Minou
King
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2013
- Messages
- 822
The more I play Civ 6 the more I appreciate the important of carefully planning boosts. Some are very easy and some almost impossible to get "in time" in the context of a fast space victory. By in time, I mean without slowly overall progress towards victory - e.g. it's almost always possible to get all the boosts but if that means you dawdle off the path to Rocketry / Globalization for a dozen turns while waiting for some build to complete you've lost net turns.
Here is my list, curious if others feel some techs/civics should be added or deleted from the "tough boost" roll call.
I ignored the ones that can only be boosted by Great Scientists or Spies, as well as techs/civics that you can just skip altogether in Science Victory like Capitalism or Naval Tradition (though you may want to boost these to increase the odds of getting other more valuable boosts from Great Scientists or Tribal Villages). They are listed in the order they unlock, not necessarily hardest to easiest.
CIVICS
Games and Recreation (have the Construction tech): Ah, the king of all unboosted Civics. I actually got this boost one time, when I had some crazy early science - I think 3 early envoys in Science City States when they were worth 2spt. Barring that, it just never makes sense to tech Construction early when so many other techs are needed.
Drama and Poetry (build a wonder): This is easy if you really want it, but I just can’t ever find the spare production for something so expensive while trying to expand and get military up and running. About every fourth game or so I luck out and capture Great Bath or Stonehenge and score the boost, but rarely manage to do something like chop Pyramids in time.
Military Training (build an Encampment): This is another one that is easy in theory but conflicts with the best build order in the early game. Building an Encampment for the boost means you are skipping something that is almost certainly more valuable like two Horsemen or another Settler. I used to build one, now I skip it and focus on more important things.
Defensive Tactics (be target of a declaration of war): Oh how I miss the days when you could just declare on any AI and their City State vassal would counter-saatisfying the boost. This one is pretty much luck of the draw. The problem is, AIs only tend to declare early in the game when you are much weaker, and the boost is worthless if you get killed by 4 Warriors on T30!
Medieval Faires (have 4 trade routes): This is one I have been really focusing on perfecting. It comes at a bottleneck in the Civic tree so you can’t really delay it. Back in the day it required planning to get 3 Commercial Hubs (or 2 and a Harbor) up for this, but now that Markets are also needed you really have to plan it out. Magnus can make it alot easier along with Monumentality for the actual Traders and if you are really lucky you’ll capture a relevant district.
Diplomatic Service (form an Alliance): Very easy to get, but my problem is by the time Alliances are available I have probably wiped out two Civs and everyone else will hate me. If possible I sign Friendship with a farther off AI before the wars start allowing an Alliance, but if you only have one or two AIs on your starting continent its much more valuable to just conquer them. Gilgabro helps tremendously here of course as an instant ally when you meet him.
Humanism (recruit a Great Artist): It has always been my dream to boost this one day, but I usually only have about 5 Great Artist points by the time I need the boost. Maybe it could be possible in a really lucky game where you are next to Pericles and capture two Theater Squares before turn 50... Even then it would take many projects or a massive pile of faith / gold. Overall Great Artists are just too expensive - if I tweaked the game I would make them 120 points instead of 240 and unlock the Frescos card at Drama and Poetry to make the boost plausible.
Nationalism (declare war with a Causa Belli): This is one the player has little control over. The Holy War option is the easiest but may or may not be possible.
Urbanization (have a size 15 city): Missing this one is always my own fault, I sometimes start thinking of it on T100 instead of T50. If planned right, some otherwise crappy flatland city captured from an AI can achieve 12-13 pop in time just by farming everything, and then 2-3 food harvests can push it over the edge. Just have to keep on top of Housing.
Mass Media (have the Radio tech): I think I managed this just once, normally the civic comes well before the tech even if you have about a 3:2 science to civic ratio.
Globalization (build three airports): This of course also requires three aerodromes. I have gotten it a few times with some chops anor when I have a massive excess of gold, but miss it most of the time.
TECHS
Buttress (build a Cassical Era or later wonder): Like with Drama and Poetry, it’s not so much that it is hard to build a Classical Wonder in time, it’s just that I feel I need that production for other things at this stage in the game. This is one I almost often boost with a Great Scientist though.
Military Engineering (build an Aquaduct): About every third game I will luck out and capture an Aquaduct, but otherwise I feel pressured to skip the boost so as not to delay Niter accumulation. Another one often boosted by Great Scientist.
Economics (build two Banks)
Steam Power (build two Shipyards):
Sanitation (build two Neighborhoods):
I group these because they are a trio I always try to boost with Great Scientist Emilie Du Chatelet. Banks and Shipyards can be built in time especially with a couple chops, but I hate wasting the production. Neighborhoods I never come close to being able to build as I rarely if ever unlock Urbanization in time.
Flight (build an Industrial Era or later wonder): I feel this is a real test of planning. I sometimes fumble and find I don’t have enough production to boost it especially when my tech rate is very fast, but with proper planning Magnus or one of the wonder-boosting Great Engineers should make this possible most games.
Radio (build a National Park): I have never once gotten this boost, since I usually either have not reached Conservation or if culture is flying skip by it to race for Globalization.
Chemistry (have a Level 2 Alliance): This one seems like it might not be mathemetically possible in fast games since even if your own culture is flying one Friendly AI must also have Diplomatic Service, and the poits accumulate so slow even if you can get them in a joint war.
Advaned Flight (build three biplanes): I suppose with enough gold they can be purchased, but not sure if even then that gold would be better spent on another Reyna Spaceport for Laser chops.
Advanced Ballistics (build two oil power plants): This one may actually not be too hard, I have never bother to run the convert to oil power project. Usually by the time I hit this I’m near one tech per turn so it might not be worth the effort.
