G asked that the Ideologies be compared at Tier's instead of within their own Ideologies, so I am reorganizing the threads as best I can to accommodate that wish.
In this thread we will look at the Tier 1 Ideologies:
Freedom
Avant Garde: +33% GP
(F for OP)
There are two defining tenants in Freedom to me. This is one of them. Freedom players tend to be specialist players, and this gives you a massive boost to that.
Ultimately this and Civil Society is the basis by which I define every other freedom tenant, and ultimately I think most of them are lacking because these are too good. Either the other tenants need to be strengthen, or these two weakened.
Civil Society: Specialists consume half the amount of food.
(F for OP)
The other defining tenant with Avant Garde. Together, these two transforms specialist play, making it the dominant way to go in all cities. Overshadows all other freedom tenants....all of them, even Tier 3's.
Covert Action: Gain 1 or more spies, chance of rigging election doubled.
(F)
I just don't find CS rigging that reliable to get CS to flip for me, but the extra spies can be nice and frankly at this point in the game that is all I use my spies for anyway so might as well make it good. But there are just better tenants.
Creative Expression: +1 Culture to Great works, +2 culture to opera house, broadcast tower, museums, and amphitheater.
(F)
I've made the case before that spending a lot of culture to get a trickle of new culture is not a great policy choice, especially this late in the game. If it was tourism it would be one thing, but ultimately I think this tenant is a poorly designed one.
Economic Union
(C)
The extra trade route is flexible and useful, if nothing else for spreading franchises. The gold boost can be useful. This tenant has its uses.
Universal Healthcare: Free hospital in every city, +50 culture when a citizen is born in any city, scaling with Era.
(A)
A nice solid tenant, can save you a lot of hammers, and gives you an interesting and strong way to recoup culture, this one is well designed to me.
Urbanization: +1 food to farms, camps, plantations, and all unique improvements.
(A)
If Civil Society wasn't so strong this would be a great starting tenant. I think its well designed overall.
Order
Communism: -33% gold cost to purchase building. +20% production when building wonders.
(A)
Combined with Industry this can be a powerhouse tenant. The wonder production is also okay.
Double Agents: +1 spies. Spies twice as likely to capture agents in your cities.
(F)
The spies don't help that much at this point, spies don't do much in your cities at this point either, so the bonus is pretty meh.
Great Leap Forward: Receive 2 Free Technologies.
(F - OP)
The defining tenant for Order imo. However, what makes this one OP to me (unless I am mistaken) is that you keep the technologies whether you stay in Order or not.
So you can actually go Order, get 2 free techs, and then switch to something else...which is a big hokey to me.
Guerilla Warfare: +15% attack and 50% military experience in friendly lands. Can build Guerrilla Fighters
(C)
This one works as a Tier 1 tenant. Its not one you always want, but if you are under assault from a Autocracy conqueror, its a great tool to help you out. So its a niche tenant, but its in the right place for a niche tenant.
Hero of the People: +25% GP rate, a great person of your choice appears.
(A)
This and great leap forward start to define the Order ideology. I feel this one is just a little bit weaker than Freedom's Avant Guard just because Freedom is more specialist friendly...so the bonuses mean more there. However, a flexible GP of your choice is never a bit thing.
Peace, Land, Bread: +20% growth in all cities, -20% poverty
(C)
Ultimately this is a nice tier 1 that's just in a sea of nicer tier 1s. Growth is starting a real decline at this point, though the poverty reduction can be nice.
People's Army: Free Military Academy in every city. Military Academies produce +3 culture and +1 happiness.
(C)
Another solid one in a sea of better choice. The free academies are ok, even in a large order civ you still tend to have your military centers of production, so giving everyone the academy only does so much. The culture is just ok, but the happiness is a nice kick.
Autocracy
Autarky: +10 gold to internal TR, +3 hammers to city connections.
(C)
Corporations make external trade routes really good late game, then again +10 gold is a solid amount.
Elite Forces: Newly created units gain +15 xp, all units gain +50% experience from combat.
(A)
This allows you to crank out Tier IV promoted units in quick order, a solid warring tenant.
Futurism: +20% tourism from historical events.
(N/A)
I have no idea how much tourism historical events actually generate late game, so this could be amazing or crap I just don't know.
Lebensraum: Gain culture and GA points when your borders expand. Citadel tile radius is doubled.
(A?). At this point in the game, GA points don't mean too much I find, the culture is nice but culture for culture's sake is not enough. However, I love the double tile radius, it gives you a new thing to do with your GGs, and can really help disrupt enemies strategic resources or corporation monopolies.
Military-Industrial Complex: -33% to unit purchases/upgrading. +3 science to defensive buildings, citadels, and unique improvements.
(A)
The science bonus is just some frosting, the cake is the purchasing reduction. This can greatly increase your capacity to generate army and go to war, probably the most definitive of the Autocracy Tier 1's.
New World Order: -20% crime. Constabularies and Police Stations gain +3 culture and +5 hammers.
(C)
The crime reduction is nice. Police Stations are so expensive that the +5 hammers and +3 culture isn't enough on their own to make me get them, so I would only do it in a scenario where I had had to build them for other reasons. I think this one is just ok.
United Front: +200% to militaristic city-status unit gift rate during wars with common foes. +30 inf from unit gifts to City states.
(A)
This may actually be the best diplomatic tenant. While the other ideologies have ones that affect lots of CS, this one can actually make a dent in a CS you are trying to flip from someone else. Effectively removes the need to build diplomatic units (almost).
