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Civilization II - Wonders of the World FAQ
by Nikore (Max Beaumont)
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Table of Contents
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1. Legal Information
2. Contact Information
3. Version History
4. Introduction
5. The Wonders
6. Credits
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1. Legal Information
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This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal,
private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed
publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web
site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation
of copyright.
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2. Contact Information
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If you have any questions, comments, or want to let me know about any errors
I've made, e-mail me at beaumontmax@gmail.com. If you wish to use this guide for
your website, just ask me first.
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3. Version History
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Version 1.0
- Started 23 July 2008
- Submitted 26 July 2008
- All information added
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4. Introduction
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Welcome to my Wonders of the World FAQ for one of my favorite games of all
time, Civilization II. For a game that came out over ten years ago, it still
remains as one of the best PC strategy games of all time, and was actually
ranked the fourth best game of all time on IGN a year or so ago. The reason I'm
writing this is because there exists no guide attributed specifically to the
Wonders of the World, which I feel is one of the most important aspects of the
game.
The Wonders of the World serve many purposes: all of them have some function
allocated to them (such as granting you free buildings, happy citizens, or free
embassies with other civilizations) as well as improving your Civilization Score
at the end of the game (which is purely aesthetic). Some wonders are better than
others, so I will be commenting on each one's usefulness as I go through them
all.
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5. The Wonders
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Note: The order I will list the Wonders in is the order they're listed in the
game. I suspect that's based off the chronological order in which they were
built historically.
Format
Name: Denotes the name of the Wonder.
----
Prerequisite: Denotes the technology that must be researched in order to build
the Wonder.
Cost: Denotes the number of shields required to build the Wonder.
Expires: Denotes the technology that makes the Wonder obsolete.
Function: Denotes the in-game function gained from building the Wonder.
Description: Denotes the in-game historical description of the Wonder.
Rating: My personal rating, from one to five stars, of the Wonder's usefulness.
Comments: My personal comments regarding the Wonder, such as whether it should
be built, the priority with which you should build it, etc.
WONDERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD
----------------------------
Pyramids
--------
Prerequisite: Masonry
Cost: 200
Expires: NONE
Function: Counts as a Granary in every one of your cities.
Description: Built by the fourth dynasty of Egyptian rulers, the Pyramids
represent the pinnacle of ancient Egyptian cultural achievement.
Constructed on the Giza plateau outside modern-day Cairo, these
structures were burial tombs and monuments for the Pharaohs, and
may have taken generations and tens of thousands of workers to
complete. The Pyramids are the only one of the generally accepted
man-made wonders of the ancient world that remain in existence
today.
Rating: ***
Comments: The Pyramids is an above-average Wonder, for several reasons.
First, Granaries are one of the most important buildings to have
in any fledgling city, as it reduces the food reduction from an
increase in population by half. Second, the Pyramids are cheap to
build, requiring only 200 shields, tied for the least of any
Wonder. And third, it never goes obsolete, so it will hold for any
city you build or capture for the rest of the game. However,
several problems exist with trying to build them. Generally
with the Wonders of the Ancient World, and especially if you're
playing with six other civilizations, you're only going to be able
to build two or three of the earlier Wonders because every other
civilization is going to be trying to build them as well. Thus, it
is very important to prioritize which of the earlier Wonders
you're going to build. It just so happens that there are a few
other Wonders that I would put ahead of this one, such as the
Great Library. What will often happen is that while you're rushing
to complete the Great Library or something, another civilization
will swoop in and start to build the Pyramids - and there's really
nothing you can do about it. But if another civilization DOES
build it, you can always go capture their city and gain the
benefits of the Pyramids for however long you hold that city for.
In conclusion, the Pyramids are nice to have, but not particularly
essential, and they'll often end up built by another civilization
because you were prioritizing something else.
Hanging Gardens
---------------
Prerequisite: Pottery
Cost: 200
Expires: Railroad
Function: One extra happy citizen in every city.
Description: The Hanging Gardens were a distinctive feature of ancient Babylon.
They were a great source of pride to the people, and were often
described in accounts written by visitors to the city. Possibly
built by King Nebuchadnezzar II in 600 BC, the gardens are
believed to have been a remarkable feat of engineering: an
ascending series of tiered gardens containing all manners of
trees, shrubs, and vines. The gardens were said to have looked
like a large green mountain constructed of mud bricks, rising
from the center of the city.
