Megawywern
Chieftain
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2007
- Messages
- 12
Ethanol RULES if you need it (god, it is a lifesaver), but it absolutely sucks if you have any other way of acquiring oil. Gets my vote.
Which Corp. is weakest?
- Thread starter Figaro
- Start date
Hawe Hawe
Warlord
i voted Standard Etahanol. I think oil is quite common, its really rare that i don't find it within my already aquired territory. You only need it for military purposes, especially for domination. So will get your oil sooner or later.
I can't understand why Civilized Jewellers is regarded so weak. It is the only corporation that can be run without huge deficits, it can even be profitable. For cultural victories it is an ultimate weapon, stronger than wonders, cathedrals and Great Artists. I have discovered late game cultural victories using one or more of the three culture corporations to be very easy. You should have the ressources, one gold and one gems is not enough..
I can't understand why Civilized Jewellers is regarded so weak. It is the only corporation that can be run without huge deficits, it can even be profitable. For cultural victories it is an ultimate weapon, stronger than wonders, cathedrals and Great Artists. I have discovered late game cultural victories using one or more of the three culture corporations to be very easy. You should have the ressources, one gold and one gems is not enough..
DemonMaster
A.K.A. Fenhorn
All corps are good, depending on cituation, so you shouldn't be so narrow-minded to rule out anyting per automatic. Now when that was said.
I'm pretty narrow-minded myself so I stick with the same group of corps. Civilized Jewels are probably one of the major winners here, if you have the resource for it. I have won several games thanks to it and it is perfect to have an executive, boosting up culture in newly taken cities.
Sid's Sushi is probably also a winner. I like water maps, so I usually end up with alot of fishes and such. Since you can have much larger cities with this corp. The small cost for corp. isn't such a big deal. It is also great in places where food is scarce.
So the Ethanol corp. I have actually been able to win a war thanks to it. I didn't have oil so I went for this one and got it. Then a couple AI civs attacked with alot of oil-based weapons. One plus here is that it isn't enough just to just destroy the resource improvement to keep you out of oil, you have oil anyway thanks to this wonderful oil company. I sometimes build this, just so the AI can't (depending on the availability/placement of oil).
The Aluminium corp. The same reason as for the ethanol, but according to me less so. Although it isn't funny to be the only one without aluminium in a world with jet fighters and modern tanks so if that happens, sure I build it almost in all my cities.
I voted for creative constructions. Actually I don't remember what it does, isn't it that one that does a little of each?
I'm pretty narrow-minded myself so I stick with the same group of corps. Civilized Jewels are probably one of the major winners here, if you have the resource for it. I have won several games thanks to it and it is perfect to have an executive, boosting up culture in newly taken cities.
Sid's Sushi is probably also a winner. I like water maps, so I usually end up with alot of fishes and such. Since you can have much larger cities with this corp. The small cost for corp. isn't such a big deal. It is also great in places where food is scarce.
So the Ethanol corp. I have actually been able to win a war thanks to it. I didn't have oil so I went for this one and got it. Then a couple AI civs attacked with alot of oil-based weapons. One plus here is that it isn't enough just to just destroy the resource improvement to keep you out of oil, you have oil anyway thanks to this wonderful oil company. I sometimes build this, just so the AI can't (depending on the availability/placement of oil).
The Aluminium corp. The same reason as for the ethanol, but according to me less so. Although it isn't funny to be the only one without aluminium in a world with jet fighters and modern tanks so if that happens, sure I build it almost in all my cities.
I voted for creative constructions. Actually I don't remember what it does, isn't it that one that does a little of each?
aelf
Ashen One
Yes, some of the weaker corps can be really good in some situations. I vote for Creative Constructions, jack of all trades, master of none. Specialisation is good, you know.
_alphaBeta_
King
Hold on a sec, do you need Standard Etahanol in every city that you want to build oil-based units in? I was under the impression that once one city has this corp it would spread the oil around like any other resouce.
I'm seeing in this thread, that the oil is only made in a city-by-city basis. Which way is it? Sorry, I haven't used this corp yet.
I'm seeing in this thread, that the oil is only made in a city-by-city basis. Which way is it? Sorry, I haven't used this corp yet.
MrCynical
Deity
alphabeta said:
Standard ethanol only grants oil to cities it is present in (otherwise there wouldn't be much point in spreading it extensively). While you can economise on branches to some extent by restricting the corporation to your military production cities, it's an expensive way of getting oil.
It's also impossible to get the oil from standard ethanol to count for building railroads.
Spiceweasel
Warlord
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2007
- Messages
- 150
Count me among the ranks whose empires have been saved by Standard Ethanol. I sure don't expect to incorporate it every game, but it was a very handy option when I needed it.
