When are CSes worth it?

[Priah77]

What you're overlooking is that you should almost never (at least early to mid game) be allying a civ if you have to pay full price. You want pledge protect, then complete a quest, then pay 500 gold. If its a civ that gives you an extra luxury resource that you dont have (which is often the case), you can even sell one an extra luxury resource in order to get that 500 gold.

Basically, early game CS's are mostly about the extra luxury resource, which is essentially an extra +8 gold a turn if youre doing it right.

If youre outright buying a civ for 1000 gold at turn 60, youre doing it wrong.

 

[ArchyDarky]

Culture buildings will cost you production and also gold to mantain. Also, you can always bully them periodically instead of taking them over.

 

[Skibbi]

When they are behind an enemy!
Gift them units if need be.

 

[smallfish]

When they are behind an enemy!
Gift them units if need be.

Oh yes, they can even be beside the enemy

Spoiler :

 

[slapshot2119]

If you had conquered those city states, couldnt you form your own defence lines just with melee shields and some ranged units? After all, that's going to be more effective than what the CS are doing. Unless the AI is bugged and doesnt attempt to attack the CS at all.

Like I said, the games in question were going for a cultural victory. So if I were to do so,
1.)I'd be losing the culture from the cultural city state, which would slow down progress towards victory
2.)I'd be losing faith from the religious city state, slowing down acquisition of religious buildings which would slow down progress towards victory
3.)I'd have to make military to conquer them, delaying acquisition of buildings and forcing me to get beaten to wonders, both of which slow down progress towards victory.
4.)Adding the two city states to my empire would increase social policy cost by 30%, slowing down progress towards victory.
By having the allied city-state "buffer-zone" there was no need to make defenses at all, their location on the map was my defense.

Come to think of it, the only time I've conquered city states was when they had good natural wonders.

On a related note, anyone bully city states for cash? how much can you get, and how often?

 

[mintcandy]

4.)Adding the two city states to my empire would increase social policy cost by 30%, slowing down progress towards victory.

I agreed with the majority of points presented, except for this one.

Playing devil's advocate, I'd like to point out that one can conquer City States for the purposes of owning a buffer zone without increasing social policy cost. Puppet cities, natch.

Still not something I'd recommend though, especially for the purposes of acquiring a buffer zone. Let the City State worry about defending itself.

 

[Socratatus]

I like to get City states on my side that are close or bordering enemy Civs I`m at war with. Quite often an Allied City state will help tie up an enemy Civ while I go in for the kill. Failing that I`ll sweeten up a military City state for the free units. I don`t like capturing City states as they are more a burden. Far better it is to simply have them on your side.

I remember once feeling bad for one city state whom I got on my side. It fought an enemy Civ of Egypt really well, slowing it down, but was being slowly crushed by Egypt. I gave it money and units to help it, but too late it was taken. I hope to liberate it eventually.