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this isn't a troll, but it feels like it given how much stick the lighthouse gets.Quite simply, the lighthouse has given me the edge when peace-playing Regent/Monarch games on standard map (continents/islands), by allowing first access to island colonies.
The peaceful player has the problem of insufficient land for resources & power. They won't fight for the land like warrior-players, but those little islands are there for the taking. Until astronomy, only the lighthouse owner can reach these islands, and by 'overseas REXing' they can clean up.
So, land-grab as usual, ensuring adequate port sites for galley-building, then after map-making send galleys with a settler and spearman around the coast, exploring one-square into the sea and back to safety. Accessible islands, or even continents may be visible, and all civs have the chance of landing here, so settle if you have the chance. If you're not paranoid about map-selling, there's money to be made each time your map grows - not buckets, but over time it accumulates. Sell while you've discovered no land, but hoard when you see some until it's settled. Sign ROPs with your neighbours to be able to explore their coastline. Be sure to probe the 'sea-lanes' for nearby coastline.
So far, nothing special, but as the lighthouse is near to completion, all non-sea access territory should be taken, and at least three galleys with settler plus vet spear/pike should be 'hovering' at likely take-off points for exploring the sea/ocean. When complete, they're ready to find and colonise new islands in the optimum time. Have more of these colonial teams following - I've gotten up to a dozen cities on islands and mini-continents. For each island, set one city to build a harbour, and the others building workers to chop down forests around the harbour city and connect the cities. Rush the harbour if possible to finish it off. After a temple to claim the land, if I have four luxuries, I'll build a marketplace - if Sistine is there or likely and I'm a religious civ then a cathedral. Grow the city to 6 for a we-love and it should be doing better than one-shield. In 1.21 patch the couthouses are more effective so it's worth building this too. For non-harbour cities I build temple, one barracks per island, then mkt/cathedral
The harbour-city is usually the one with resources, so it'll also want defending with a city wall and extra vet defenders shipped in from the mainland. I won't grow it above six for ages, (to keep the we-love) so the cheap walls (with no upkeep) is worth it.
It's very rare to find luxuries on the islands, but there are always iron & horses on one of them. Assuming I already have Iron, I won't connect this, but keep it as a backup should my primary supply vanish. I connect Horses as they don't vanish, and try to trade to a weak civ - even giving it away to help them defend against a powerful neighbour.
If my core civ has no desert or tundra it is near essential to settle some, as otherwise there'll be no oil later. (It's possible to win without oil in a peaceful world though) Very often, island colonies supply me with my only oil/rubber/saltpetre/coal later on, and/or stuff to trade to weaker civs, or as backups for the primary source.
With the extra land, ROPs can be sold for cash to anyone with less territory, and this helps to keep the peace. Trading resources is good for relations too - and I'll even sell to neighbours. No harm in them having infantry and artillery as long as I have a larger army and good relations - they usually attack someone else. (Note - on emperor they'll always attack)
To defend the outposts, I usually have a arsenal or two on the mainland sending over more defenders, plus attacking units to be sure. The local barracks upgrade these through the game.
So to conclude - on many maps the much maligned lighthouse leads to land, resources, wealth and even economic productivity later in the game. I'm not saying it's better than a 10-tech haul from the great library, or the benefits of the Sistine or Hoov (lack of rivers notwithstanding), but it can still be a game-winner.
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- or just give themselves wonders like Civ1.
- maybe b/c incense clusters = big desert). They're just begging for a takeover. But they do inspire me to try a 'tiny civ' strat - to see how far I can get by selling expensive luxuries. Thing is - I just can't sit there and not grab the tasty land.
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