Which wonders should you try to go for?

[Runited]

Should you build wonders according to your characteristics? I like to go for Pyramids and Sun Tzu's no matter what civ i am.. and i always try to build wonders to increase the things i lack.. for example, if i play as Egypt (Industrious, Religious), i'd try to build the Colossus to increase commerce...

so what wonders do you go for? The ones you that increase your strength or the ones that give you what you lack?

 

[Shabbaman]

The only reason to build a wonder that matches your attributes is if you want to toggle your golden age. Other than that, you just need to build the best wonders.

 

[Quasar1011]

Civ3 wonders tend to be less beneficial than Civ2 wonders. Having said that, a couple of them are more important than they used to be:

Sun Tzu's War Academy: Doesn't expire like it did in Civ2. Free barracks in every city is very powerful.
United Nations: This wonder now allows a vote which can decide the fate of the game, win or lose. This in itself makes it powerful, if you have diplomatic victory toggled on. If it is toggled off, build it for the cultural value only.

I now consider Sun Tzu's to be the top wonder in the game, rating it a 5-star wonder (a must build!). UN would be 5 star if diplo is on. To me, 4 star wonders would include Hoover Dam, but depend on your style of play after that. Happiness wonders (Shakespeare's, JS Bach's, Sistine) are always good, though.

 

[Runited]

i find the UN to be a little bit of a disappointment.. it's a tad unfair you're not voted for if you have been at wars more than others.. i like to play a mixed game and not decide which victory i'd go for until later in the game.. so i can never keep diplomatic victory on in case i go for conquest or domination victory.. by the time i'm closing in on conquest or domination someone's building the UN and is snatching victory from under my nose.. !!!

my advice is always have diplomatic victory turned off if you plan to go to War often in your game.

 

[SolarFlare]

Great Wonders:

Great Library if I'm behind in techs, or even if I'm not. If you simply research different techs from the AI you can still get a solid 3 techs out of this thing.

Great Lighthouse if I'm not on a pangaea map. Exploration is HUGE to me. The value of finding another civ and selling communications is incredible. Plus you'll know early where to expand, if you want an outpost near a resource, etc.

Adam Smith's Trading Company is like making a lot more money each turn.

Leonardo's Workshop is especially important if you've already been to war and have a lot of obsolete units lying around.

Sun Tzu's Art of War, no comment. Also you should read the Art of War (yes it's a real manuscript not just a Civ invention!).

Hoover Dam unless archipelago map.

Theory of Evolution, whether you are ahead in techs or not.

Science research wonders are good too, and happiness, and hey they're all good that's why they're great wonders, but those above are my favorites.

 

[budweiser]

I wonder if I am the only one that does this. I only go for wonders that the civ I am playing actually built. Example: if England I go for Adam Smith's, Shake's, Newton's etc. If America, I go for suffrage, Hoover, A-bomb, etc. Rome builds Leo and Sistine Cahpel. Geramny builds Bach and Copernicus. I build all the small wonders though. Thats why I tend to play America and England so much. If I was Russia, I wouldn't build any. I can always capture quite a few wonders during the course of the game as my play style is to almost always expand.

I can usually keep this up until the middle of industrial times when I usually have a huge lead and the temptation becomes too great. Then I just build the wonders if they come up, especially Hoover. My two favorie wonders are Adam Smith's and Hoover.

This is just a fun extra challenge that I put on myself.

 

[solid b]

i usually go for:

pyramids - free granaries
adam smiths trading company - saves tons of money
sun tzus war academy - free barracks
leonardos workshop - cheaper upgrades
theory of evolution - headstart in sceince
hoover dam - free hydroplants

 

[TerriaMachine]

I totally concur with budweiser: Adam Smith and Hoover are my two favorites, followed closely by The Great Library, Pyramids, and Sun Tzu. But even if I get none of them, that's cool. Sometimes I purposefully don't build wonders, not only for the extra challenge, but also because building an army and taking them by force can be so much fun!

 

[DS_Legionary]

I like to build Adam Smith's, Sun Tzu's, Hanging Gardens, JS Bachs Cathedral, and Theory of Evolution. Adam Smith is for the money boost. Sun Tzu's because the free barracks can be really useful. The Gardens and JS are to help with the happiness problem. Theory should be obvious

 

[Roxtar]

I try for:

Almost always--Pyramids, Hanging Gardens, Great Lighthouse, Sun Tzu's, Leo's, Adam Smith's, ToE & UN.