Rating: ****
Comments: One of my favorite of the early Wonders to build. Civil disorder
is a constant annoyance, especially on the harder difficulties,
and this Wonder will help to mitigate it somewhat. Its biggest
flaw is that it goes obsolete rather quickly (Railroad is an
important technology that is a prerequisite to Industrialization,
and thus tends to be researched early), but while you have it, it
will be immensely useful in keeping civil disorder to a minimum.
Its cheap cost will allow for a quick build by any city with a
good number of shields.
Colossus
--------
Prerequisite: Bronze Working
Cost: 200
Expires: Flight
Function: City produces one extra trade arrow in each square that already
produces one.
Description: The Colossus of Rhodes was a bronze statue of Helios, the Greek
God of the Sun, erected near the mouth of the city harbor. It
stood over 100 feet high, about two-thirds the height of the
Statue of Liberty. Unfortunately, it was toppled by an earthquake
only 56 years after its construction. Taking the counsel of an
oracle, the city elected to leave the statue where it lay. For
over 900 years, people from all over the ancient world came to
Rhodes to see the Colossus. It remained where it was until 654 AD
when the Muslims who plundered the city sold the statue for scrap.
Rating: *
Comments: Pretty mediocre. It only affects one city, and even then it only
gives you an extra trade in each square that ALREADY produces one
- which is not the same as giving you an extra trade for every
square. Trade is useful in the beginning of the game, but there
are other early Wonders that you would want to build before this
one, as its effects are much less beneficial than, say, the Great
Library's.
Lighthouse
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Prerequisite: Map Making
Cost: 200
Expires: Magnetism
Function: Triremes can move across oceans w/o danger, and all other types of
ship have their movement rate increased by one. Also, all new
ships you produce receive veteran status.
Description: The Pharos was a marble watch tower and lighthouse built in 280
BC on an island in the harbor of Alexandria, Egypt. Estimated to
have been 300 feet high, the primary function of the lighthouse
was to guide approaching ships to the harbor on an otherwise
unmarked coast. Historians debate whether fires were burned on the
top of the tower, or whether mirrors were used to reflect
sunlight. Since ships rarely sailed along coasts at night, there
was probably little need for the lighthouse after dark. The Pharos
was destroyed in the 14th century, after having been damaged by
several earthquakes.
Rating: *
Comments: Not particularly useful. Triremes are a pretty awful form of sea
transportation, and most good players will be upgrading to
Caravels as fast as possible, making the Lighthouse's first
function useless. Making all new ships receive veteran status is
also fairly useless, as the only two ships you can create before
the Lighthouse goes obsolete is the Trireme and Caravel, neither
of which you should be attacking with. Finally, the one extra
movement rate IS a good upgrade, but it's not good enough to
warrant building the Lighthouse, especially since it will go
obsolete about midway through the game.
Great Library
-------------
Prerequisite: Literacy
Cost: 300
Expires: Electricity
Function: Civilization receives any civilization advance already discovered
by two other civilizations.
Description: The Great Library of Alexandria was one of the two most important
libraries of the ancient world. It was founded around 300 BC by
Ptolemy I, and was enhanced and expanded by his successors. The
library attempted to obtain copies of all scrolls of any
consequence, and eventually contained over 700,000 volumes. The
library was destroyed by religious fanatics in 391 AD, after
nearly 700 years of operation. During this period, Alexandria
served as the cultural center of the Hellenistic world. Today,
only part of the catalog remains, providing us with a mere hint of
what treasures the library contained.
