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**Spiffor** · August 29, 2003, 01:33

Barracks are good to build in both productive cities and outer cities. Defensive buildings (city walls and civil defense should be built only in outer cities, but it doesn't hurt to have them in big cities either)

Marketplaces, Banks, Factories and all other (non cultural) production-increasing buildings should only be built in cities where there is a production to begin with. In highly corrupt cities, you should forget them.

Cultural buildings are always good, everywhere. Especially in cities you have just conquered: you just don't want a cultural conversion.

Try building courthouses and police stations in your corrupt cities (once they have reached a good size). They may very well reduce corruption, making them effectively productive cities.

Don't hesitate to raise taxes if it is the only way for you to afford scientific buildings in your productive cities. It generally more than pays off.
Build marketplaces and banks in every city that produces more than 3 gold. It pays off, and it'll raise your treasury (seems to be your problem)

Don't hesitate to sell luxuries or unimportant techs to foreign countries later in the game. It can bring a significant income. In late game, I often make more than 500 gpt only thanks to foreign trade.

**Paddy** · August 29, 2003, 03:19

That is some good advice from Spiffor.

While at peace, in the early stages of a town, I like to build a temple then a marketplace well before I get to build the barracks. The idea is to use my bigger inner cities to feed the satellites with troops.

If at war, then barracks are right up there ASAP.
Next would be the walls.

In addition, while at peace, as my cities grow, I like to encourage them that need the help, with aqueducts, and hospitals etc. Throw in the temples, colosseums, cathedrals etc, and I find that they all get on with the show...

**Arrian** · August 29, 2003, 09:28

Keep in mind that if you build Sun Tzu's Art of War, you get a free barracks in every city on the same continent as the Wonder.

If I'm militaristic (20 shields to build a barracks instead of 40), I will tend to build 'em all over the place. Walls in border towns too. But if I'm not, the barracks are often restricted to my core cities.

The keys to being rich are these:

1) Large cities. If happiness is an issue, do not fear the luxury slider! Use it, and you will be pleased with the results.
2) Low corruption (more on this later)
3) Marketplaces, libraries, banks, universities
4) Republic. Later on, Democracy.
5) Avoiding unecessary unit support costs. Once you switch to a representative government, move the units you were using as "military police" out of your core cities to your border & coastal cities. They no longer give a happiness benifit. This will boost your defense w/o you needing to build more units. If the units are obselete and cannot be upgraded (longbowmen, for instance), disband them.

Ok, getting back to point #2: corruption. There has been extensive discussion on how it works, and I'm not gonna get into it here (but I suggest you check the strategy forum) in detail. The basics are: build courthouses. Build your Forbidden Palace. Often a good method to use if you're not the conquering sort early in the game is to build your Forbidden such that it is roughly centered in your *current* empire (unless you have one of those rare starts where your capitol is perfectly centered), and plan to move your palace later via a Great Leader. Even if it never happens, your early empire will get a nice boost which may allow you to win without a perfect Palace-FP axis (the 'ole "barbell" style).

**Arrian** · August 29, 2003, 09:29

Here is a really good place to start in the strategy forum:

Apolyton Civilization Site

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=59216

It's a compilation of various strategy threads. You may find them useful.

-Arrian

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