Sweden's UA

[Black Lotus]

I understand that 90+ relationship with a city state can be a big deal at certain points in the game, but every time I get a great person I'd rather use it myself than gift it away.

Does anyone have any tips of making the most out of this UA?

 

[Peacemongerer]

Only way I could think it'd be useful is if by patronage you were being gifted GPs by allied CSes and you then proceeded to use those GPs to ally with other CSes to get a diplo victory more easily. That's about it.

 

[Vlynor]

Or when you have a Great General/Great Admiral/Great Prophet when you're not at war/don't have a religion.

 

[GenjiKhan]

I find out that the best way to use most of Sweden's UA is actually seeking to avoid founding a religion . The main reason behind is because if you don't found a religion,you won't spawn Great Prophets . It also means that your won't lose all the faith you accumulate once a Great Prophet is spawned,because there's no Great Prophet to spawn . With that much faith,you can buy a lot of GP in late game and get almost instant allied status with any city-state some turns before UN vote .

 

[DemonMaster]

I just tested out Sweden and in the beginning of the game GPs special abilities are far more valuable to be given away. I was attacked on two fronts (also, my land was very long) by two massive armies. My armies was at the far end (towards my western front, Rome). I got a GM and sure I could have used to get 30 Inf. and perhaps 5-600 gold or something, but I had a military CS, bordering me and Polynesia (my eastern front) and I decided to give the memorial nobel prize in economics to them and by that ally them. That saved my city I can say.

Later in the game the Rome finished Manhattan and also DoW me. I saw that he didn't have any Uranium but he was ally with a CS that had, and the nobel prize in chemistry (i.e. scientist) goes to ...

I only used scientist once, but used merchants, a general and even an engineer once, most of them to get resources.

I can't say that this will happen in every game, but also the other part of the UA increases the number of GP you get (I had friendship deals with one to three at all time).

 

[dexters]

I find out that the best way to use most of Sweden's UA is actually seeking to avoid founding a religion . The main reason behind is because if you don't found a religion,you won't spawn Great Prophets . It also means that your won't lose all the faith you accumulate once a Great Prophet is spawned,because there's no Great Prophet to spawn . With that much faith,you can buy a lot of GP in late game and get almost instant allied status with any city-state some turns before UN vote .

1st prophet is 200 faith give or take. 2nd is at 300. So you can have a fully formed religion with enhancer bonus for 1/2 the price of a GP and you get all the bonuses from your pantheon plus founder/follow/enhancer beliefs. And you get those bonuses for the entire game.

Avoiding religion for 45 influence (1/2 of 90 influence gained from gifting a GP) sounds really strange.

You may get more GP by having a religion that say... boosts your production and earn GP the old fashioned way from building more wonders.

 

[iconocast]

let me put it to u this way. 60 is need to be allies. gp gives u 90. u get honour, gift gg to cs of ur chooseing, for faith to found a religion, maritim to grow ur city fast, or military for free units letting u focus on buildings. now u can do that all in the first stages fo the game. now ur going to be fighting alot to keep the bullys and barbs at bay form ur citys, and the 10%( that can easly be increased to 50% just from dof) ur getting will pump out the generals that u can gift to make more allies. now u build gardens and wonders that focus on gp. u wil be swiming in gp. u dont ahve to gift them, just the fact it gives u such flexibal nice start is cool imo. thats not even accounting for there uu that let u move fast and hard.

edit
so basicly honour->gg--> gift it, pledge to protect, defend from the warmonger bullies--> more gg to gift. just remeber to play the diplomacy game smart and keep a dof alliance going.

 

[S.K. Ren]

Does the +10% GP generation stack? So If I DoF all 7 opponents on a standard map, do I get +70% GP points?

 

[iconocast]

Does the +10% GP generation stack? So If I DoF all 7 opponents on a standard map, do I get +70% GP points?

yes thats basicly what makes them cool. plus u want to get gardens and other gp increasing buildings. not sure how they calculate the bouns wit gardens tho.

 

[S.K. Ren]

whoo! I guess they'll be my new super science civ since I don't have Babylon Mass G.Scientists, here I come.

 

[DemonMaster]

Does the +10% GP generation stack? So If I DoF all 7 opponents on a standard map, do I get +70% GP points?

It stacks But it is not as easy to make friends (on paper), perhaps if you are small and not disturb anyone. I was playing on standard and got three friends at most. It is a delicate walk on a knife's edge you have to do, who to denounce (so you can be friends with his enemies) who to help in a war, etc.

 

[Brichals]

In the early game I agree it seems mad to gift GP. In fact that 90 influence is probably worse than a Great Merchant once you do a trade mission and use the cash to buy influence (or you have opportunity to do something else with the cash). However I've played Freedom games where I was getting a GP every 5 turns or so. So late game you can just spam all the GPs and easily soak up enough CSes for the diplo win. Also CSes grant you GPs if you get down the patronage branch. They can be self perpetuating. Actually I'm rather curious to see how that would work out.

 

[Gali]

I kept three friends as Sweden on standard even with war. Religion spread no dows and genoicde and mutual trade kept us going. 30% gpp for good stretches of the game and 40 in late game helped as did being able to use extra ggs. If you play smart diplomatically and create a power bloc with enemies it can go well. I had monty in my game ans that helps a lot.

 

[Harv72b]

On the one hand, great people rock, especially in the early game.

On the other hand, having solid alliances with city states also rocks, especially in the early game. Lucked into 100+ influence with 3 city states (maritime, mercantile, and cultural) through a combination of quests and barbarian kills in a recent game, and that propelled my growth and expansion far more than any three great people could have.

Another thing to take note of is that, coup attempts aside, G&K is set up in such a way that once you get an ultra-strong alliance with a city state you can often maintain it without really having to do anything. Towards the middle- & endgame they're constantly throwing out 30-turn challenges to produce the most faith, culture, or discover the most technologies...if you're beating the AI in those areas then that, along with Patriarchy & a shared religion, will keep you allies on its own. Throw in a few wonders built here and there and next thing you know you've got 300+ influence.

So, yeah...if I had the choice between planting a great scientist or grabbing a solid & long-lasting alliance with a good city state in the early game, I'm taking the city state.

 

[S.K. Ren]

So my plan is to get 4 cities quick, grab Faith Healers and rush Enhance my Religion for Defender's of the Faith to make my cities super safe. Then just buddy up to everyone, give them help, share intrigue, join dog piles. With how RA's work now my goal is to get a city with 10+ settled GScientists and ge the Freedom finisher for 20 a pop. NC + Obs + University + Pub School + Lab = 325% science. 10*20*3.25=650 science! RAs suddenly look a hell of a lot better.

 

[bokaj]

I just played a game with Sweden on emperor. I focused completely on Great Persons. In the end they spawned like crazy + I got lots of them from City States. Won the diplomatic victory in the end, with having built only three cities and having every City State as an ally. Was looots of fun - having so many GPs.