I always fail in building the Great Library :(

[Magnus]

so this is one of the most important wonders in the game in my opinion. But there must be another civ that build it before me. Any tips?

[zacharyb]

Try to start off with marble nearby for the extra 15% to ancient/classical wonders.

[retjero]

The GL is almost impossible to get beyond Emperor level against a large number of A.I. Only a strong emphasis on productoin and maybe a couple lucky breaks on ruins will be enough then.

Consolation prize:
The Oracle can almost always be built, partially because all other civs are going for Parthenon. And if your strategy is to start with the Liberty social tree, than the Pyramids can usually be done.

[zacharyb]

Originally posted by retjero:

The GL is almost impossible to get beyond Emperor level against a large number of A.I. Only a strong emphasis on productoin and maybe a couple lucky breaks on ruins will be enough then.

Consolation prize:
The Oracle can almost always be built, partially because all other civs are going for Parthenon. And if your strategy is to start with the Liberty social tree, than the Pyramids can usually be done.

Actually you don't really have to worry that much about the Pyramids, because by the time you get the technology you should already have gotten a few policies.

[Ryika]

Don't build early wonders, the few that are really helpful are usually gone really fast and the rest just aren't worth stagnating your empire. Well, Temple of Artemis can be in certain situations.

Oracle is the first one that is really worth investing into.

[xycotta]

First question is........what difficulty are you playing

Second..what is your build order

[The Changeling]

You could beeline the Great Library if you REALLY want to build it... but ultimately, you lose out on early infrastructure and the time you need to build up that early defense force.
So, not really reccomended.

[Anelace]

The only early wonders that are worth it in my opinion are the Hanging Gardens (great for getting more population, which leads to more science later down the road) and Stonhenge if you're going for religion early. None are really necessary though and can be overcome with good play.

The Oracle can be great too, though if you're playing as Poland then it's less useful because you get it seven times over due to the UA.

[airmikee99]

Sacrifice nearby forests, they don't even have to be inside your borders. Just chop them down and get the production bonus. You're right that it's one of the most important wonders in the game, ignore anyone that says otherwise. I've never found another way to get a free technology that would have taken 60-90 turns on Marathon to complete so early in the game, and often times it can be used to bump me into the next era well ahead of the pack.

Colossus is now just as important early in the game because of it's additional trade route.

[Ryika]

Originally posted by airmikee99:

You're right that it's one of the most important wonders in the game, ignore anyone that says otherwise.

Well, noone ever said it's not important. It's one of the strongerst wonders in the game, but it's just nearly impossible to get on immortal or deity, even WITH a starting location that offers 2-3 forrests to chop and a city state nearby to steal an early worker and there is really not that much you can do against that. You literally have to sacrafice your whole early game and tailor it to getting the wonder just to have a tiny chance of completing it before the AI does - and THAT is definately not worth it.

Overall the GL is well... a "newbie bonus", but once you go to the higher difficulties you just have to adapt your strategy. However, timings and strategies work quite a bit different on marathon, obviously.

[Magnus]

I play as king

Originally posted by xycotta:

First question is........what difficulty are you playing

Second..what is your build order

[Magnus]

That's very good to hear.........

Originally posted by Ryika:

Don't build early wonders, the few that are really helpful are usually gone really fast and the rest just aren't worth stagnating your empire. Well, Temple of Artemis can be in certain situations.

Oracle is the first one that is really worth investing into.

[Magnus]

Well, I think I have changed my mind. I'll stop worrying about the GL if it's going to be that hard after I play with higher difficulties. Thank you so much to everyone.

[airmikee99]

Originally posted by Ryika:

Originally posted by airmikee99:

You're right that it's one of the most important wonders in the game, ignore anyone that says otherwise.

Well, noone ever said it's not important. It's one of the strongerst wonders in the game, but it's just nearly impossible to get on immortal or deity, even WITH a starting location that offers 2-3 forrests to chop and a city state nearby to steal an early worker and there is really not that much you can do against that. You literally have to sacrafice your whole early game and tailor it to getting the wonder just to have a tiny chance of completing it before the AI does - and THAT is definately not worth it.

Overall the GL is well... a "newbie bonus", but once you go to the higher difficulties you just have to adapt your strategy. However, timings and strategies work quite a bit different on marathon, obviously.

It could be that I have to skip it once I move up to those higher difficulties, but I'm still at King level and I'm able to snag the Great Library every single game, it's not even an option for me to miss it right now, I'll start a new game if another Civ gets it. I only drop below Marathon if I want to get an achievement that I couldn't get when I had to play offline on my laptop.

[Zednaught]

The Great Library is one of those wonders I had to learn to live without, and it's certainly not worth the frustration of restarting to get it.

The GL is extremely difficult to get on Deity, and requires a great start and precision play to get it on Immortal. Even on Emperor it's probaly not worth pursuing unless you're can look at your position in the first 10 turns and see all the conditions correct.

[Ryika]

Originally posted by airmikee99:

It could be that I have to skip it once I move up to those higher difficulties, but I'm still at King level and I'm able to snag the Great Library every single game, it's not even an option for me to miss it right now, I'll start a new game if another Civ gets it. I only drop below Marathon if I want to get an achievement that I couldn't get when I had to play offline on my laptop.

Well, the sooner you stop relying on the great library and play "normal" strategies, the sooner you'll become better at the game. :) But that's your own decision of course.