Often--Great Lib, Sistine

Sometimes--Great Wall, Magellan's, Copernicus'.

Occasionally--JS Bach's, Shakes'.

Interestingly, in a recent game (Americans, Warlord, Europe map) the Germans beat me to the Pyramids, but I had the Hanging Gardens to fall back on so the shield-waste was only 16. Later, India beat me to Magellan's so I had to switch to a University & lose 68 shields (ouch!). But once I built the UN, I was able to win diplo.

Which brings me to something I'm curious about--has anyone ever been able to build every single Wonder in Civ3? In Civ2 I was able to build all but the Colossus (which I later caputred in conquest), but that was because I played at Warlord (like almost always) & could rush-build with caravans, other units, & money. Whereas in Civ3 those options are gone. Even forest-clearing doesn't speed up Wonders here, so I'm careful now to save my forest-clearing for when I'm building improvements & advanced units.

 

[SolarFlare]

Originally posted by Roxtar
has anyone ever been able to build every single Wonder in Civ3?

On chieftan, every time . Once I reach a tech lead on whatever level I'm playing (usually the third, whatever it's called), I make sure to get every wonder if possible. But to answer your question from a strictly statistical standpoint, "has anyone ever..." I'll give a tentative probable yes .

 

[Runited]

the most i've done is 7 or 8 in Warlord.. unless you go out to jeoperdize the other civs' wonder production i doubt you can build all, especially on more difficult levels where the AI's need less shields to build wonders..

 

[kb2tvl]

Hrm, on emporer, I will go for sistine chapel/copericus/Newtons and smith's If I have time for all of that. I rarely go for great lib since it slows down pumping out more cities from my capitol.

Now, on diety, I can probably get sistine and Newtons and smiths... Then I would pulll every industrial/modern wonder but the ai is not really trying hard to get those wonders since the culature race has been pretty much won or lost by then.

 

[Lord Beverage]

I can rarely build any ancient wonders as I'm far to busy expanding at breakneck speed, however afterwards I try every middle ages wonder onwards. Usually getting them all.

 

[Quasar1011]

Originally posted by budweiser
I wonder if I am the only one that does this. I only go for wonders that the civ I am playing actually built. Example... Germany builds Bach and Copernicus.

Copernicus was Polish. Life of Nicolaus Copernicus

One note about Theory of Evolution: Many times it is buildable, and nearly finished, about the time you are researching atomic theory. Atomic theory happens to be one of the more expensive techs in that time period. If you are going to finish the TOE wonder, use it to pick up atomic theory if you can. Also, remember to set your tech slider back to zero right before you finish the wonder. If you are certain that no one else can finish the TOE before you, set the tech slider back even earlier. By completing the Theory Of Evolution, you are going to get that next tech anyway, no matter if your tech advisor says 1 turn or 24 turns to next tech

 

[Strider]

Great Library, Smith's Trading Company, Hoover Dam, Theory of Evolution all are perfect wonders.

 

[sysyphus]

I attempt every single one of them except the Great Wall. They are all useful (except the great wall).

Essentials for me:

-Great Library
-Great Lightouse
- Copernicus/Newton's
- Theory of Evolution
- JS Bach's

As you can tell, I like the science ones

-Sun Tzu's and Leonardos are great, but not essential to me

If I'm after a conquest or domination then Magellan's Voyage is also key.

 

[Runited]

Why is the Pyramid underrated? Not many of you mention that the Pyramid is a very effective wonder... my personal favourite of the ancient era and since i'm a warmonger, i'm almost always willing to let go of my Settler Factory to produce this wonder..

it puts a granary in every city and helps marvellously with growth.. if you want a powerful civ, it would ve nice to have a granary from the get go.. in my humble opinion...

 

[bobgote]

@sysyphus: if you go for science ones, the colossus can be handy too

in the ancient times, i'll take any of them if given the opportunity. in order i'd go
Great Library
Hanging Gardens
Colossus
Pyramids
Lighthouse (can be more useful in archipelago scenarios)
Oracle

other favourites include leonardo's, hoover dam, copernicus/newtons, JS Bachs

 

[Marx]

I usually (try to) build:

Pyramids
Colossus
Hooverdam
Newton's college
Copernicus observatory
Sun Tzu's Waracadamy