The best form of government here

[Clausewitzian]

Let's say, for the sake of argument, you want to freeze tech development. So you're lowering your science %

Reasons might be a combination of wonders that will expire if you zoom down the tech road and a satisfaction that the current situation is pleasantly in your favor.

You have an SSC that is overheating, another WLTL will give you more populace than your city can support.

You are $$ hungry (cash conquest) and posses SoL to transition painlessly between governments.

Now you're about to power down from democracy to a lesser form of government. What to choose?

Communism is good cashwise because of lack of corruption
Fundamentalism is good cashwise because happiness = cash
Or should you stick with Democracy because xtra trade = cash? Problem with democracy is you cannot regulate unhappiness with luxury output due to the SSC problem

And you don't want your vans producing any beakers either when they make their runs. Just cash.

What would be a rational basis to decide which is best...?

 

[Ace]

5428711Let's say, for the sake of argument, you want to freeze tech development. So you're lowering your science %

OK, set science to zero.

Reasons might be a combination of wonders that will expire if you zoom down the tech road and a satisfaction that the current situation is pleasantly in your favor.

Even if your in the lead, you still want more advances, (each Future Tech is worth 5 points) and you really do not want to close down your science unless the advance you are researching will cancel a wonder you do not want to lose just yet, like Automobile killing Leo's. As long as you can research advances that do not cancel a wonder, you want to keep going.

You have an SSC that is overheating, another WLTL will give you more populace than your city can support.

So what? Let the city add that one more citizen. You will then have a food shortage of one. This will slowly empty your food box and when it is empty, you will lose one citizen, which you will get right back if the city is celebrating. No problem.

You are $$ hungry (cash conquest) and posses SoL to transition painlessly between governments.
Now you're about to power down from democracy to a lesser form of government. What to choose?

Communism is good cashwise because of lack of corruption
Fundamentalism is good cashwise because happiness = cash
Or should you stick with Democracy because xtra trade = cash? Problem with democracy is you cannot regulate unhappiness with luxury output due to the SSC problem

First, the SSC problem is not a problem, (see above).

SoL is not really necessary, except to change to govs you don't already have. Using the Oedo years is the best way to change govs. The fastest way to get cash is to stay in Democracy and trade, trade, and more trade.

And you don't want your vans producing any beakers either when they make their runs. Just cash.

If you really must stop the advances, you can still trade and not get them. As mentioned above, set science to zero, than make sure you do not have any scientists, only elvii, and/or taxmen as specialists. This will prevent you from getting an advance, because your cities have to generate at least one beaker in order to get an advance. As long as your cities do not produce a single beaker, you can trade to your heart's desire. You will lose any excess beakers, but you will not get any advances and you will still get the coins.

What would be a rational basis to decide which is best...?

You have already decided. You are in an up and running democracy and you want to stay there. A good Power Democracy will easily generate more coins that Fundy and you put it correctly...changing govs is a step down to a lesser gov.

 

[Clausewitzian]

The SSC problem is not a problem? Major coolness.

In addition to that, I thought with scientific progress no longer mattering a different government might become just as usefull and/or interesting. And then again, I think I just had an idea. If science is at 0%, and my vans soon making my taxes irrelevant, so they can be put at 0%, dear me, I think I'll stay in Democracy after all. This I just have to see.

In Democracy I do miss the fun of being able to intimidate AI civs into giving me all their cash which I then use against them. Such are the pleasures of being Supreme. By the way, does anyone know how you determine your key civ if you're purple yourself?

Your argument on points for future tech are taken and I appreciate them. However, there's also the playing for your enjoyment factor, and I'm enjoying where I am sufficiently much that this time round points are a moot point, if you see what I mean, heheh. But I'll play differently in future games, thanks for that.

I remember reading on this forum that the AI civs follow your percentages. It follows that if my science comes to a grinding 0%, so does theirs, and we ought to remain stuck in the current age.

Should this turn out to be wrong and/or I feel a need to restart the science race, my SSC will give me advances every two turns at 60% all by itself. That's without any help from vans. So I feel very secure in the idea that if the AI civs should somehow get their act together, I can deal with it.

I'm currently in AD 1040 and mere turns away from getting my democracy into the power fase. My vans have started to hit the target continent, my ship chain is close to completion and science is something for the AI to worry about. As you can see, I took my sweet time getting there, but then, this is my first PD.

All the same, I think I'd better rehome my SSC engineers before I let it overheat. Maybe I wouldn't lose them, but I don't feel like taking any chances.

Thanks for giving such a thourough reply, Ace.

My SSC overheating really had me panicked for a moment there. Never had a city in WLTL for so long in succession. Hey, maybe I should consider making food vans, never done those. There's supposed to be some interesting kind of glitch there...

 

[Magic_gorter]

In Democracy I do miss the fun of being able to intimidate AI civs into giving me all their cash which I then use against them. Such are the pleasures of being Supreme. By the way, does anyone know how you determine your key civ if you're purple yourself?

The key civs are still the same. If you're supreme the key civ is purple (yourself).

 

[Ace]

My SSC overheating really had me panicked for a moment there. Never had a city in WLTL for so long in succession. Hey, maybe I should consider making food vans, never done those. There's supposed to be some interesting kind of glitch there...

That is one of the big advantages of an early Republic or a Power Democracy. Once your city reaches size 3, you can celebrate it to size 8 in five turns and, with an aquaduct, to size 12 in just 4 more. Throw in a sewer system and your city will grow until it has no surplus food.

On the other hand, playing in monarchy, commie, or fundy can be fun. It all depends on what you are looking for in any particular game.