What is your approach to timing the building of wonders?

[NFIH]

At the moment on noble level vs AIs, I've come to the conclusion that to successfully build a non-national wonder, I have to be the first person to research the associated tech and I have to start on the first turn when I discover that tech.

Is this your finding as well?

If I don't do this I'm always beaten to the wonder. Always. It seems the AI automatically starts building a tech's associated wonder immediately after discovering the tech.

What are your strategies for building wonders? I'm new to the game and, except for the early wonders, not very good at getting to them. And I really hate chopping down all my forests only to still lose the wonder race.

[Arrian]

Play an IND civ for one. Get a tech lead for another. Make sure you have a good hammer producing city or two. Pulling off the CS slingshot so you can use Bureacracy early on is a huge help. On Noble, that's pretty easily done. Once you have that, your capital is a monster.

On Prince, I often come close to running the table (often not trying for Stonehenge, Sistine, Spiral Minaret & Versailles, but getting everything else).

-Arrian

[Nugog]

I agree with Arrian.

There is always the theory however, that you let other civ's build the wonders, then claim them for yourself!

[Smellycowsquid]

Originally posted by nugog
I agree with Arrian.

There is always the theory however, that you let other civ's build the wonders, then claim them for yourself!

[Nugog]

[/QUOTE]

There is always the theory however, that you let other civ's build the wonders, then claim them for yourself!

I just find it a much cheaper option at times.

Particularly if they have beaten you to completing it - you get the cash and the wonder, and another city.

Win - win

[LordShiva]

Originally posted by new frog
I just find it a much cheaper option at times.

Particularly if they have beaten you to completing it - you get the cash and the wonder, and another city.

Win - win

I like the way you think

[Nugog]

Originally posted by BoredBeava


I like the way you think

Aww Shucks

Sometimes it just makes sense, if you pull it off with low loss of troops.

Particularly if the AI accepts a peace treaty straight after, if your not in a position to finish them off

[Yosho]

I usually don't try to start a wonder if the AI gets to the technology first. Not worth the risk. I might make an exception if I seem to have some other advantage (like if I have copper, and the only other civ who has democracy dosn't, so I have an advantage at building statue of liberty), but even then you've got to be quick.

Ideally, of course, is to be at least two full steps ahead of the AI (start building the Library of Alexander before the AI even gets alphabet), but that's hard to do on any level past monarch.

[Nugog]

Originally posted by Yosho
I might make an exception if I seem to have some other advantage (like if I have copper, and the only other civ who has democracy dosn't, so I have an advantage at building statue of liberty), but even then you've got to be quick.

For some of the mid game wonders, if I don't have marble or stone, I don't even bother trying even if I get the tech first if the tech race is pretty close.

You just know the AI will complete it before you

[Bkeela]

I've nearly gotten all the wonders on Noble. I only missed the Hagia Sofia because I forgot to incorporate Engineering or whatever the tech is in my research plan.

I play random Civs so I can't count on the Industrious trait, nor do I count on stone, marble or other bonuses. Generally I have three cities build all the wonders, that way I'm set for a cultural victory if needed. All those three cities tend to do is build wonders.

I try to place all the great prophet wonders in the one city - the same city that builds The Oracle. So I always make sure it has grassland hills and enough forests to chop a wonder if neeeded. I might also pop rush a wonder if I feel an opponent is breathing down my neck. I've lost count of the times the AI has beat me by ONE turn.

Always start the wonder as soon as it is researched.

[CarnalCanaan]

Originally posted by nugog

Particularly if they have beaten you to completing it - you get the cash and the wonder, and another city.

Win - win

Well, not win for the other guy.

[Nugog]

Originally posted by CarnalCanaan


Well, not win for the other guy.

I don't know - they get to experience my magnaminous benevolence

[NFIH]

Originally posted by Yosho
I usually don't try to start a wonder if the AI gets to the technology first. Not worth the risk. I might make an exception if I seem to have some other advantage (like if I have copper, and the only other civ who has democracy dosn't, so I have an advantage at building statue of liberty), but even then you've got to be quick.

Ideally, of course, is to be at least two full steps ahead of the AI (start building the Library of Alexander before the AI even gets alphabet), but that's hard to do on any level past monarch.

This illuminates another related problem of mine, namely that I fall behind in the tech race because of lost wonders such that I'm unable to be the first to research any techs and so the problem simply compounds itself.

Once you start to fall behind in techs, how on earth can you catch up or vault past anyone? I certainly can't do it through trading because none of the AIs will trade with me because of course they already have the tech(s).

[Yosho]

Originally posted by NFIH


This illuminates another related problem of mine, namely that I fall behind in the tech race because of lost wonders such that I'm unable to be the first to research any techs and so the problem simply compounds itself.

Once you start to fall behind in techs, how on earth can you catch up or vault past anyone? I certainly can't do it through trading because none of the AIs will trade with me because of course they already have the tech(s).

The real key to catching up, I've found, is to beeline for specific techs, especally key economic techs. You can be far behind in technology, and getting less beakers per turn then the leading AI's, but with the way beelining works in civ IV, you can still be the first person or second to get a certain technology, if it's down a tech path none of the AI's have gone down, and then you can trade the tech to everyone else. Do that 3 or so times, and you can catch up in technology with the "pack"; there will still be one or two civs ahead of you, but you'll at least be in the running.

Also, if you're significantly behind on a harder setting, you're probably not going to get any wonders. You're probably better off spending your resources elsewhere.

[Nugog]

Originally posted by Yosho
Also, if you're significantly behind on a harder setting, you're probably not going to get any wonders. You're probably better off spending your resources elsewhere.

On Axemen!!