Building Factories all at the same time or staggered

[Alexander's Horse]

Which is better? Same goes for manufacturing plants.

[Ming]

Depends on your needs. I always let each city build what it or my civ needs. With the exception of SDI's, which I will build in every city the minute the tech becomes available to me, each city is treated seperate. Some cities don't have much trade, while others may not have many shields available... so it really depends.

When it comes to factories, I may only build a few at first in the cities that can really use them right. Pollution can be a big problem, so I try to limit how many I have until mass transit, recycling centers, or solar plants are available. I hate wasting too many engineers on pollution clean up every turn.

[jpk]

I agree with Ming. I almost never build factories until I can build mass transit systems and I build solar power systems before manufacturing plants.

[Sieve Too]

In SP I wait until I've built Hoover Dam before building Factories. This way you get double production and pollution reduction for free. But I'm still careful to make sure the city grows no larger than around size 15 if I don't have Mass Transit. After Mass Transit, I build Factories right away.

Manufacturing Plants only go in large, high shield cities with Solar or Recycling Plants.

[Paul]

In normal games I also usually wait until after Hoover to build factories. And in large cities I'll build a mass transit before or immediately after the factory.

[geofelt]

If a city produces 15 or more shields, I don't start building a factory until Hoover dam is close. Otherwise, I will start many cities to building factories, planning to complete them when I het Hoover's. With SOL, I will be fundy if I have no science problems, otherwise, I will build them under communism to reduce the shield support and build them faster. I really try to not miss Hoovers. Otherwise, I have found that it is faster to build the pollution control before the pollution causer. If you don't, you often find that by building the factory first, you actually get LESS production because so many squares must be taken out of service. It is wasteful to have to clean up pollution.

[Alexander's Horse]

Interesting, I must be into Soviet style development because I put a factory into every city straight away.

[Hasdrubal]

I also usually build factories ASAP. Or rather, about half my cities will, the others must wait 'till this first lot is (nearly) completed. It's too risky too have all your cities engaged in building factories at the same. Mafufacturing Plants are also build ASAP.

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Ceterum censeo Romanem esse delendam.

[Jim W]

quote: Originally posted by Hasdrubal on 06-13-2000 07:09 PM I also usually build factories ASAP. Or rather, about half my cities will, the others must wait 'till this first lot is (nearly) completed. It's too risky too have all your cities engaged in building factories at the same. Mafufacturing Plants are also build ASAP.

I'm with Hasdrubal. I don't wasnt all my production tied up in long-term things like factories. Make 'em one or two at a time.

Jim W

[Ming]

Yeah... but at that point of the game, you should be rolling in cash. Usually, I just buy factories in cities I need them in after a few shields are in the box. So I never worry about production being tied up

[Hasdrubal]

I would if I could! I can't raise the 8000-12000 gold that is needed to buy factories in 20-30 cities in just a few turns. I will spend my money on buying as much factories as I can. The start of the industrial revolution is a crucial stage in the game. Some of the best wonders become available, pollution rears it's ugly head, the AI's get really aggresive. My attention gets diverted on all these topics. I can't afford to have my cities be engaged in just building factories. Altough they are definately on the very top of my list once they become available.

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Ceterum censeo Romanem esse delendam.

[Ely McGreen]

Ming is right- you should have a nice reserve of cash so you can buy your factories. Myself, I prefer to wait until a region has 12 or more shield/turn production and then build- otherwise you wasting cash and money on upkeep.

But when I discover factories the first place to get them is the front lines. Maximum production near the combat zone. Then my core cities and so on.

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Elizer R. McGreen

[jpk]

If you have industrialization but lack money for factories, you aren't building enough caravans. If you build enough caravans, rapid construction of factories is not so important because you can always buy the odd item that you need as soon as possible.

One way to build factories with less cash is to start as usual, then, after a few turns, buy a bank or university and switch back to a factory. If you are willing to take five to ten turns to build a factory rather than build it in two, this method will save a lot of money.

[Edward]

jpk,

Is this what is called "incremental buying". I've heard of this tactic (sounds like too much micromanagement for my personal taste) but don't know how it works.

I think military units (and wonders?) cost more coins per shield to rush buy. I can see how first rush buying a cheap city improvement then switching to an expensive military unit (now with some cheaply bought improvement shields in the pot) and finishing the rush buy will save coins.

How can rush buying a cheaper building (or two) lessen the cost of the final expensive building? And how does rush buying for a number of turns help?

I obviously don't understand the whole rush buying process. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[jpk]

I call this partial purchase of improvements. To give an example suppose your city produces 20 shields per turn and you want to build a factory. Suppose also the city does not have a University.

If you try to purchase a factory when you have no shields, it takes one turn and the cost is

4*200 = 800 coins.

If you construct the factory for one turn and then purchase the remaining 180 shields the cost is

2*180 = 360 coins.

This method takes two turns and costs 360.

Suppose you construct a factory for one turn, puchase the remaining 140 shields for a university, and then switch back for two turns to complete the factory. This takes four turns and the cost is

2*140 = 280 coins.

As you can see the biggest improvement in out of pocket expense is using two turns. But notice the over 20% reduction in cost if you are willing to take four turns rather than two. If you need to build lots of improvements, this is a good way to stretch your money.

When you are purchasing shields for buildings once there is at least one shield in the box, all shields cost the same, two coins per shield. Units behave differently. If you try to buy 10 shields the cost is 25, if you try to buy 20 shields the cost is 60, if you try to buy 30 shields the cost is 105. If you have no shields in the box the cost is doubled. Notice that the cost of an extra 10 shields increases.

Suppose it is early in the game and you want to get a diplomat. To make things easy I will suppose the city produces 10 shields per turn. Buying the diplomat out right will cost 210 coins. If you purchase a warrior for 50, switch to and purchase a phlanx for an additional 25, and then use production shields to complete the diplomat the total cost is 75. If you are willing to wait two turns you can use one turn to get 10 shields, purchase a phlanx for 25 coins, then use production shields to get the remaining ten shields for a total cost of 25.

THE BASIC RULE OF THUMB: When you are buying shields for a unit, purchase as few shields at any one time as possible. This is tedious if you are building an aircraft carrier.

Note: if you are planning on using a cities normal production to complete the construction of the unit, make sure you position you workers so neither the AI nor barbarians can interfer with your production of shields. If you need a unit so bad that you have to rush build it, you might not want to take that chance. Construction of caravans may be a common exception.

Hope this helps.