Rating: ** to *****
Comments: The usefulness of this Wonder really varies on two factors: first,
the difficulty you're playing on, and second, the number of other
civilizations you're playing with. Basically, the harder the
difficulty and the more civilizations, the more useful this Wonder
becomes. The reason for this is that, as the difficulty gets
harder, the other civilizations become better at keeping up with
you technologically (as opposed to slaughtering your opponents'
Horsemen with your Armor on Chieftain difficulty). And obviously,
the more civilizations you play with, the greater the chance that
two will have an advance you don't have. Anyway, when you're
playing on harder difficulties with lots of civilizations, this is
an absolutely essential Wonder to build. One particular strategy
with technological advances is rushing for a certain one while
ignoring basic, less important ones (such as rushing Gunpowder),
which obviously contains the flaw of not having the more basic
technologies. However, with the Great Library, rushing more
advanced technologies at the cost of more basic technologies is a
great strategy, as the others civilizations will provide you with
those more basic technologies anyway. Despite this, if you're
playing on one of the easier difficulties, the Great Library will
probably only grant you one or two free advances. However, it's
probably still worth building anyway. I'd definitely suggest
building this as soon as possible.
Oracle
------
Prerequisite: Mysticism
Cost: 300
Expires: Theology
Function: Doubles the effect of all your temples.
Description: In ancient Greek religion, an oracle was a priest or priestess
through whom the gods spoke in response to questions. The oracle
interpreted dreams, the actions of entranced persons, and physical
signs found in the entrails of sacrificed animals. The most famous
oracle resided in the shrine of Apollo at Delphi, located on the
slopes of Mount Parnassus. This oracle was consulted for centuries
by Greeks, Romans, and others about public policy and private
matters. A priestess called the Pythia would, for a fee, make
public predictions for the future. These ecstatic pronouncements
became famous for their ambiguity.
Rating: **
Comments: Not one of my favorites. The function is vague and it's hard
to concretely judge its effect on your civilization. It's also
relatively expensive to build and tends to go obsolete quickly. I
rather prefer the Hanging Gardens for keeping your citizens happy,
and thus tend to build that Wonder first.
Great Wall
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Prerequisite: Masonry
Cost: 300
Expires: Metallurgy
Function: Enemy civilizations must offer cease-fire/peace in negotiations.
Combat strength doubled against barbarians.
Description: The Great Wall of China, a huge stone structure stretching from
the Yellow Sea to the Asian deserts, was built over a period of
approximately 1,800 years. The wall is 25 feet high and 12 feet
thick, and runs nearly 1,500 miles across northern China. The
purpose of the Great Wall was to make it difficult for raiders to
escape with their booty, and thereby discourage invasion. Despite
its overwhelming size, the wall was not intended to keep invaders
out, since manning such a defensive structure would have been
prohibitively expensive.
Rating: **
Comments: One added effect of having this Wonder is that each of your cities
at least APPEAR to get City Walls, though this is not listed. I
need to test this to be 100% sure. Anyway, even with this added
feature this Wonder isn't too great. Regarding cease fires or
peace treaties, other civilizations tend to break them quite
liberally, and I've never found being at peace too useful anyway.
And the added strength against barbarians is far too situational.
Finally, Metallurgy is an early and important advance, so the
Great Wall tends to go obsolete quickly. I wouldn't recommend
building it.
WONDERS OF THE RENAISSANCE
Sun Tzu's War Academy
---------------------
Prerequisite: Feudalism
Cost: 300
Expires: Mobile Warfare
Function: All new ground units produced gain Veteran status. Any unit which
wins a combat gains Veteran status.
Description: One of the earliest pieces of military literature is "The Art of
War", written by Chinese general Sun Tzu in the 6th century BC.
This book contained a detailed explanation and analysis of the
Chinese military, from weapons and strategy to rank and
discipline. Sun Tzu also stressed the important of intelligence
operatives and espionage to the war effort. Because Sun Tzu has
long been considered to be one of history's finest military
tacticians and analysts, his teachings and strategies formed the
basis of advanced military training for centuries to come.
Rating: ****
Comments: A great Wonder, especially for those of us who are too lazy to
build Barracks. Veteran status really improves the strength of
your army, and being able to make any unit a veteran just by
winning a combat means your entire army can be upgraded in just a
few turns after building this. Its biggest flaw is that it's made
obsolete by Mobile Warfare, an advance that is likely to be
prioritized by good players, but despite that it is very useful to
have in the early to midgame stages.
King Richard's Crusade
----------------------
Prerequisite: Engineering
Cost: 300
Expires: Industrialization
Function: Every square in the city's radius produces an extra resource
"shield".