In this thread we will look at the Tier 1 Ideologies:
Freedom
Avant Garde: +33% GP
(F for OP)
There are two defining tenants in Freedom to me. This is one of them. Freedom players tend to be specialist players, and this gives you a massive boost to that.
Ultimately this and Civil Society is the basis by which I define every other freedom tenant, and ultimately I think most of them are lacking because these are too good. Either the other tenants need to be strengthen, or these two weakened.
Civil Society: Specialists consume half the amount of food.
(F for OP)
The other defining tenant with Avant Garde. Together, these two transforms specialist play, making it the dominant way to go in all cities. Overshadows all other freedom tenants....all of them, even Tier 3's.
Covert Action: Gain 1 or more spies, chance of rigging election doubled.
(F)
I just don't find CS rigging that reliable to get CS to flip for me, but the extra spies can be nice and frankly at this point in the game that is all I use my spies for anyway so might as well make it good. But there are just better tenants.
Creative Expression: +1 Culture to Great works, +2 culture to opera house, broadcast tower, museums, and amphitheater.
(F)
I've made the case before that spending a lot of culture to get a trickle of new culture is not a great policy choice, especially this late in the game. If it was tourism it would be one thing, but ultimately I think this tenant is a poorly designed one.
Economic Union
(C)
The extra trade route is flexible and useful, if nothing else for spreading franchises. The gold boost can be useful. This tenant has its uses.
Universal Healthcare: Free hospital in every city, +50 culture when a citizen is born in any city, scaling with Era.
(A)
A nice solid tenant, can save you a lot of hammers, and gives you an interesting and strong way to recoup culture, this one is well designed to me.
Urbanization: +1 food to farms, camps, plantations, and all unique improvements.
(A)
If Civil Society wasn't so strong this would be a great starting tenant. I think its well designed overall.
Order
Communism: -33% gold cost to purchase building. +20% production when building wonders.
(A)
Combined with Industry this can be a powerhouse tenant. The wonder production is also okay.
Double Agents: +1 spies. Spies twice as likely to capture agents in your cities.
(F)
The spies don't help that much at this point, spies don't do much in your cities at this point either, so the bonus is pretty meh.
Great Leap Forward: Receive 2 Free Technologies.
(F - OP)
The defining tenant for Order imo. However, what makes this one OP to me (unless I am mistaken) is that you keep the technologies whether you stay in Order or not.
So you can actually go Order, get 2 free techs, and then switch to something else...which is a big hokey to me.
Guerilla Warfare: +15% attack and 50% military experience in friendly lands. Can build Guerrilla Fighters
(C)
This one works as a Tier 1 tenant. Its not one you always want, but if you are under assault from a Autocracy conqueror, its a great tool to help you out. So its a niche tenant, but its in the right place for a niche tenant.
Hero of the People: +25% GP rate, a great person of your choice appears.
(A)
This and great leap forward start to define the Order ideology. I feel this one is just a little bit weaker than Freedom's Avant Guard just because Freedom is more specialist friendly...so the bonuses mean more there. However, a flexible GP of your choice is never a bit thing.
Peace, Land, Bread: +20% growth in all cities, -20% poverty
(C)
Ultimately this is a nice tier 1 that's just in a sea of nicer tier 1s. Growth is starting a real decline at this point, though the poverty reduction can be nice.
People's Army: Free Military Academy in every city. Military Academies produce +3 culture and +1 happiness.
(C)
Another solid one in a sea of better choice. The free academies are ok, even in a large order civ you still tend to have your military centers of production, so giving everyone the academy only does so much. The culture is just ok, but the happiness is a nice kick.
Autocracy
Autarky: +10 gold to internal TR, +3 hammers to city connections.
(C)
Corporations make external trade routes really good late game, then again +10 gold is a solid amount.
Elite Forces: Newly created units gain +15 xp, all units gain +50% experience from combat.
(A)
This allows you to crank out Tier IV promoted units in quick order, a solid warring tenant.
Futurism: +20% tourism from historical events.
(N/A)
I have no idea how much tourism historical events actually generate late game, so this could be amazing or crap I just don't know.
Lebensraum: Gain culture and GA points when your borders expand. Citadel tile radius is doubled.
(A?). At this point in the game, GA points don't mean too much I find, the culture is nice but culture for culture's sake is not enough. However, I love the double tile radius, it gives you a new thing to do with your GGs, and can really help disrupt enemies strategic resources or corporation monopolies.
Military-Industrial Complex: -33% to unit purchases/upgrading. +3 science to defensive buildings, citadels, and unique improvements.
(A)
The science bonus is just some frosting, the cake is the purchasing reduction. This can greatly increase your capacity to generate army and go to war, probably the most definitive of the Autocracy Tier 1's.
New World Order: -20% crime. Constabularies and Police Stations gain +3 culture and +5 hammers.
(C)
The crime reduction is nice. Police Stations are so expensive that the +5 hammers and +3 culture isn't enough on their own to make me get them, so I would only do it in a scenario where I had had to build them for other reasons. I think this one is just ok.
United Front: +200% to militaristic city-status unit gift rate during wars with common foes. +30 inf from unit gifts to City states.
(A)
This may actually be the best diplomatic tenant. While the other ideologies have ones that affect lots of CS, this one can actually make a dent in a CS you are trying to flip from someone else. Effectively removes the need to build diplomatic units (almost).