Most powerful wonder?

[Hanibal]

I'm looking for opinions on which wonder you think is the ultimate trump card. In my own personal opinion it's the Labyrinth (unlimited trade routes;Yum!). What do you think?

Interesting side question: What's the lamest?

[Tilemacho]

First of all you must clear if you are talking about the 1.2 patch only or the Apolyton Pack with CD's mod.
For the Original game:
The Labyrinth is very strong but only in games that have big map or many good...
The London Exchange is in my opinion the strongest and then the Labyrinth.
Also very strong the Edison's Lab.
I won't talk about the Sensorium,or the AI Entity because the come up late in the Game and I think in most games the winner will be sertain.
For Apolyton Pack:
Laburinth only if you can build 2-3 monopolies.
The London and the internet.

[bongo]

My favourites are :
#1 London Exchange
#2 Edisons lab
There are other strog wonders late in the game, but when they become available the winner is already given. As I stay away from large maps, the labyrinth is pretty useless to me.

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Better killing for the future

[Pin]

THE BEST WONDER EARLY ARE THE STONEHENGE, then if you play in a world with a lot of goods labyrinth.

then the next important wonders are edisons lab then london exchange

[Hanibal]

I agree that the London Exchange is indeed a powerful wonder but isn't something like the Labyrinth which can come fairly early more deciding for a game? After all an early lead tends to get widened if played reasonably intelligently.

I generally play my games on gigantic maps with average amounts of trade goods so I can see that would do a lot to bias me in the wonders I prefer. In fact, a case could be made that which wonder is most powerful is almost entirely dependent on what kind of world you're playing with. Who wants East India Company if you're world has no oceans?

[Sophanthro]

Early: Stonehenge, and Labyrinth

Middle: Edisons Lab, London Exchange

Late: Sensorium
I think London Exchange is the best.

Lamest: Dinosaur Park all the way.

[lago]

Sophanthro, I wouldn't put the Dinosaur Park on the short list of really great ones, but it's not useless...IF you build it in the right city. Wait a turn after it's built, then check the "Cities" screen and sort on Gold. It's not unusual for the city where I build it to have as much Gold as the next three cities combined, especially if I'm playing with Nordicus Trade Goods installed.

[Swissy]

I like Stonehedge for rapid population growth. Though the extra gold of the Labyrinth in hard to counter early. Your only chance of keeping up is Stonehedge as you can maintain steady population growth while using scientist to keep pace with the civ with the Labyrinth.

In the middle game London Exchange is hard to beat, besides the gold saved I find it the safest way to maintain a Democracy.

The late game wonders all have good benefits, I like the Nanite Difusser as it take a powerful weapon away from my enemies.

As for the lamest, in MP games it is Forbidden City. It prevents you from getting tech trade offers by canceling the other players embassies, and does not offer its main benefit of preventing attacks against you..

[Az]

My favorite wonders are Edison's Lab and Internet . All the TEch you need . also there is the Gaya COntroller which is great and often the winner isnt always so defined . some SUPER SECRET operation like a massive landing near the capital or something . there are 2 terrible useless lame worthless miracles and those are the Dinosaur Park ,and Galileo's telescope . ( common . twice science in 1 city ? is it worth those turns of waiting ? I dont think so )

[Gregurabi]

I'd say the London Exchange is the most powerful. Edison is good if you have low science output. (If you're researching tech every 3 turns, Edison gives you almost nothing. If you're in the middle of researching something that will take 40 turns, however, Edison can really help.)

The early wonders don't last long enough in my games (Deity, many AIs -> lots of tech quickly), so I disqualify all of them. But I play the original game, not the Apolyton pack, so my experience may be quite different from that of the typical reader of this forum.

Another great wonder is Contraception. The happiness boost is pretty powerful, because it often means you get 2-3 extra workers in each city (you can switch them away from entertainment). It's a middle-game wonder, and its effects last a rather long time.

[Dalkeith]

my favourite is London Exchange, but mind your step!! As soon as you discover robotics it becomes obsolete and then you will have to pay suddenly all your maintenaince cost
again.
Once I waited working on robotics till I had now choise left and afer a while I switched from the modern age immediately to the diamond age and skipping the genetic age.
(real fun!!) I had discovered everything except the robotic tree. (that's why)

[Flyercraft]

Once, in a game against my friend (our first game), I built London Exchange. Every thing was going perfect: MUCH more gold output, research 2 times faster!. Now I knew he was researching robotics but I also knew it was going to take him 30 turns! so started to research superconductor. Next turn, his Edison Lab finished it and superconductor, who was going to take 9 turns, was suddently a 20 turns research! To make things worse, I was losing gold each turn cause I built so much stuff!

Just to say: Even if you have London Exchange, don't be suprised that one day, you'll find yourself losing gold and citys starting rioting.

BTW, what happens when you run out of gold?
can't pay your workers so they start tearing your civ apart?

[Paul]

When you run out of gold the computer will lower your wages which can lead to serious riots and revolts, especially in larger cities.

