One of the most frequent admonishes , I see in Civ strategy guides is don't build building you don't need. I am curious what building are considered essential by people and what are consider wasteful? For the buildings that follow into neither group what are the criteria people use for deciding that this city gets this building?
In order to make the discussion more useful let me define the situation better.
Assume you are playing the monarch/empire/immortal level on a standard size map, with not an excessive amount of water.
In these situations, I believe that most players most of the time try to build and/or conqueror a core group of cities of between 7 and 10 cities by 500-1000 AD. You have access directly or via trading to ~6 happiness/health resource. Science is generally 60-80% when at peace.
You expect each of these core cities to be working 12+ tiles, and grow to a size of 15+ by the industrial age. You may also have a few other smaller cities as filler or to grab a particular resource, we will ignore them.
Of the core group of cities, in addition to the capital I expect most players will have 2-3 specialized cities focused on producing, science, money, GPs, Wonders, and Military. (Obviously some of these will produce more than one thing). These cities get all of the appropriate city improvements.
This leave 3-6 core cities. In these cities, I only have three must build buildings, granary, library, and forge. Once, I am out of the early stage I try to construct these buildings before make anything else. IF I have a particular need for happiness, health, culture or defense I'll build the appropriate structure, aqueduct, temple, theater, wall etc. Coastal cities with access to seafood get lighthouses and generally harbors.
Are there other must build city improvements? (e.g. courthouse, market).
A typical city may have 40 commerce with 70% science setting. That means that a grocer or market gets an additional 3 gold/turn, a monastery generates ~3 beakers, and university/bank double that. If we value a hammer at 3 gold. The payback period is 150 turns for grocer/markets (although the city may eventually need the additional health/happiness) 100 turns for banks/universities and 60 for monastery (but a shorter life span). A courthouse will save 2-4 gold providing a similar payback period.
Of course these numbers increase over time as the city size grows decreasing the payback period.
On the other the hand the alternative to constructing an improvement is to produce a unit, a worker, a missionary, have tangible benefits. A military unit even during peace time has a deterrence effect.
An alternative approach to considering the payback period, is much simpler. These are my core cities, eventually I am going to want pretty much any infrastructure improvement . I might as well build them as soon as possible to get the maximum benefit out of them.
Any other factors people use?
In order to make the discussion more useful let me define the situation better.
Assume you are playing the monarch/empire/immortal level on a standard size map, with not an excessive amount of water.
In these situations, I believe that most players most of the time try to build and/or conqueror a core group of cities of between 7 and 10 cities by 500-1000 AD. You have access directly or via trading to ~6 happiness/health resource. Science is generally 60-80% when at peace.
You expect each of these core cities to be working 12+ tiles, and grow to a size of 15+ by the industrial age. You may also have a few other smaller cities as filler or to grab a particular resource, we will ignore them.
Of the core group of cities, in addition to the capital I expect most players will have 2-3 specialized cities focused on producing, science, money, GPs, Wonders, and Military. (Obviously some of these will produce more than one thing). These cities get all of the appropriate city improvements.
This leave 3-6 core cities. In these cities, I only have three must build buildings, granary, library, and forge. Once, I am out of the early stage I try to construct these buildings before make anything else. IF I have a particular need for happiness, health, culture or defense I'll build the appropriate structure, aqueduct, temple, theater, wall etc. Coastal cities with access to seafood get lighthouses and generally harbors.
Are there other must build city improvements? (e.g. courthouse, market).
A typical city may have 40 commerce with 70% science setting. That means that a grocer or market gets an additional 3 gold/turn, a monastery generates ~3 beakers, and university/bank double that. If we value a hammer at 3 gold. The payback period is 150 turns for grocer/markets (although the city may eventually need the additional health/happiness) 100 turns for banks/universities and 60 for monastery (but a shorter life span). A courthouse will save 2-4 gold providing a similar payback period.
Of course these numbers increase over time as the city size grows decreasing the payback period.
On the other the hand the alternative to constructing an improvement is to produce a unit, a worker, a missionary, have tangible benefits. A military unit even during peace time has a deterrence effect.
An alternative approach to considering the payback period, is much simpler. These are my core cities, eventually I am going to want pretty much any infrastructure improvement . I might as well build them as soon as possible to get the maximum benefit out of them.
Any other factors people use?
) its only 12 turns. If the city needs the culture, the payback time is even shorter.
