How Many Engineers Are Enough?

[The Mad Viking]

Playing on a large map, I now have 160 engineers, and still building (a few) more.

I don't think I'll play a large map again in a very long time.

The effects of global warming last a long long time.

[Tom DeMille]

I never build more than 3 engineers per city, and usually get by with 2. I guess you might want more if you are out conquering a neighbour - to build forts and roadways to speed your troops along. On the other hand, if you are at war then you probably don't care as much about improving your city squares, so 2-3 engineers should do it.

[SCG]

My simple, but not hardfast rule is no more than 1 per city in despotism. No more than 2 for advanced governments pre refrigeration and no more than 3 per city post refrigeration. Of course in practice, I tend to average around 1 per city for large civs, sometimes closer to 2 for smaller civs.

[The Mad Monk]

I play huge maps, and have never had global warming, so !

I tend to finish games with more than two per city, and an average of fifty to seventy cities (what can I say? I just love to build...). the best thing about this is I can afford to have a significant reserve of engineers to deal with those turns where six pollutions squares pop up, and still have the ability to send transports full of engineers to the front (eight engineers=4 squares' worth of instant railroad, or three squares and a fortress).

[jpk]

Prior to refrigeration I usually have one engineer per city. After that I try to have two. Two engineers farming for two turns negates the food cost of the second engineer.

[The Mad Viking]

I'm up to 190 engineers, but, um, only have 1 per city.

I will finish with over 200 cities.

Started on very small island, Sioux had huge continent all to themselves and beat me to nukes, then sneak-nuked me after I allied with them. It may not have been prudent, but a few turns later I nuked them back, and things got a little warm on the planet.

[Steve Clark]

Just a couple of quick comments. 160 engineers is about 150 more than I have ever built. I just don't see a reason at all to have that many cities and thus, that many engineers. Unless it's fun for you, you can win without them. As far as global warming, if it occurs close to the end of the game, so what. As long as you launch that spaceship or take over that last civ, what difference does polluted squares make besides a worse score?

[The Mad Viking]

Trying to max my population...

It is a tad boring, but I'm getting peasant uprisings with 10 units and I have just a fanatic garrisoning 95% of my cities, so that makes for a diversion.

Stealth fighters are ideal to put down these uprisings - you can take out units on 4 or 5 tiles in a single turn.

[East Street Trader]

Dogged stuff. Good luck.

Are you planning victory via a space ship or world domination? Kinda sounds like time to try a new un****ed up world. How about one with no roads, no motor cars and plenty of grass, flowers, fountains and statues dotted about.? If you are short of volunteer colonists, I might be willing to sign up.

Come to think of it, the trade routes from Alpha Centauri to Earth might yield plenty!! Could prove a winner to be in on the ground floor (so to speak).

[East Street Trader]

Had global warming ONCE. That was QUITE enough.

No, it was once TOO BLOODY MANY.

But I suppose the pollution idea does add something to the game and the global warming notion is the natural penalty to build in.

I didn't do your thing tho' of building a zillion engineers. Trying to keep going and make progress was horrid. Come to think of it, isn't your 200 city game with countless engineers just a tad boring? I suppose you actually automate the engineers in such a case. Strange thought.

Anyway, reading this thread makes me realise I am out of step and I wonder if I overdo it in avoiding pollution. Is it mainly coping with pollution that means you guys have employment for two engineers a city plus towards the end of a game? I suppose I don't get every last square double irrigated before the ship lands or the last city falls but Its never occured to me that these are needful things to do. I may also be a bit sparing in building railroads. I get all the city's linked in but hate mazy, time consuming lines so tend to build very straight trunk routes with a short branch line to each city and isolated squares where the railroad is there to add a shield. Am I missing some other use for an engineer in the late middle, early end game?