Honestly, it all depends on the game itself. If you are on a large map with lots of area, Pyramids is nearly REQUIRED to win. Teh ability to spawn growth not only makes for larger cities but improved research, production, etc. City size 5 beats the hell out of city size 3.

Magellan's is important if you are isolated by geography from the rest of the Civs. The extra two moves is the difference between naval superiorty and waiting for Stealth...

But...

Overall, in Deity, the single most important improvement is Mike's Chapel. This is exacerbated on large maps with a large number of cities, as new cities start out in disorder. Not with Mike's...think of the productivity and tax and science boosts available by removing the need for Enterntainers and allowing even a 10% reduction in luxury level.

Don't get me wrong. The Pyramids are awesome, but if I had to choose only ONE wonder it would be Adam's. That's at both Emperor and Deity.

This thread is just another piece of evidence that this game is capable of being played over and over, with different strategies, none of which are wrong.

quote: Originally posted by Steve Clark on 04-17-2000 03:00 PM The favorable comment about Pyramids I just don't agree with, but then again, that's the genius of Civ2! A size 5 city is NOT better than a size 3 city if those two extra citizens causes unhappiness problems. A size 3 city, fully productive is more beneficial to my civ than one that causes me to reduce my research production. Or better said, I would much rather have a size 3 and a size 2 city than one at size 5 early in the game. Therefore, I just don't want grow my cities faster than I can manage. IMO, of course.

You are telling me that with X game turns you'd rather have a size 5 city than size 3? Now you cannot compare a size 5 city with a size 3 and size 2 city - the dual cities actually produce one more square. Not to mention you cannot get a size 3 and size 2 city without granary in the same time as a size 5 with.

A city producing 2 extra food without granary will grow in 10 turns, grow again in 15 turns, grow again in 20 turns. So in 45 turns you will be up to size 4.

The same city with Pyramidal granary will grow in 10 turns, in 8 turns, in 10 turns, in 15 turns, and be size 5 in 43 turns.

Factor Size x Time and you end up with 100 units of production (Trade, production) for city 1. For city 2 that's 126. That's 26 extra production squares that can be excess trade or shields.

Note that this turns into a REAL ***** on the next growth cycle, taking 25 turns for city 1 and 13 for city 2, giving, by turn 70, 200 production units for City 1 to 265 for City 2.

Extrapolate that across your entire dominion, and it becomes pretty obvious the growth factor Pyramids gives is extremely valuable. It is exacerbated by actually building Settlers in these cities, as they A) are built faster in city 2, B) impact production less because the come from a larger city.

I rarely build The Pyramids.Not that I dont want to.Just I want the science wonders 1st and the ai usually builds them first.A good wonder if you cant celebrate.(Monarchy Commie).

With my smaller civs these days I find it faster to build improvements.
Temple,colliseum,cathedral with a market, bank and stock exchange +trade routes=large cities(20+) with 10% luxuries under Democracy.In fact you will probably have to sell sewers to stop growing into negative food situations.

In the end, i have more settlers than i can poke a stick at, good science and tax, and a civ which can gear into war mode effectively against any threat. I have enough cities to build MC, Leonardo's, Adam Smith, Magellan's if necessary, and even King Richard's to build even more wonders - all at once.

Early in the game, I want to be building mostly Settlers (not Temples) and for that you must wait for a city to reach size 2. Pyramids are no help at all getting a city from size 1 to 2. After you've expanded a bit, happiness becomes a big problem and Pyramids only make it worse.

I'v come to like Colussus instead of Pyramids in the early game: doesn't expire until Flight (if the game even lasts that long).
I usually build it in my capital, since there is NEVER corruption & it has the most citizens to work & max advantage.

If U have selected your location well as U should(good specials with lots of arrows) & are a road-builder as i; building the Col = huge jump in EVERYTHING except production (then of course, gold buys anything, anywhere).

Depending on alot of other factors, i'll build it AFTER i'v built a library & marketplace to leverage it's effect. By then, U'v got trade, build 3 caravans asap... send'm to the best trading destinations & WALLA, instant wealth, research, & it just keeps on coming, turn after turn, century after century!!
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Mid-game: i'm leaning more & more to Sun's rather than Leo's.

1st: U can build it sooner.
2nd: Someone HAS TO get to the automobile(=no Leo's) BEFORE they get to mobile warfare (=no Sun's)
3rd: Yeah U get updated units w/ Leo's, but they all turn to rookies! It barely matters that a vet phalax turns to a musketeer, defense still = 3. Or heaven forbid, U lose all your vet pikers & i come at your newbie musketeers w/ my vet Crusaders!

4th: It's rather easy to "convert" a naval vessel to a vet w/o the Lighthouse; U just kill some hapless settler/warrior/horse & WALLA(!) instant vet naval unit.
And i enjoy nothing more than to pull up next to a walled enemy city w/ my vet frigate & blow away a couple of non-multipled defenders, land a couple of vet crusaders, & fight/walk right into the city. Surprise!
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As for late game:
Gotta go with U guys that like Hoover Dam = HUGE production & pollution advanage... just when U need both the most.

For what it's worth. Play on!