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Introduction
Game Setup
Units
Combat
Rescources
City Improvements
A-C  D-L   M-R  S-U
Terrian Improvements
Wonders
Diplomacy
Governments
Mulitplayer
 
Chapter Five: City Improvements

Publishing House

Initial cost: 540
Maintenance cost: 6
Effect: +25 percent science, +1/2 science per citizen
Restrictions: Land only
Prerequisite: Printing press

Extremely inexpensive and arguably better than its counterpart wonder (Gutenberg's Bible, also discovered through the printing press advance), the publishing house can be a cheap way to boost science levels of the city in which it's built. Like all city improvements, choose that host city wisely; don't waste time building the publishing house in your production centers. Devote that city almost strictly to scientific research.

If you're in a hurry to build a particular city improvement, bring up the production screen for the city and select rush buy. If you have the money to spare, you can accelerate the production of the item.
 

Rail Launcher

Initial cost: 6,000
Maintenance cost: 15
Effect: Launches units into space
Restrictions: Land and sea only
Prerequisite: Super conductor (with space flight)

Planning space exploration? The quickest way to establish colonies in space is to construct the rail launcher in your production centers. Remember, choose that host city wisely. Constructing the rail launcher in a city that does nothing but collect gold or research advances will do nothing for your exploration of space. The sole purpose of the rail launcher is to send units to space; therefore, you must place this improvement in a unit-building city.


Recycling Plant

Initial cost: 3,000
Maintenance cost: 5
Effect: -200 percent pollution, lowers worldwide pollution
Restrictions: None
Prerequisite: Conservation

Quite the versatile advance, conservation lets you construct pollution-killing recycling plants, a must if several cities are suffering from rampant toxic waste. Further, the conservation advance also awards its discoverer with the ecotopian governmental model as well as the eco terrorist unit, two solid acquisitions for clever military offensives.


Robotic Plant

Initial cost: 4,500
Maintenance cost: 45
Effect: +50 percent production, +100 percent pollution
Restrictions: None
Prerequisite: Robotics

Plenty of interesting gadgets lie down the robotics research path (following mass production). On the city improvement side of things, the robotic plant can be yet another method for boosting the critical resource of production units, perhaps the most important late-game resource when producing military units and wonders becomes a "who can do it faster" affair. But, like most positive production bonuses, the robotic plant comes with a substantial pollution price tag, not to mention a fat maintenance cost. As most players have probably built various production-enhancing improvements, you could steer clear of the robotic plant. Consider the improvement, however, if you are either extremely desperate or relatively pollution free.

Next: SDI, security monitornext
 
 

 
 
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