Where do you normally set your luxery slider?

[Dis]

I've been getting the impression I set it too low, and end up using entertainers. But often I find increasing the slider does not help much, if at all.

[punkbass2000]

It depends on too may factors for a 'normally' sort of question. If you want the mode for a whole game, however, I'd say 10%.

[Modo44]

Up to 50% was my highest setting. But that only happens if I am really forced to have a huge production, while still without luxuries. Keeping it over 20% for long would be suicide IMO. If you can trade for luxuries, and build makrets, it can often be reduced to 0%. 10% is sometimes needed to maintain WLTKD in many cities.

Many "ifs", I know. In general, use the lux slider when many cities would need entertainers/specialists without it. Later in the game, use it to bring cities into WLTKD.

[Arrian]

Depends. Enough to keep my people from rioting w/o using specialists in the core.

Since I play Monarch, after the initial expansion phase (which can result in turn-by-turn fluctuations), it often sits at 10%. Sometimes higher, if I see that I can get a large number of cities into WLT*D that way.

-Arrian

[Dominae]

I only use Entertainers when it's only a couple of cities that are being problematic (because it's then more cost-effective to do so in lieu of the Luxury slider, which affects all cities). If those cities are core cities, I will aim to rectify the situation ASAP by building a Cathedral, Colosseum, etc. there.

Other than this, I rely on the Lux slider almost exclusively to keep things humming along smoothly. Especially in Republic where the trade bonus makes it such that additional born unhappy citizens are worth it despite their associated costs to make them Content. The trick is to make sure your use of the Lux slider reflects the needs of a majority of your cities, and this involves growing them all at more or less the same rate. This is why I like to use Worker joining, for complete control over how big my cities get past size 6.

[pedrojedi]

Most times I forget to set it at any particular place other than 0% - and I know that I could regret that other times. Usually I build pretty fast temples and colosseums, and try hard to always hook at least 1 lux to my trade net - that extra happy face is always welcome on Monarch, the level which I play.

[Dis]

*sigh*

I haven't played Civ3 in a long time, and I got beaten on Regent level ;( I seem to be getting worse at this game. I must be forgetting something.

Although I know what I did wrong. I played a large map when I normally play small maps. I only had 16 cities. I thought that woudl be enough. But I fell behind in research. Mainly because the Ottomans had a golden age in the modern age! They passed me up and built a space ship. Do to the small continent and the distance from the other continents, I really had no chance to expand.

I ended up keeping the luxery slider at 20%, but I think I should of had it at 10%. I had a lot of luxeries this game.

I was hoping to play a peaceful game. I should have loaded up some transports and went on a rampage.

If only I can win this game without going to war...

[Alex]

Originally posted by Dissident
If only I can win this game without going to war...

This is the Holy Grail of Civ3: lots of people looking for this, but it is most probably just a legend...

[punkbass2000]

Nah, it's pretty easy.

[Aqualung71]

Re: Where do you normally set your luxery slider?

How long is a piece of string?

[Dis]

Originally posted by punkbass2000
Nah, it's pretty easy.

maybe on chieftan level.

Started a new game last night. I just went on a rampage and wiped out my 3 nearest neighbors (actually I left a couple of useless Indian cities- they can have them). I have 17% of the land on a large map, and my nearest competitor has 9% (though I still haven't discovered a few nations yet). I played a Pangea map this time. They are more challenging anyways, as the AI likes to think it can try to take your cities. And at least it makes an attempt at doing so, unlike when you have an island to yourself.

I should have this game at hand.

The only thing that is a concern is China is #2 in land area. and adjacent to me. And soon their Riders will be coming out... Because of this, I am researching feudalism and Chivalry much sooner than I normally do. I need those Knights, or I'm going to be in a world of hurt.

[punkbass2000]

Originally posted by Dissident


maybe on chieftan level.

Not to mention Warlord, Regent, Monarch, and Emperor. Demi-God and Deity aren't too bad either.

[alva]

In my current game - first game in over a year - on emperor, the slider has been at 50% nearly the whole game.

Unless a far away city in complaining 'bout luxuries, that luxury slider is going up. I will harly ever use specialists. Long term, there are waste.

[joncnunn]

Re: Where do you normally set your luxery slider?

0% would be the normal for the course of the whole game.

Aquire and trade for luxaries combined with Temples, MarketPlaces, and Catherdrials is much more efficent.

Originally posted by Dissident
I've been getting the impression I set it too low, and end up using entertainers. But often I find increasing the slider does not help much, if at all.

[DreamSlave2112]

Luxury Settings

To paraphrase a comment from the unit movement thread (which turned into a Mac vs. PC debate). "What are luxuries?"
I start off with 0% and set my science as high as I can and still run a positive cash flow. (If I have a tidy nest egg set up, I do a little deficit spending till I get a low treasury warning). I use entertainers and improvements to make them happy. When I hit future tech (A thing I have not yet done in CivIII because I win before then, but did this often in Civ I and II), I have a President's Day sale (remember those, fellow CivVets?), that is, I runm luxuries as high as I can withotu running into the red.
An aside... Is the palace improvement a random thing or is it tied into the populace's happiness? I've had it happen during feast and famine, war and peace... seems to have no rhyme or reason I can discern. If it's not random, how can I "encourage" it. I know it has no bearing on the final score, but I kinda like to see a finished palace in ALL architechtural styles (already have Native American and Greek). And i NEVER finished my palace in CivI or the Throne room (what was Sid smoking??) in CivII