Description: The Crusades were a series of military expeditions by European
Christians between 1095 and 1270 AD intended to recapture the
Christian Holy Land from Muslim control. The most successful was
the Third Crusade, in which a tremendous force led by King Richard
I and Philip Augustus managed to regain control over a number of
cities along the Mediterranean coast and reconstitute the Latin
Kingdom in Palestine. In addition to their more altruistic goals,
the Crusades also served to extend the political and religious
power of the Pope over a larger area of the world. This great
burst of territorial expansion led to an increase in both the
population and the productivity of Europe. The ongoing wars
provided lucrative business for Western European traders and
merchants.
Rating: *****
Comments: One of my favorite Wonders, this will make one of your cities into
a powerhouse. As opposed to the Colossus, this will simply add a
shield to every square you're utilizing, regardless of whether
that square was already producing a shield. So basically, the best
strategy is to build this in one of your biggest cities, as they
will get the biggest benefit. The best thing to do with this city
is to start churning out as many Wonders as you can before it goes
obsolete (which, unfortunately, it does rather quickly). It's a
great way to ensure that you build all the best Wonders first
(like Leonardo's Workshop, for example). Note that having so many
shields tends to make your city pollute, and since you have no
city improvements to counteract that, you'll probably want a
Settler hanging around the city to clean up any pollution you may
produce.
Marco Polo's Embassy
--------------------
Prerequisite: Trade
Cost: 200
Expires: Communism
Function: You receive a free embassy with every rival Civilization (so your
intelligence report will always be complete and you will receive
updates when other civilizations discover technologies).
Description: Marco Polo was a trader, writer, and world traveler who lived in
the late 13th and early 14th century. Starting as a young boy, he
began traveling with his father and uncle, who were merchants and
traders in Venice, along a route that would take him throughout
Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Throughout his life, he visited
many places bringing back detailed information concerning lands
that no European before him had visited. Polo's book, "The Travels
of Marco Polo", was the only existing source of reliable
information on such exotic locales as Siam, Japan, Java, Tibet,
and India that existed in medieval Europe.
Rating: ***
Comments: I rather like this Wonder, as it's cheap to build and having
embassies with other civilizations is useful, especially when
you're at war with them. Embassies allow you to check how many
cities the other civilization has, what technologies they know,
how many units they have, how much money they have, what their
relationship to other civilizations is, etc. Though not essential
to have, this Wonder is still worth building due to its low cost.
Michelangelo's Chapel
---------------------
Prerequisite: Monotheism
Cost: 400
Expires: NONE
Function: Counts as a Cathedral in each of your cities.
Description: The beauty of Rome's Sistine Chapel has long served as a testament
to the mixture of strong religious beliefs and the love of art
shared by the people of Renaissance Europe. Michelangelo devoted
four years to painting the mural that adorns the ceiling, a work
depicting events in the book of Genesis and other Biblical
stories. Few visitors to the Sistine Chapel have failed to be
moved by the artist's dedication to his subject, or his feeling
for the nature of human struggle, suffering, and spiritual
triumph.
Rating: ****
Comments: A great Wonder that really helps quell civil disorder. Cathedrals
each cost 120 shields to produce, so obviously building this
Wonder is a much cheaper and easier way to provide a Cathedral to
every city. Furthermore, it never goes obsolete, so once this is
built you never have to worry about wasting shields on a
Cathedral. Definitely worth building.
Copernicus' Observatory
-----------------------
Prerequisite: Astronomy
Cost: 300
Expires: NONE
Function: Increases science output of city by 50%.
Description: Ancient astronomers originally put forth the theory that the Sun
was the center of our solar system, and that the planets revolved
around it. This knowledge was lost during the Dark Ages, but was
re-introduced in the early 16th Century by Nicholas Copernicus.
Copernicus' research and theories form the foundation for modern
astronomy. Copernicus collected his data from his observatory, a
small room in the spire of an East Prussian cathedral. His
research methods and observations also marked the rebirth of the
scientific method, and were an important step in the advance of
knowledge.
Rating: *
Comments: Pretty useless. A 50% increase in one city will hardly make any
difference in the rate at which you gain technological advances,
as those are defined by small integers (usually around 4-6 turns)
and thus need a large increase in scientific output in order to
decrease that rate. Which this Wonder cannot supply. Build it only
if you have nothing better to do; otherwise, skip it.
