When to build marketplaces & libraries

[socrateach]

In the old Civ II Advanced Strategies guide, it recommends that you build marketplaces in a city only after it producing 2 or more coins. It also says that one should not build a library in a city with less than 6 beakers. What do you expert players recommend?

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"You can't say civilization don't advance, however, for in every war they kill you in a new way." Will Rogers

 

[Kefka]

I say build them either after those condicions are met or when you get Adam smiths trading post!
whichever comes first!

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<IMG SRC="http://www.grworld.com/vanillacubesgames/files/kefka.gif" border=0>"Why Create things when you know they must be destroyed!"
"I will Create A monument to nothingness!"

 

[SlowwHand]

It depends on the level of play.
If you wait until Adam Smith's, you've certainly waited too long, at any level.

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It's In The Way That You Use It
Tuatha De Danann Tribe
ICQ 51553293

 

[Alan_Nicoll]

I usually build a library early in one or two best research cities, and others as they develop; marketplaces come way later for me since I usually build Mike's Chapel and keep tax rate low.

 

[Warlord56]

I build them whenever I feel like building them, and there's no particular strategy to it.(is there any wonder why I still play on Prince)

 

[greenie]

I am much more focused on science early in the game. I will build a library in each city as soon as there are 2 beakers and I can afford to maintain it.

I wait until there are 2 coins before I build the marketplace, so it evens out but any progress will increase the tax collected.

Research is such an important thing, a 10 city civ with libraries leaves one without to utter dust.

I usually find that a temple is required before both of these, but as soon as I get Adam Smith's, any city that doesnt have a temple, marketplace, granary, library, coastal fortress and Harbour get it.

Very simple!

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- Greenie

" Let us take by
cunning what we would
take by force"

 

[Duke of Marlbrough]

Originally posted by socrateach:
In the old Civ II Advanced Strategies guide, it recommends that you build marketplaces in a city only after it producing 2 or more coins. It also says that one should not build a library in a city with less than 6 beakers.

Just a point of order. It recommends building the marketplace or library when you have 2 or more icons for them and waiting for 6 icons for a bank or university.

If you have 6 gold in the city, a bank will increase it by 50%, or 3 gold per turn; which is what a bank costs to maintain.

Basically, it is saying to be sure the improvement is worthwile before you build it. You probably don't want a bank that costs you 3 gold per turn when it will only add 1 or 2 gold to your cities production.

As far as my perosnal preferences go, I build libraries early on, then focus on marketplaces one I get a bit more settled and change to Republic or Democracy where money and happiness are my focus. (This is for the Diety level against 7 comps. Human players are a completely different matter)



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Thanks,

Ray

 

[starlifter]

Personally, I agree with SlowwHand, and will take that farther. Adam Smith's is a luxury, and should not guide your construction decisions.

If you wish to grow under a republic or democracy, a marketplace is a necessity. A library is not. As a general rule, it is much more important for a city to grow, rather than languish in squalor even with something like a shining new library. Often, esp. at higher difficulty levels in a large empire, a marketplace is essential for WLT_ days, regardless of what the coin situation is.

If you are in a sprawling monarchy with say, about 40 advances, most cities will not need marketplaces (high corruption, and I always set 0% lux). Cities in your inner core might produce enough coin to justify a marketplace, but they can still generally wait.

In Republic/Democracy (deity), marketplaces are a given, and banks will be essential for growth sometime after size 12, assuming you have 30% luxuries set.

Since I try to RB/PRB almost all city improvements from mid-game onwards (help fund with caravan/freight), the sooner a city has an economic improvement, the sooner it is earning a return. More subtly, it will free up production for the (expensive to RB/PRB) units like freight & spies.

If you switch to Fundamentalism and have Mich. Chapel & JS Bach, you should probably rush-buy almost all your marketplaces when your new city is still size 1. In Fundy, my cities get libraries only after all the economic improvements.

 

[woke25]

Marketplaces first. I will go for few but big cities fast. My main goal at the start is, to get a very huge cash flow. With the enormous cash flow, you can build the science improvements. If you have a big cash flow, you can also maintain them with only 20% tax.

So basically: build marketplaces and banks untill you make about 500 gold a turn. then build those libraries and uni's and switch to 40% science, 20% tax.

ps: presuming you play 1x1x. in 2x2x dont build any improvements except for temples.

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Woke23

Civ Fanatics Ladder Operator

 

[Kefka]

I usually build market places first and then librarays but I always want to make sure that I can afford the stuff I build! so I do the math BEFORE I build either one and make sure its worth building it! but when I get The Adams smith's trading post I then start making sure just about every city has them because then they are really worth it!

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<IMG SRC="http://www.grworld.com/vanillacubesgames/files/kefka.gif" border=0>"Why Create things when you know they must be destroyed!"
"I will Create A monument to nothingness!"

 

[Kefka]

Originally posted by SlowwHand:
It depends on the level of play.
If you wait until Adam Smith's, you've certainly waited too long, at any level.

Not if the city is build in like 1409 then like I said my Adam Smith Condiction is met but If I dont have that(which hasint happend yet) I make sure those first conditions are met! I am talking about just abaout every city not the first one built

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<IMG SRC="http://www.grworld.com/vanillacubesgames/files/kefka.gif" border=0>"Why Create things when you know they must be destroyed!"
"I will Create A monument to nothingness!"