everyday % luxuries

Edward · January 4, 2001, 15:58

I operate under the (probably incorrect) assumption that, unless I'm upping my population via We Love the President Day, any % of trade I apply to luxuries is bad since that's fewer % being applied to science (or taxes). Therefore I run my empire with 0% luxuries - using entertainers to temporarily quell unhappiness until I can build a settler, wonder, or happiness improvement.

It seems blind adherence to any rule is a bad idea in Civ2. Should I be more open to the bread and circuses approach? Perhaps setting my luxuries at 10-20% might save some maintenance costs on happiness improvements, or allow my temporary entertainers to instead productively work squares, or even cause We Love the Leader Days in some (most?) cities on a continual basis.

Barring intentional one-shot We love the Pres Days, how do you all set your luxury rate?

geofelt · January 4, 2001, 16:52

Early in the game, I set science to max, and the rest for taxes. I control happiness by building more settlers and expanding. At some point, there will be a benefit to increasing luxury. In monarchy, a city in we-love-the king status will get increased science like a republic. A 20% lux may be all it takes, and you could get greater science and taxes. If your palace city has hanging gardens and colossus, then this can be a very good move.

Blaupanzer · January 4, 2001, 17:38

Don't use luxuries normally except in Democracy. There I use 20 per cent unless I have CFC, then 10 per cent. Use an expansionist strategy with some overlap, a modified ICS. So, lots of cities, usually all with a temple. This works if you have Mike's or JSB, better with both. Depending on the neighbors, my rates in Democracy are 30-50-20 or 50-30-20 with extra 10 after CFC going to science. Don't always get a clear win (AC or conquer), so still refining.

Rufus T. Firefly · January 5, 2001, 06:47

I play ToT at king and emperor, and always build an SSC. In my game, I make getting both Mike's, Adam's and Leo's a priority, in that order, and switch to democracy asap. I find that, by getting Mike's early, I can keep luxuries at 0 for as long as I'm in monarchy, provided my cities have temples and 2-3 military units in them. By getting Adam's, I can keep science maxed out at 70%, since right about the time my civ starts getting expensive it will kick in and pick up some of the cost. And by getting Leo's, all those phalanxes and elephants I built to maintain martial law continue to be useful as I advance.

When I go to democracy, I have a temple and a marketplace in every city, and larger cities will have a bank and possibly a stock exchange. Under these conditions, I find I can set luxuries at 30%, taxes at 20%, and science at 50%. Luxuries would almost certainly be less if I could get my caravan game together. The balance between science and taxes generally becomes 30-40 after a while, since my city improvements are no longer being taken care of by Mr. Smith. With a semi-decent SSC, science rate is never worse that discoveries every 4 turns, and generally better.

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Dig trenches, with our men being killed off like flies? There isn't time to dig trenches. We'll have to buy them ready made. Here, run out and get some trenches.
-- Rufus T. Firefly, the original rush-builder

Adam Smith · January 5, 2001, 09:41

Why waste trade on luxuries? You can run size 12 cities with no luxuries whatsoever. (Initial content citizen plus temple, Mike, Bach, and Colossuem). Anything bigger than that you don't really need, aside from a Super Science City, which can be as big as you want with Shakespeare.

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Old posters never die.
They justfadeaway

War4ever · January 5, 2001, 14:47

OK last night in a game, i used a 50% lux, 40% science, and 10% tax rate, while in monarchy, with 30 cities, only with temples, three markets, two libraries. NOT one happy wonder as the greedy guts ming took them all being in Monarchy 1 1/2 millenium at least before i was, (no exxageration here) was running three turn tech, and about 70g a turn. Considering his cities were all bigger than mine, we were pretty much neck and neck. I have only Suns, Leos, (beat him by one turn only to get it or i was dead)and statue, so i am in Commie now and no happy problems (finally).......

The point to this story is that you need to play with the rates every game in order to see how they best benefit you. I am celebrating in virtually every city with repub trade , ala no corruption as i am Communist. Its working for me this game...........

Kristjan · January 7, 2001, 12:08

Do not use lux if you have entertainments. If you do not (in the VERY early stage with republic) then set it to 30% - usually it is equivalent of having temples in every city (but costs more to you).

Smokey tha nuke man · January 16, 2001, 17:03

as soon as my capital reaches size 4, or i start to govern under republic, i set my luxeries to 20%. under fundy, i think it's wasteful, but i have never had a city celebrate a "we love the buddah day". under democracy, my standard tax setings are:gold-30, sci-40
lux-30, until i grow at least my magor cities by 5 pop. then i go to: gold-40 sci-50, and lux-10.

Steve Clark · January 16, 2001, 19:29

Be carefully of not pimping the luxuries, else it might be a crutch.