Civilization IV/World Wonders

Angkor Wat
Cost: 500 (double production rate with stone)

Requires: Philosophy

Expires: Computers

GPP: +2 priset

Effect:

- +8 culture

- +1 hammer from priest

- 3 more priest slot

Comment: A wonder geared towards Great People Strategy. This wonder tends to make your cities producing prophets in the mid to late game when you really want something else. I therefore avoid it. However, its affect is not bad if you want extra production for your military.

rate = 2/5

Chichen Itza
Cost: 500 (double production rate with stone)

Requires: Code of Laws

Expires: Rifling

GPP: +2 priset

Effect:

- +6 culture

- +25% defense in all cities

Comment: I never build this wonder. Partly because I am always the aggressor, and partly because I usually have enough prophets. +25% defense might seem a significant advantage, but if you consider that it still can be negated by siege units, you realize that it is a waste of hammer that can be used to produce unit that actually do the defenses. The only reason I can think of that you would like to build it is to prevent the AI building it.

rate = 1/5

Church of the Nativity

 * Note: Can only be built in a holy city with a Great Prophet.

The Dai Miao

 * Note: Can only be built in a holy city with a Great Prophet.

Eiffel Tower
Cost: 1250 (double production rate with Iron)

Requires: Radio, Forge

GPP: +2 Merchant

Effect:

- +6 culture

- Free broadcast tower in every city

Comment: A rather late wonder. I am usually dominating that I can build it with relative ease and little competition. The broadcast tower +25% culture, add happiness with the cultural slider and double happiness from movies, musicals and hits. To say the truth, broadcast tower is not expensive, and I primarily build it just to reduce micromanagement. If you are facing fierce competition, turn your attention to Hollywood, Rock n' Roll instead

rate = 2/5

The Great Library
Cost: 350 (double production rate with Marble)

Requires: Literature, Library

GPP: +2 Scientist

Effect:

- +8 culture

- 2 Free scientist

Comment: It should be noted that the two free scientist also generate +3 scientist points each. Therefore, a total of 8 scientist point is added to your GPP pool. You would find that great scientists would be pumping out of it soon. If you want to avoid too much scientist, build the national epic elsewhere. In terms of beaker generation, this wonder is not bad, great on small maps (few cities), and wonderful if running Representation with Pyramid. One of the must-build wonders.

rate = 5/5

The Great Lighthouse
Cost: 200

Requires: Sailing, Masonry, Lighthouse

Expires: Coporation GPP: +2 Merchant

Effect:

- +6 culture

- +2 trade route in all coastal cities

Comment: The Pharos provides a decent bonus if you are playing on islands or sneaky continents. If you build it early on, be sure to sent out your Galleys to scout open up foreign trade route, or you would be wasting the bonus. Try build coastal cities as much as possible, and prepare yourself to go for the Colossus. You would then have an economic powerhouse. If you start in the middle of a big continent, forget about it.

rate = 4/5

Hagia Sophia
Cost: 550 (double production rate with Marble)

Requires: Engineering (vanilla and warlord) Theology (BTS)

Expires: Steam Power GPP: +2 Engineer

Effect:

- +8 culture

- +50% worker work rate

Comment: The Hagia Sophia simply provide the steam power worker bonus earlier. I find it not so appealing, but other may argue that with conjunction with serfdom, you get ultra fast workers! It seems good if you got bunch of Jungle to clear. I rather build troops to capture more worker. But since it produce engineer point, I will +1 to my rate

rate = 2+1 = 3/5

The Hanging Gardens
Cost: 300 (double production rate with Stone)

Requires: Mathematics, Aquaduct

GPP: +2 Engineer

Effect:

- +6 culture

- +1 health in all cities

- +1 population in all cities

Comment: No one can say no to extra health, and Hanging Garden is cheap if you get stone. It also add one more population in every cities once it is built, which goes a long way to boost your economy and production, although I found it strange that every time a built it my treasury income would decrease. Oh, and lets not forget it produce engineer points.

rate = 4+1 = 5/5

Internet

 * Note: Considered a World Project.

Kashi Wishwanath

 * Note: Can only be built in a holy city with a Great Prophet.

Kong Miao

 * Note: Can only be built in a holy city with a Great Prophet.

The Kremlin
Cost: 800 (double production rate with stone)

Requires: Communism (vanilla and warlord) Theology (BTS)

GPP: +2 artist (Vanila and Warlord)/ +2 spy (BTS)

Effect:

- -33% hurry production cost

Comment: This wonder is only effective under democracy (ironically) or slavery. I usually run representation and emancipation, but some guys just don't like waiting. To me, hurrying production is useful in the early games, but not much effective in the late game where you have so many cities. I never plan to build it, but occasionally I feel the leisure to build it if the AI is really backwards

rate = 2 = 2/5

Mahabodhi

 * Note: Can only be built in a holy city with a Great Prophet.

Manhattan Project

 * Note: Considered a World Project.

Masjid al-Haram

 * Note: Can only be built in a holy city with a Great Prophet.

Notre Dame
Cost: 550 (double production rate with Stone)

Requires: Music (vanilla and warlord) /Engineering (BTS)

GPP: +2 artist

Effect:

- +10 culture

- +1 happiness in all cities on same continent

Comment: free happiness! they don't come very often, especially during times of war. Wouldn't it be nice if you reassure the masses of people that they will go to heaven when they die on the battlefield? The only downside is that it might not be so cost-effective on small maps or islands

rate = 4/5

The Oracle
Cost: 150 (double production rate with Marble)

Requires: Priesthood

GPP: +2 Prophet

Effect:

- +8 culture

- 1 free tech

Comment: This early wonder offers some interesting game plays, gambits and strategies. One of the most common and easy one is to get Confucianism through Code of Law. Others involve getting Longbowman early on by Monarch->Feudalism. One elaborate strategy involve getting metal casting to build a forge, which allows a engineer and produce a great Engineer to hurry a Pyramid. Seems complicated, but it works. Even without a long term strategy, a free tech could give you a decisive advantage.

rate = 5/5