Is slavery better than I think it is?

[Theben]

Originally posted by snoopy369
Slave revolts as far as I know are solely caused by the civic, not by your actual actions. I don't think it's related to anything else, but I don't know for sure.

Right. That's what the events dialogue says anyways. So if you don't slave, your pop will grow over size 4 easily, and then you'll have problems.

[Colm]

I don't want to highjack this thread but I have a similar question:
I noticed that the AI always goes for the Slavery civic. But do they actually whip units/buildings?

[Jaybe]

Originally posted by Colm
But do they actually whip units/buildings?

You can bet your game on that.

When you have the espionage level available, inspect some of the cities occasionally. You will find the appropriate remarks in their unhappiness levels rather often, especially if they are at war.

[rah]

Just watch the size of the city when you're bombarding the defenses. How many times has the city been reduced to a small pop by the time you take it? Even early in the game before it's possible for them to have nationalism.
Yes, I try to take cities faster now since the AI is much better at whipping additional defenders.

My gripe is that the AI produces a new unit in the city it's defending but doesn't promote it. Now I shouldn't complain because it's easier to kill, but it just doesn't seem to make sense. The AI knew it needed an extra defender enough so that it whipped for it, but doesn't promote it. Silly.

[Theben]

It needs a turn to promote it, just like you do if you have a unit not built yet but will be in 1 turn. It will be available to defend, but has to wait for promos.

[Blaupanzer]

Monty rocks on slavery, with his sacrificial altar instead of a courthouse. That building reduces the unhappiness period from 15 to 7 turns on epic speed. Get a couple of food specials up and running and whip about once every 10 turns in every city with that terrain.

In other civs, you need to be careful not to compound the effects by whipping in a city before the old whip has worn off (noted as "we cannot forget your cruelty" in the unhappiness section of the city screen). I am, by principle, very turned off by the concept of slaving your people to death, even if it did happen often prior to the 21st century. However, this is a game, you are just trading food for production time with some short- and possible long-term effects.

[jbp26]

Originally posted by Blaupanzer
However, this is a game, you are just trading food for production time with some short- and possible long-term effects.

thats what makes slavery so good. in the early game especially, most of your towns will have more food than they can use- basically any food that would grow you past your happiness cap is wasted. why not instead turn that food into a huge amount of production?

[Blaupanzer]

Yes, it seems silly to pull citizens off developed food tiles to avoid being unhappy. Just slave a few immediately prior to going over, and rock on.

[snoopy369]

Oh, it's much better to let it go over by a citizen or two before slaving That way you don't end up too much under your maximum.

[Krill]

Depends on how good a city it is, how good the tiles are and what you are slaving...

[Blaupanzer]

Originally posted by Krill
Depends on how good a city it is, how good the tiles are and what you are slaving...

While in Slavery civic, the question is: when are you going to slave rather than IF you will slave. When I get to the point where budget, happiness, health concerns are better served by citizen growth and enough buildings have been built to create specialists to slow growth when needed, I switch out of slavery, even if that is a negative civic move. No sense risking revolts if you are not going to slave anyway.

If I am spiritual, I will jump back in when a conquered city has insufficient food support in first 9 tiles. Then I can slave away the citizens rather than have them starve to death. Other wise, slavery is not an option from Serfs and Caste System forward.

[martin mcmartin]

I ALWAYS go to slavery as soon as possible to cranck some wonders out. it is the only way to get them, for me that is. chop chop, whip...

Mc

[Theben]

If I feel that someone out there is about to get a wonder I want, the whip comes out...

By midgame you should be in caste system. Workshops will make up for any low cities.

[Quillan]

In the early game, I am always in Slavery, and I almost always whip wonders. Normally I start building them in a high production city and let them run for a while, but as soon as I can whip them I do. I've been beaten a few times when I didn't whip them to completion, by as little as 1 turn, and you talk about frustrating! No amount of money makes up for losing a wonder you were really counting on.

[snoopy369]

Typically whipping wonders seems wasteful... you should be whipping granaries and soldiers