Magellan's Expedition
---------------------
Prerequisites: Navigation
Cost: 400
Expires: NONE
Function: Movement rate of all ships is increased by two.
Description: In 1519, Ferdinand Magellan sailed from Spain with the intention
to reach the spice-rich Malouccas Islands of Indonesia by sailing
west, instead of east. Although Magellan himself was killed by
natives in the Philippines, his expedition went on to prove
conclusively that the world was round. More importantly, it
proved that the Americas were indeed a New World. Magellan's
expedition was one of the great sea voyages in history, and it
inspired further expeditions by other explorers. The discoveries
made along the way reduced the dangers to all the sea expeditions
that followed.
Rating: *****
Comments: Pretty much essential if you plan on engaging in sea warfare.
An extra two moves is a great upgrade for all sea units, and when
you start getting to the more advanced ones like the
Battleship or Cruiser is when this Wonder really shines. Having
extra mobility is great, but being able to attack one or two more
times per ship is really the best aspect of this Wonder. For most
wars late in the game I tend to use Battleships to soften up the
enemy's coastal cities, and being able to attack more times is
incredibly advantageous. Definitely build this wonder when you
get the chance.
Shakespeare's Theatre
---------------------
Prerequisite: Medicine
Cost: 300
Expires: NONE
Function: All unhappy citizens in city are content.
Description: Most of the plays of William Shakespeare were first performed on
the stage of London's Globe Theatre during the 1600s. Theater
offered people a diversion from their everyday lives by allowing
them to enjoy comedies, tragedies, and triumphs acted out on
stage. Similar theaters, such as the Comedie Francaise in Paris,
and La Scala in Milan, fulfilled similar roles by offering
entertainment to the citizens of their cities. Although the
original Globe Theatre burned down, Shakespeare's plays are still
performed in a new theater bearing his name, and in other theaters
throughout the world.
Rating: *
Comments: Almost completely useless. It only affects one city, and civil
disorder becomes less and less of a problem as you get better
governments. If you do build it, make sure to build it in your
biggest city that produces military units (if you're in a
democracy) in order to counteract citizens becoming discontent
through large population or because units are away from home.
WONDERS OF THE INDUSTRIAL AGE
Leonardo's Workshop
-------------------
Prerequisite: Invention
Cost: 400
Expires: Automobile
Function: Whenever one of your units becomes obsolete because of a new
technology you have discovered, it is immediately replaced by an
equivalent modern unit.
Description: Leonardo da Vinci was one of the most celebrated painters of the
Italian Renaissance. His most famous works include the "Mona Lisa"
and "The Last Supper". Although best known for his art, da Vinci
was also an accomplished observer and designer. Preserved in his
sketch books are ideas for dozens of inventions, many of them
centuries ahead of their time. These include designs for such
devices as draw bridges, construction equipment, parachutes, and
even helicopters. His scientific and technical drawings became the
basis for the development of many of these modern devices.
Rating: *****
Comments: One of the best Wonders available to be built. When you research
the ability to make a new unit, all of your more primitive units
get upgraded to this new unit (like Phalanx -> Musketeer). It's
pretty much essential to winning, as it alleviates the burden of
having to build new military units to keep up with your
technological strength. It also won't go obsolete for a long time,
meaning you'll get quite a lot of use out of it. Build it as soon
as you can.
J.S. Bach's Cathedral
---------------------
Prerequisite: Theology
Cost: 400
Expires: NONE
Function: Decreases unhappy citizens on same continent by 2 per city.
Description: Few composers were more prolific or beloved than Johann Sebastian
Bach. Bach, the most well-known member of a gifted family of
German musicians, was perhaps the finest composer of the baroque
style of music. In his time, he wrote numerous choral and
orchestral pieces. During his lifetime, he was renowned as an
organist and music director of St. Thomas' Church in Leipzig, and
many of his compositions were religious in nature. After his
death, Bach's music gained worldwide appreciation.
Rating: ****
Comments: Great to build on your home continent, as it will make civil
disorder virtually extinct in your biggest cities. Civil disorder
is an annoyance that we could really all live without, especially
when you're in a democracy, so this Wonder is certainly worth it.
