Wonderbuilding is no fun anymore

[Ray K]

Originally posted by Sevorak


...maybe because it doesn't work (and never has)?

-Sev

uh, yeah it does.

Of course, the repetitively building forests was fixed in the patch.

[Libertarian]

Nope. You could never switch to a wonder after adding shields from a forest. Not now, and not back when either.

What you could do was help rush other improvements, like libraries and such by deforesting. You could place a brigade of workers beside a city and build it up in no time flat.

That's what they stopped. At least allegedly.

[Brundlefly]

Doesn't it seem strange though, to get beat out of the Great Library with say 3 turns to go, and now this huge, splendid, almost-complete structure in the middle of your city has to now be used as something like a Barracks. I feel that if you are within 10 turns of completing a wonder that another civ has finished, you should be allowed to complete that wonder, however the wonder's effects and culture would be diminished by 50%

[Pyrodrew]

Your Choice

Originally posted by Feephi
Doesn't it seem strange though, to get beat out of the Great Library with say 3 turns to go, and now this huge, splendid, almost-complete structure in the middle of your city has to now be used as something like a Barracks.

No, because you don't have to switch it to a Barracks or a mere improvement. If you hate losing all those shields that much switch it to your Palace until the next wonder comes along. This means you can't be building that wonder & your "palace-soon-to-be-wonder" at the same time, but that's your choice.

[UncleBeef]

Originally posted by Anunikoba
I have been playing mostly Monarch level games, and I usually have the first wonder built (out of 16 civs) AND I usually have more wonders than any of the AI players.

I don't know why people are having such trouble with getting wonders....

Why don't you post a thread on your strategy? I'm always building military units through the first round of wonder building, so I usually end up picking up something quick like the Colossus after all the good ones are gone.

[ak]

Re: Your Choice

Originally posted by Pyrodrew


If you hate losing all those shields that much switch it to your Palace until the next wonder comes along.

You can't switch to a palace in your capital city - which is not an uncommmon place to build wonders.

[Juggernaut]

Without the movies the wonders are just bland city improvements, IMO.

[ak]

how many times can you stand to watch the movies?

[Juggernaut]

The wonder movies used to be a welcome break and a creative injection when the intently thinking starts to get heavy. Maybe less imaginative civers didn't intercept them and their scent of historical miracles at the same level ...

[Mercani]

Most of you guys should develop your strategies. In my most recent game I tried One City Challenge at emperor level and won by cultural victory. (One City Challenge means, trying to win by building only one city!)

I built 11 wonders in a world where 3 AI civs each had around 10-15 cities. I managed to build Colossus, GL and Hanging Gardens from the ancient era.

Anybody interested can read my thread at the strategy forum, and download the saved file just before victory.

[DrFell]

Originally posted by Ralf
The secret lies mostly in the fact that they have designed the game-features & ideas in such a way that a good & responsive AI becomes possible. In Civ-2 and SMAC they never did that. Two Civ-3 examples of that is the implementation of culture-resistance and no road/RR-bonus during invasion-phase.

In other words they've made it more difficult for the human to win (or made it easier for the AI, whatever you want to call it). Designing the game rules to make it harder but making it less fun for the human player.

[Heliodorus]

Ancient era wonders are a ***** to produce. I've only ever produced the Hanging Gardens and the Colosus (both very good, btw). By the time I get to Medieval (on Monarch), I have a damn good chance at getting the ones I want.

It is VERY helpful to focus your attention on several things:
First, pay attention to your science goals:
Know how to get to the tech for the wonder you want - and get there first. Additionally, when you start a wonder, and you're not sure whether you'll be the first to complete it, have a backup plan. If you're building Hanging Gardens at the end of the Ancient/beginning of the Medieval, make sure to research a new tech that will allow you to switch from HG if someone else completes it first - that way you won't waste all of those shields.

Pay DAMN close attention to the AIs building of wonders and tech. Okay, how many times have you seen it where the AIs all start the pyramids together. You have 5 civs building pyramids. Extrapolate from there: SOMEONE will finish it first - from there, the 4 other AIs are going to switch, some to Great Library, some to Great Wall, some to Oracle, etc. This means if you aren't already started on a wonder, you're not going to get some of the others. The AIs will rotate from wonder to wonder until they complete one, or there are no more left to build (at which point the AI loses its shields, too). If you know who's working on wonders, and what techs they have, it can help you keep from starting a wonder you can't finish before the AIs.

WORKERS UNITE: Don't screw around when trying to complete a wonder. Make improvements around the city building the wonder a top priority, not just with one worker, but with 4 or 5. Throughout the game, it's hard to have "too many" workers because pop limits for aquaducts and then hospitals are hard caps that you just won't be able to exceed. So make workers, and have them mine, mine, mine. Don't let wonder-building cities go into revolt. Don't chop down trees around them. And of course, choose cities for wonders that are well suited - close to capital (less corruption) with good combos of food bonus and mine bonus. Also, in the early game, consider mining more than you already are.

[RickBlaine]

I guess everyone has their playstyles--almost no one has mentioned the Oracle, the one early Wonder I see as essential. (I play a peaceful building game and am a bug for happiness). I have seen that it is tougher to get wonders in Civ 3, at least until I hone my play better (on Regent right now). Therefore, I only go for the Oracle early (and have always got it so far), when I could build most Wonders in Civ 2 on Monarch.

In the next group, I like to set Sun Tzu, Leonardo's Workshop (although much weaker than Civ2) and J.S. Bach's Cathedral. The Cathedral is my number one priority, and I usually can get it and the Workshop, my number 3 priority. Like others here, I have a hard time getting the Sun Tzu.

One downside of my playstyle in Civ3 (which is generally more conducive to us peaceful builders than conquerors) is I have yet to have an early game leader for rushing Wonders, since I rarely fight other then barbarians. Come to think of it, it was the ability to rush Wonders in Civ2, more than my superior play, that enabled me to complete so many

[Travathian]

I don't know what level you're playing on, but on Monarch I can usually build 1 sometimes 2 ancient Wonders. Should I be able to build them all? No, what challenge would that be?

Trying bumping your level down and working on your skills instead of complaining. Also keep in mind that at higher levels the computer does get a production bonus. Lastly, keep in mind its not the computer vs you. Its 7+ civs versus you and each other. So just because YOU didn't build a single ancient wonder doesn't mean the computer did, it means those other 7 civs did.

Also, try narrowing your focus. If you play as a certain civ, what wonder would most benefit you? What can you do to ensure you get it?

For what its worth, most of the ancient wonders are crap anyway. Pyramids are excellent, Colussus is pretty good, rest are crap cause they expire too soon. I'd rather spend my shields on infrastructure to get the key middle age wonders which are VERY powerful.

AZSunDevil

[Smash]

No you are right.Wonder building fun has been replaced with potential frustration.Not near enough time was devoted to the wonders.Not on the art,the effects,the pre-reqs or the actual construction techniques.

Dominating a wonder race on regent or monarch is nothing to brag about