[OJ]

tough question...the real answer is none. overall power of a wonder would hands down be LONDON EXCHANGE. but it isnt that simple, this game depends on map settings. here is a complete list of the most powerfull wonders in no special order. parantheses is what can happen if you have)

SPINX - small map! (garanteed strong army..will win in small map)

STONEHENGE - any map, but if you are in the hills and mountains it is a huge plus. (this wonder almost assure a win)

EAST INDIA TRADING COMPANY - island world obviously, more than 4 civs, and usually a bigger map. the gold is actually the bonus the movement of ships is what you build it for (doesnt assure victory but it is a very very powerfull helper if you have a large ships of the line war)

CONTRECEPTION - very good wonder..obviously happiness helps in all situations (by the time you build this in a diety game a big portion of your cities will be reaching sizes of 12 and higher)

GENOME PROJECT - dont let that shocked voice go off in your head. lets see a mountain with a advanced mind is 50 production right?..hmmm then that mountain produces now prduces 55...naybe you need to see the bigger picture...say military cost is 20% b/c of a big army..hmmm doesnt that kinda make your military cost 10%..oh yeah..not to forget what it does to your units...! this wonder is my secret and i told so dont forget.

LABYRINTH - i hate this wonder..but if you get it and their is medium to high goods you win the game...hands down!

NANOPEDIA AND SENSORIUM - a cruiser wonder..it doesnt help you win..just makes you win by more

HAGIA SOPHIA - really doesnt seem to do much but once you have it you have it forever..if you play your cards right you really wont have to build hospitals if you have a cathedral, temple, and aqueduct in your cities..this wonder was my pet peave but not really anymore..but it does serve a purpose im just not sure if it is worth it

RAMAYANA - just an honerable mention..it doesnt last long but with a temple you have the same as building contreception.

PHILOSPOHER STONE - very very helpful in a 4 person multiplayer game!

GLOBE SAT - hate it..but it keeps tabs on everybody - usally build that with GENOME PROJECT - a zillion artilerries and facists..change to facism tooooo! (dont need this to win..just to make a win easier.

DINOSAUR PARK - honerable mention just cause i dont want to crack the math..but it seems like the previous post was correct..gold in this cities is as much or more then the next 3 highest in your civ (seems to take the place of london exchange when you loose that)

WELL THATS THAT...no grammar check -

all other wonders are very conditionally needed or can burn

[OJ]

tough question...the real answer is none. overall power of a wonder would hands down be LONDON EXCHANGE. but it isnt that simple, this game depends on map settings. here is a complete list of the most powerfull wonders in no special order. parantheses is what can happen if you have)

SPINX - small map! (garanteed strong army..will win in small map)

STONEHENGE - any map, but if you are in the hills and mountains it is a huge plus. (this wonder almost assure a win)

EAST INDIA TRADING COMPANY - island world obviously, more than 4 civs, and usually a bigger map. the gold is actually the bonus the movement of ships is what you build it for (doesnt assure victory but it is a very very powerfull helper if you have a large ships of the line war)

CONTRECEPTION - very good wonder..obviously happiness helps in all situations (by the time you build this in a diety game a big portion of your cities will be reaching sizes of 12 and higher)

GENOME PROJECT - dont let that shocked voice go off in your head. lets see a mountain with a advanced mind is 50 production right?..hmmm then that mountain produces now prduces 55...naybe you need to see the bigger picture...say military cost is 20% b/c of a big army..hmmm doesnt that kinda make your military cost 10%..oh yeah..not to forget what it does to your units...! this wonder is my secret and i told so dont forget.

LABYRINTH - i hate this wonder..but if you get it and their is medium to high goods you win the game...hands down!

NANOPEDIA AND SENSORIUM - a cruiser wonder..it doesnt help you win..just makes you win by more

HAGIA SOPHIA - really doesnt seem to do much but once you have it you have it forever..if you play your cards right you really wont have to build hospitals if you have a cathedral, temple, and aqueduct in your cities..this wonder was my pet peave but not really anymore..but it does serve a purpose im just not sure if it is worth it

RAMAYANA - just an honerable mention..it doesnt last long but with a temple you have the same as building contreception.

PHILOSPOHER STONE - very very helpful in a 4 person multiplayer game!

GLOBE SAT - hate it..but it keeps tabs on everybody - usally build that with GENOME PROJECT - a zillion artilerries and facists..change to facism tooooo! (dont need this to win..just to make a win easier.

DINOSAUR PARK - honerable mention just cause i dont want to crack the math..but it seems like the previous post was correct..gold in this cities is as much or more then the next 3 highest in your civ (seems to take the place of london exchange when you loose that)

WELL THATS THAT...no grammar check -

all other wonders are very conditionally needed or can burn




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AKA WIL, AKA MINOR-THREAT.
PLZ DONT CALL ME OJ

"LOPPING OFF PEOPLES MELLON IS WHAT I DO BEST" 1997 QUOTE FROM OJ TO THE SATAN PRESSES