Isaac Newton's College
----------------------
Prerequisite: Theory of Gravity
Cost: 400
Obsolete: NONE
Function: Doubles science output of city.
Description: Sir Isaac Newton, a mathematician and physicist, is considered to
be one of the greatest scientists of all time. He is credited with
many important discoveries including the laws of gravity, the
color spectrum of light, calculus, fluid dynamics, and an
understanding of ocean tides. He also built the world's first
reflecting telescope. For 32 years, he held an important teaching
post at Cambridge University, where he continued his own research
while instructing a generation of students.
Rating: **
Comments: I have the same problems with this as I do with Copernicus'
Observatory, though this is obviously better as it doubles the
science output instead of just adding 50%. If you're going to
build it, build it in the city that has the most trade.
Adam Smith's Trading Co.
------------------------
Prerequisite: Economics
Cost: 400
Expires: NONE
Function: Pays the maintenance for all city improvements which ordinarily
cost 1 gold per turn. City improvements requiring more than 1 gold
per turn maintenance are not affected.
Description: Adam Smith is generally regarded as the father of modern
economics. In his book "The Wealth of Nations", he analyzed the
economic processes of supply and demand, and discussed how free
trade and individual ambition would lead to both economic and
social growth. Smith favored a political environment where the
government would only become involved in business and trade to
preserve justice and order. Smith's ideas of economics and the
lack of government involvement form the basis of modern economic
liberalism.
Rating: *****
Comments: Another essential Wonder, this one will cut your total costs by
around 50%. Aside from the obvious benefits, this will allow you
to focus more of your taxes on science, thus resulting in your
civilization really surging ahead of the others in technology.
There's no question about it: build this Wonder.
Darwin's Voyage
---------------
Prerequisite: Railroad
Cost: 400
Expires: NONE
Function: Two free civilization advances.
Description: Charles Darwin, the main proponent of the theory of evolution
based on natural selection, built up much of his evidence for
this theory during a five-year voyage around the world. His voyage
aboard the H.M.S. Beagle was instrumental not only in the
establishment of his theory, but also in the application of the
scientific method to the study of nature. Darwin published his
theory of evolution in his book "The Origin of Species". His
studies were so thorough that the scientific world never
challenged his findings. However, his findings were, and continue
to be, challenged on philosophical and religious grounds. Darwin's
research opened many new lines of inquiry, and inspired a wave of
new biological research.
Rating: ***
Comments: Two free advances really aren't that many - maybe eight turns
worth of time. But every opportunity to get ahead of the other
civilizations in terms of technology should be seized. That said,
it's a pretty average Wonder that need not really be prioritized.
Statue of Liberty
-----------------
Prerequisite: Democracy
Cost: 400
Expires: NONE
Function: Eliminates the period of unrest between governments. Also allows
any form of government to be chosen, even if the proper advance
has not been discovered.
Description: The Statue of Liberty is one of the largest statues in the world.
Measuring over 300 feet tall from the base of her pedestal, the
statue was originally constructed of copper plating over an iron
framework and weighs over 250 metric tons. Designed by French
sculptor Frederic Bartholdi, the statue with her upraised torch
and the broken chains of tyranny at her feet, was presented to the
United States by the French government in 1886 to commemorate 100
years of American independence. The statue itself, Liberty Island,
and nearby Ellis Island became a national monument in 1924. For
more than a century, the Statue of Liberty has stood at the mouth
of the New York harbor. Often the first sight seen by immigrants
arriving in America, Lady Liberty symbolizes the ideals of freedom
upon which the United States was founded.
Rating: ***
Comments: The usefulness of this Wonder really depends on which government
you're going for. If you want a democracy and plan on staying in
it for the rest of the game, then obviously this Wonder is
useless. Personally, I prefer Communism, and generally it's faster
to build the Statue of Liberty than research Communism. Also, the
elimination of the period of unrest when you change governments is
pretty useful, as anarchy is extremely wasteful, even if it only
lasts 2 or 3 turns.
Eiffel Tower
------------
Prerequisite: Steam Engine
Cost: 300
Expires: NONE
Function: When you first obtain control of the Eiffel Tower, every
civilization's attitude toward you is immediately shifted 25
points in your favor (on a hundred point scale). Attitudes
continue to improve gradually over time. Other civilizations are
also quicker to forget your past transgressions.
