise the luxury tax, hire an MP, you only need to make the expenditure for a couple of turns. Temples are with you forever and are a permanent drag on the economy.

 

[D0NIMATRIX]

You guys are great!

Round 3:

I can micromanage maybe 6 or 7 cities, any more than that is like asking for an overnight cure for cancer. So how should I go about specialist farms? What's the verdict you've come up with? Set the governor to want commerce and food, or what? Is there any way for CivAssist 2 to help?

Why should I avoid MPPs in the first place?

How should I go about deciding market/library placement?

What strategy should I employ for roads? Or, which tiles should be roaded first?

Is scientific a good trait for republic? What are good traits?

Is China a good Civ for republic?

Blitzing is the way to go in republic? Any strategies I should/shouldn't use?

 

[Mursi lives]

I can micromanage maybe 6 or 7 cities, any more than that is like asking for an overnight cure for cancer. So how should I go about specialist farms? What's the verdict you've come up with? Set the governor to want commerce and food, or what? Is there any way for CivAssist 2 to help?

Why should I avoid MPPs in the first place?

I dont see any way to avoid micromanagement when setting your sci farms, but once a farm is set, (i.e. its tiles are irrigated/railroaded and it doesnt grow anymore) you can forget it until the end of the game.

How should I go about deciding market/library placement?

If you are asking "what first", it depends of your trading strategy. If the libs can make you the medieval tech leader, go for libs first, put the science cursor to max and sell your techs for luxes and gpt. If the libs are not enough to become the tech leader, build markets first, put the science cursor to 0%, buy your techs, then trade them for other techs, sell them for gpt.
At DG level, it is rather rare for me to build libs first, unless i am Greece or Korea.

What strategy should I employ for roads? Or, which tiles should be roaded first?

IMO, the first priority is to connect your cities. Next the priority is the tiles you are working, which are easy to road, and are not next a river (these ones already get commerce).

Is scientific a good trait for republic? What are good traits?

There are not good traits but good combos. (Well, actually agri is a good trait by itself). About scientific, what i find amazing about this trait, it is wow its nature changes with difficulty level: at low/middle level, it is about half priced libs and early techs libs. At higher level, when you cant go for the "libs first" strategy, the free techs become the important feature: trading a monopoly new era tech with as many civs as possible is like a mini GA. So scientific synergizes best with exploring traits: sea and exp (on big pangeas).
The sci/commcobo is also great but gives you a slow start. Thats why hoplites are very good UU for this combo and Hwachas are not.

Is China a good Civ for republic?

China is a formidable warmonger and that is not incompatible with republic.

 

[ChaosArbiter]

You guys are great!

Round 3:

I can micromanage maybe 6 or 7 cities, any more than that is like asking for an overnight cure for cancer. So how should I go about specialist farms? What's the verdict you've come up with? Set the governor to want commerce and food, or what? Is there any way for CivAssist 2 to help?

As I said earlier, I tend not to use them as I forget to make them correctly, but what I have done is the moment I build it, I assign it to build something that takes a while to build (long enough for it to have gotten 1-2 growths, at least) and when it completes, I go there, reassign citizens, and sell whatever was just built.

Why should I avoid MPPs in the first place?

I think the biggest reason is that you lose control over when you go to war, since you are forced into a war. The only time I've ever signed an MPP was when an AI had one with a Civ I wanted to attack - I MPP'd the first civ, DoW'd the second, and let them attack me so the first Civ had to attack them.

How should I go about deciding market/library placement?

Aside from Aabraxan's sigged article, I would just say to put them in cities that will benefit from them immediately - if you have a high-corruption city that can be alleviated by building a Courthouse, don't build them until you have a Court.

What strategy should I employ for roads? Or, which tiles should be roaded first?

The ones you're going to use first and to connect your cities, of course. Road as you're going to use, and road maybe the next 2-3 tiles you're going to use if you have the time. Road to connect Luxes next and Resources (unless you desperately need them) third, and other city-tiles you're going to use fourth. Last would be strategic lines (such as roads leading to enemy territory) unless there is a pressing need for them.

Is scientific a good trait for republic? What are good traits?

Scientific is a great trait no matter the govt. It depends on the map and playstyle, but in a vacuum I'd say Commercial is a really good one because it lowers corruption (although if I'm misremembering that, forget it).

Is China a good Civ for republic?

I don't like them, but I hear they're a pretty good Civ period. I would put it this way: If you think the Civ is a good one without unique units and attributes, it's probably a good one for whatever you're planning.

Blitzing is the way to go in republic? Any strategies I should/shouldn't use?

Blitzing is, in general, the way to go no matter your govt. The only thing I'll say outside of a particular situation is that you want to avoid wars that will weaken you or put you at a disadvantage (two-fronting, fighting a Civ that's too strong for you, fighting with sub-par units, etc). Warfare in Republic is the same as it is for non-representative govts, just with War Weariness added in.