Scientists and the London Exchange

[vissario]

In games on SP, I find that one of the most stressful things about the late-Modern game is the skyrocketing of upkeep costs for improvements and the subsequent lowering of available science for research after Robotics. Once I complete the London Exchange, I start gearing up my high-growth cities into science cities with various improvements whilst clipping on the free upkeep to keep my research times small.

So my question is this: should I start concentrating on putting out scientists during the late-Medieval age or should I continue what I am doing and start only after I get the Exchange done?

[Martin Gühmann]

I never had any problems with upkeep costs in CTP1, the only thing I did was to build every building and using the sliders and the city specialists to maximize my income.

-Martin

[Maquiladora]

It's been a while since I played the game properly but I never had a problem with upkeep.

Just focus on monopolies, sea and mining to generate gold, and build only the absolute minimum buildings you need in each city. This also means don't try to grow every city big, it's better to have 40 small cities than 20 medium ones, as a lot of terrain can be pretty useless, until you terraform it all to mountains.

[vissario]

Originally posted by Maquiladora
It's been a while since I played the game properly but I never had a problem with upkeep.

Just focus on monopolies, sea and mining to generate gold, and build only the absolute minimum buildings you need in each city. This also means don't try to grow every city big, it's better to have 40 small cities than 20 medium ones, as a lot of terrain can be pretty useless, until you terraform it all to mountains.

What do you mean when you say "minimum" buildings?

For specialist cities that is pretty obvious, but what, for example, about buildings such as factories and mills? Should I place them only in cities which generate decent production and will only concentrate on production, or should I continue making them in most, if not all, cities in my game?

[Maquiladora]

Originally posted by vissario

What do you mean when you say "minimum" buildings?

For specialist cities that is pretty obvious, but what, for example, about buildings such as factories and mills? Should I place them only in cities which generate decent production and will only concentrate on production, or should I continue making them in most, if not all, cities in my game?

There are a few buildings that should go in every type of city, granary, aqueduct, temples and mills spring to mind. Only trade monopoly cities want markets and banks obviously. Colosseum and theatre only some cities with particularly low happiness.

Factories/Oil refineries depends on how long the game will last. If the game looks like lasting longer then I would pre-build/rush-buy them in all cities.

Against the AI of course you can build every building quite easily and be in no danger, but against a good human you need to pick them carefully, and use a lot more production for units.

[vissario]

Would you recommend science improvements or even science cities in general, then?

[Maquiladora]

Originally posted by vissario
Would you recommend science improvements or even science cities in general, then?

Only after I'd built production buildings, and even then after I'd got enough units. Scientists I never used either, I would rather use labourers if I had spare workers.

[vissario]

So you are basically saying that intranational trade alone was enough to propell you into and past the modern age?

[Maquiladora]

Originally posted by vissario
So you are basically saying that intranational trade alone was enough to propell you into and past the modern age?

It depends on the situation and map settings. Maxing out your trade is a given anyway, but if you know your science is still too slow then you have to up your science, and/or lower your opponent's.

How do you know if your science is too slow? Well, practice.

I realise that's not very helpful, but there is no easy rule to learn for all types of games.

[iDestroy]

with good city planning you should never have a problem with gold or science.

its not uncommon for me to get 5000+ gold per turn with 3000 of that being science after airports. that should be good for awhile, but if you need more, disband the bad cities and find better locations.