Description: The Eiffel Tower is one of the world's most famous landmarks.
Built for the Universal Exposition of 1889, the tower rises 984
feet above Paris' Champ de Mars, near the Seine River. Structural
engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel built the tower at a cost of
more than $1 million to demonstrate how steel and iron could be
utilized in the construction of extremely tall buildings. The
tallest building in the world when it was originally built, the
Eiffel Tower drew crowds of awestruck observers from around the
world. Today, it remains one of Paris' leading tourist
attractions.
Rating: ***
Comments: Not a bad Wonder, as it's fairly cheap to build. It rectifies any
"mistakes" you may have made earlier in the game, like breaking
any treaties. Also, the more civilizations like you, the more
likely they'll be to do things like share their map knowledge or
offer you money in exchange for a treaty. It's not essential, but
it's a quick and easy build with good payoffs.
WONDERS OF THE MODERN WORLD
Women's Suffrage
----------------
Prerequisite: Industrialization
Cost: 600
Expires: NONE
Function: Counts as a Police Station in every one of your cities (Decreases
unhappiness caused by troops away from city by 1).
Description: After decades of struggle, women in the United States won the
right to vote in 1920 with the passage of the 19th Amendment to
the U.S. Constitution. The achievement of women's suffrage was
accelerated by the excellent record of women working in jobs
traditionally held by men during World War I. Full voting rights
were granted to women in Great Britain in 1928. Since that time,
women have gained the right to vote in most countries in the
developed world.
Rating: * to ****
Comments: Usefulness varies depending on what government you're using. If
you're using Communism or Fundamentalism, this Wonder is
completely useless, as there are no "away-from-home" penalties
under those governments. But for a democracy this Wonder is great
to have, as Police Stations are effective means of blunting the
away-from-home effect. And it's certainly easier to simply build
Women's Suffrage rather than build a Police Station in every city
you have.
Hoover Dam
----------
Prerequisite: Electronics
Cost: 600
Expires: NONE
Function: Provides Hydro power to every city on every continent.
Description: For centuries, mankind has been harnessing the power of rivers to
move waterwheels for various purposes. With the advent of
electrical power, it was found the rivers were also very useful
for generating electricity. Hydroelectric power plants derive
power from rivers by constructing dams to ensure a dependable
supply of water. The overflow is then released through special
chambers where the moving water turns giant turbines, generating
electricity. When planned and engineered properly, this system
provides an excellent power source with very limited environmental
impact. The Hoover Dam, constructed on the Colorado River near Las
Vegas, was one of the earliest hydroelectric power plants.
Rating: *****
Comments: One of the best Wonders to have. Hydro power is really good for
your cities to have, as it's much cleaner than Power plants and
safer than Nuclear plants. Also, since each Hydro plant costs 240
shields to build, it's much more efficient to simply build the
Hoover Dam - it'll save you tons of shields down the road. This is
definitely a Wonder you should prioritize.
Manhattan Project
-----------------
Prerequisite: Nuclear Fission
Cost: 600
Expires: NONE
Function: Allows nuclear weapons to be built.
Description: The Manhattan Project was the code name for an intensive and
costly research effort during World War II that resulted in the
development of atomic weapons. The first two such weapons, the
bombs dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima in 1945, brought an end to
the second World War. For a short time, the United States held a
monopoly on atomic weapons. However, by 1949 the Soviet Union had
also developed similar technology, based in part on Manhattan
Project information obtained through espionage. The nuclear
standoff that has resulted from this balance of power may be
largely responsible for the absence of major wars since World War
II.
Rating: **
Comments: I almost never use nuclear weapons, so for me this Wonder isn't
worth it. Nuclear weapons, while powerful, are messy and tend to
get the entire world pissed off at you. They're really more of a
last resort kind of weapon, and none of my games have ever come to
that point. But if you like using nuclear weapons, then this is a
necessary Wonder to build.
United Nations
--------------
Prerequisite: Communism
Cost: 600
Expires: NONE
Function: Free embassy with every other civilization. Enemy civ's cannot
refuse your peace treaties. As a democracy, you can declare war
50% of the time (peacekeeping missions).