Guidance Systems (kill a fighter): Never saw an AI fighter in a game! In my current game it is T130 and the AIs are still running around with Crossbows and Galleys.
Here is my list, curious if others feel some techs/civics should be added or deleted from the "tough boost" roll call.
I ignored the ones that can only be boosted by Great Scientists or Spies, as well as techs/civics that you can just skip altogether in Science Victory like Capitalism or Naval Tradition (though you may want to boost these to increase the odds of getting other more valuable boosts from Great Scientists or Tribal Villages). They are listed in the order they unlock, not necessarily hardest to easiest.
CIVICS
Games and Recreation (have the Construction tech): Ah, the king of all unboosted Civics. I actually got this boost one time, when I had some crazy early science - I think 3 early envoys in Science City States when they were worth 2spt. Barring that, it just never makes sense to tech Construction early when so many other techs are needed.
Drama and Poetry (build a wonder): This is easy if you really want it, but I just can’t ever find the spare production for something so expensive while trying to expand and get military up and running. About every fourth game or so I luck out and capture Great Bath or Stonehenge and score the boost, but rarely manage to do something like chop Pyramids in time.
Military Training (build an Encampment): This is another one that is easy in theory but conflicts with the best build order in the early game. Building an Encampment for the boost means you are skipping something that is almost certainly more valuable like two Horsemen or another Settler. I used to build one, now I skip it and focus on more important things.
Defensive Tactics (be target of a declaration of war): Oh how I miss the days when you could just declare on any AI and their City State vassal would counter-saatisfying the boost. This one is pretty much luck of the draw. The problem is, AIs only tend to declare early in the game when you are much weaker, and the boost is worthless if you get killed by 4 Warriors on T30!
Medieval Faires (have 4 trade routes): This is one I have been really focusing on perfecting. It comes at a bottleneck in the Civic tree so you can’t really delay it. Back in the day it required planning to get 3 Commercial Hubs (or 2 and a Harbor) up for this, but now that Markets are also needed you really have to plan it out. Magnus can make it alot easier along with Monumentality for the actual Traders and if you are really lucky you’ll capture a relevant district.
Diplomatic Service (form an Alliance): Very easy to get, but my problem is by the time Alliances are available I have probably wiped out two Civs and everyone else will hate me. If possible I sign Friendship with a farther off AI before the wars start allowing an Alliance, but if you only have one or two AIs on your starting continent its much more valuable to just conquer them. Gilgabro helps tremendously here of course as an instant ally when you meet him.
Humanism (recruit a Great Artist): It has always been my dream to boost this one day, but I usually only have about 5 Great Artist points by the time I need the boost. Maybe it could be possible in a really lucky game where you are next to Pericles and capture two Theater Squares before turn 50... Even then it would take many projects or a massive pile of faith / gold. Overall Great Artists are just too expensive - if I tweaked the game I would make them 120 points instead of 240 and unlock the Frescos card at Drama and Poetry to make the boost plausible.
Nationalism (declare war with a Causa Belli): This is one the player has little control over. The Holy War option is the easiest but may or may not be possible.
Urbanization (have a size 15 city): Missing this one is always my own fault, I sometimes start thinking of it on T100 instead of T50. If planned right, some otherwise crappy flatland city captured from an AI can achieve 12-13 pop in time just by farming everything, and then 2-3 food harvests can push it over the edge. Just have to keep on top of Housing.
Mass Media (have the Radio tech): I think I managed this just once, normally the civic comes well before the tech even if you have about a 3:2 science to civic ratio.
Globalization (build three airports): This of course also requires three aerodromes. I have gotten it a few times with some chops anor when I have a massive excess of gold, but miss it most of the time.
TECHS
Buttress (build a Cassical Era or later wonder): Like with Drama and Poetry, it’s not so much that it is hard to build a Classical Wonder in time, it’s just that I feel I need that production for other things at this stage in the game. This is one I almost often boost with a Great Scientist though.
Military Engineering (build an Aquaduct): About every third game I will luck out and capture an Aquaduct, but otherwise I feel pressured to skip the boost so as not to delay Niter accumulation. Another one often boosted by Great Scientist.
Economics (build two Banks)
Steam Power (build two Shipyards):
Sanitation (build two Neighborhoods):
I group these because they are a trio I always try to boost with Great Scientist Emilie Du Chatelet. Banks and Shipyards can be built in time especially with a couple chops, but I hate wasting the production. Neighborhoods I never come close to being able to build as I rarely if ever unlock Urbanization in time.
Flight (build an Industrial Era or later wonder): I feel this is a real test of planning. I sometimes fumble and find I don’t have enough production to boost it especially when my tech rate is very fast, but with proper planning Magnus or one of the wonder-boosting Great Engineers should make this possible most games.
Radio (build a National Park): I have never once gotten this boost, since I usually either have not reached Conservation or if culture is flying skip by it to race for Globalization.
Chemistry (have a Level 2 Alliance): This one seems like it might not be mathemetically possible in fast games since even if your own culture is flying one Friendly AI must also have Diplomatic Service, and the poits accumulate so slow even if you can get them in a joint war.
Advaned Flight (build three biplanes): I suppose with enough gold they can be purchased, but not sure if even then that gold would be better spent on another Reyna Spaceport for Laser chops.
Advanced Ballistics (build two oil power plants): This one may actually not be too hard, I have never bother to run the convert to oil power project. Usually by the time I hit this I’m near one tech per turn so it might not be worth the effort.
Guidance Systems (kill a fighter): Never saw an AI fighter in a game! In my current game it is T130 and the AIs are still running around with Crossbows and Galleys.
Agreed on the rest.