QF-freaking-T. It pays for the other corps, essentially.
...because railroads require coal, do they not?
MrCynical
Deity
Tennyson said:
...or oil as of BtS. Since Standard Ethanol doesn't work empire wide it doesn't work though.
Peng Qi
Emperor
Which makes perfect sense. There's no way ethanol could power a train without cars and cars of fuel tanks.
my vote goes for ethanol.
it has 2-3 advantages over cereleas or shushi but i still regard it as the weakest corp.
- if you have more sugar then anything else of the required resources the science bonus is simple better then more scientists from shusi or cereals
- if you run out of health and you need more and more food to compensate for the unhealthiness in your cities. with the direct boost to science you can stay at your actual city size and get the full effect out of ethanol (2 sciene per resource isnt bad, especially you got enough sugar as stated above)
- you need oil, but i was never in such a situation except long term MP games. vs the KI your country is normally big enough if you want to have a real chance vs the KI to find all strat resources (also alu)
it has 2-3 advantages over cereleas or shushi but i still regard it as the weakest corp.
- if you have more sugar then anything else of the required resources the science bonus is simple better then more scientists from shusi or cereals
- if you run out of health and you need more and more food to compensate for the unhealthiness in your cities. with the direct boost to science you can stay at your actual city size and get the full effect out of ethanol (2 sciene per resource isnt bad, especially you got enough sugar as stated above)
- you need oil, but i was never in such a situation except long term MP games. vs the KI your country is normally big enough if you want to have a real chance vs the KI to find all strat resources (also alu)
I've found a use for all the Corporations. I like getting either Sid's Sushi or Cereal Mills, followed by Civ Jewellers and Creative Constructions for culture wars.
The one time I actually got Standard Ethanol, I used it to cripple a rival civ who already had oil. It was useless to him, I was buying out his Cereals (which were useful to him) and I was making 5+ gold a turn doing it. It's a nice way to "wage war" against an ally you don't really want to alienate.
The one time I actually got Standard Ethanol, I used it to cripple a rival civ who already had oil. It was useless to him, I was buying out his Cereals (which were useful to him) and I was making 5+ gold a turn doing it. It's a nice way to "wage war" against an ally you don't really want to alienate.
It's true that Standard Ethanol can be a lifesaver, but most of the cases it's pretty worthless. Aluminium Inc. Is pretty much the same, but I like it a bit more. I'm often the space race guy after all. For other corps, I think Cereal Mills is pretty much overshadowed by Sid's Sushi. Part of this is because the kind of maps I play usually have more seafood resources than the ones CM uses.
as i said before, you can use both science corps as good commerce bonus. look you pay gold for science.
normally you get a plus with 4-5 resources avaible. the costs can be paid with 10% lower science slider.
this is the reason why ethanol has more usage then just to offer oil.
for alu its kinda easier. if you got no mining inc you shouldnt care to get it, just do it! with 4 coal resources avaible you get 12 science per city and pay maybe about 12 (plus inflation) with free markets in your biggest cities. but in addition you also get the lib, uni and co. bonus applied to the 12 science and you get 5*3 in your wallstreet city.
this makes a big plus at all, you can also combine civ jewel. and creative con with it.
normally you get a plus with 4-5 resources avaible. the costs can be paid with 10% lower science slider.
this is the reason why ethanol has more usage then just to offer oil.
for alu its kinda easier. if you got no mining inc you shouldnt care to get it, just do it! with 4 coal resources avaible you get 12 science per city and pay maybe about 12 (plus inflation) with free markets in your biggest cities. but in addition you also get the lib, uni and co. bonus applied to the 12 science and you get 5*3 in your wallstreet city.
this makes a big plus at all, you can also combine civ jewel. and creative con with it.
and you want coal for your ironworks!Not always. An overall 20% (or so) increase in a city that's already got production boosts from factories and forges isn't always all that spectacular, especially when it slashes one pop effectively across your entire nation just from the pollution. If I can swing Environmentalism, I get the Coal, but even then I get second thoughts. The pollution hit is just that massive, and right after you get Assembly Line, there's just no other way to really combat pollution from city size and buildings.
for me its even more boost then just the ironworks. i cant neglect to use coalplants as energy. water and nuclear power just come to late and are also bugged atm. (i cant w8 for plastics and even then it doesnt remove the pollution)
but 50% production boost in every city plus 100% in ironworks city are too much not to use it.
but 50% production boost in every city plus 100% in ironworks city are too much not to use it.
Sid's Sushi is worthless when all your fishnets are pillaged, because of an
unexpected war declaration by an AI with a better navy.
Cerial Mills is one of my favorite corps (+ Mining Inc.).
None is really useless, but Aluminiun Co. + Standard Ethanol are only handy
when you don't have aluminium or oil.