Description: Established following World War II, the United Nations is an
international organization dedicated to promoting world peace and
security. The U.N. also attempts to achieve international
cooperation in solving world problems concerning the environment,
economics, and cultural issues. Although its peace keeping role
is not always entirely successful, it has remained an effective
forum for debate where all nations can voice their concerns on
matters of worldwide importance.
Rating: ***
Comments: A good replacement for Marco Polo's Embassy, along with a few
bonuses. Enemy civilizations never refusing your peace treaties is
not as useful as it may sound, as enemy civilizations tend to
break treaties quite liberally anyway. But if you're playing as a
democracy the last function of the UN is very nice. The Senate
tends to be annoying in forging peace treaties behind your back,
but this way you can undo that half of the time, a very handy tool
to have. If you're in a democracy, I'd definitely suggest building
this Wonder; if not, it's nice to have but not essential.
Apollo Program
--------------
Prerequisite: Space Flight
Cost: 600
Expires: NONE
Function: Allows construction of spaceship improvements.
Description: The Apollo Program was begun by the United States in the late
1960s. Following the success of the manned orbital missions of the
Mercury and Gemini programs, the destination of the Apollo
programs was the moon. The early Apollo flights concentrated on
orbital observations of the moon, and testing the docking systems
of the Apollo craft. The ultimate goal of the Apollo Program was
accomplished by Apollo 11 on July 20, 1969, when Neil Armstrong
became the first human to walk on the moon. Several other landings
followed, the last being Apollo 17 in December, 1972. The Apollo
program truly represented a "giant leap of mankind". The U.S.
manned lunar missions are unparalleled feats in space exploration,
and the technology originally developed for the Apollo Program was
later found to be invaluable in designing future space vehicles
and orbital platforms.
Rating: * to *****
Comments: Building a spaceship is one way to win the game, and if you're
planning on doing so then this Wonder is a necessity. If not, then
there's not much point to building it. Personally, I don't like
building a spaceship to win, as that takes a lot of the fun out of
the game. But if you want to, then you should probably rush the
technology needed for this Wonder and build it as fast as you can.
SETI Program
------------
Prerequisite: Computers
Cost: 600
Expires: NONE
Function: Counts as a research lab in every one of your cities; effectively
doubles your science output.
Description: The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) was officially
initiated by the United States in the latter half of the 20th
Century. The purpose of the program was to find some sort of
conclusive evidence that intelligent life existed beyond the
confines of our planet. Employing banks of radio-telescopes and
other detection equipment, SETI scans the skies hoping to find
proof of extraterrestrial life in the form of radio transmissions
and other activity. Although the program has yet to find such
proof, the effort has produced many useful benefits to astronomy,
telecommunications, and other high-tech fields.
Rating: *****
Comments: It DOUBLES your science output for your entire civilization. I
really don't need to explain why this is essential to build. Some
of the latest technologies are some of the most important, so
being able to research them quickly will really give you an
advantage over the other civilizations. This is one of the best
Wonders you can build.
Cure for Cancer
---------------
Prerequisite: Genetic Engineering
Cost: 600
Expires: NONE
Function: One extra happy citizen in each city.
Description: Despite the huge outlays of cash for research and study, cancer
still looms as a terrifying and deadly plague on the human race.
Although scientists and doctors have discovered many different
forms of cancer, and have identified some of the factors that can
trigger the disease, a true cure still eludes modern medical
science. A cure for cancer would put an end to the source of much
suffering and anguish, and allow millions of people, who would
otherwise be doomed, to lead happy and productive lives.
Rating: ****
Comments: Exactly the same as the Hanging Gardens, except it never expires.
Civil disorder is as annoying as ever, and this Wonder will really
help to reduce it to manageable levels (especially if you're in a
democracy). If you're not having trouble with civil disorder, then
this one can be skipped, but in most games I like building this as
a luxury.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. Credits
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MPS Labs, for developing such a great game.
CJayC, for letting us copy the disclaimer at the top... about not copying
material. Hey, doesn't that defeat the purpose?
SBAllen, for his continued excellent administration of the site following
CJayC's retirement.
Coke Zero. The soda. I love that stuff.
Thanks for reading!
Copyright 2008 by Max Beaumont
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