SE civics?

[JoeBlade]

I've been trying out a couple of more SE-based games for a change (I usually play CE) and I tend to run into the same problem: great research but lousy production, or the exact opposite.

Essentially, when I'm running the typical SE civics Representation, Caste System and Pacifism I can generate GPs at dazzling speeds and maintain a very solid research rate.
Problem is, those civics exclude the ones that speed up production, i.e. Police State (for troops), Universal Suffrage, Slavery and Organised Religion. As I'm working mainly farms or other food-rich tiles my base production is horribly low already, so I really do need any boost I can get.

Repeatedly switching civics on the other hand ends up costing me a heap of turns during the course of a game (unless I'm playing a spiritual leader, obviously).
Also, while not running the SE-oriented civics my research and GP point generation slow to a crawling pace. This always gives me the creeping feeling that, on average, I'm actually not doing any better than my opponents.

Any tips on overcoming this issue? Am I perhaps missing out on something important?

 

[DaveMcW]

Be Ghandi if you want to play SE.

Or Saladin if you don't have Warlords.

 

[svv]

Besides Saladin, I like Elizabeth (financial great - I still build cottages in my commerce center and most of my non-gp producing cities, plus a very nice UU) and Peter (expansive ok, but a great UU).

This is in vanilla. I guess both of those UUs are tuned down in warlords.

I usually don't bother with caste system, and stay in slavery until I'm ready for emancipation (VERY late). Other than that I think you have your civics about right. Of course, if you're Saladin or Gandi, you can switch around pretty much at will.

Of course everyone will tell you to build the great library, which gives you two free scientist specialists (over and above your entitlement from the library/university, etc). One thing that also helps is building Angkor Wat, which allows more priest specialists in the building city, plus all priest specialists everywhere give you two hammers (so they're like engineers, plus extra money).

 

[PMabey]

Firstly play Gandhi or Saladin (vanilla) like DAVEMcW said. Essentially you want to to bursts of research followed by production. So you run representation/caste system/pacifism for say like 10-15 turns, lightbulb a couple of techs, do some research, then switch civics to slavery/nationhood/theocracy/vassalage etc to whip some units/buildings. You can fire some of your specialists at this stage to help your cities grow back.