What is the Demographics screen for?

[Maelhavok]

Hello Civ2 fans,

I have been wondering what the point was to it? I have seen posts that imply if you're #1 in this, that happens. If so, what happens? I use this screen forpopulations. I really don't know what this screen is telling me. Military service? The purple guys are richer than me? I enjoy using all info to my advantage, but I don't care to waste valuable game time. If this is just cosmetic,fine but if it is to supply one screen reference to various pertinent demographics it seemsthey should not have bothered. I can think of many stats I would rather see than pollution levels!

Merry holidays,

Maelhavok

if I recall correctly the purple guys have a bug and always seem to have sh*tloads of money. I heard they are always #1. Somebody posted what each one goes to, but I really don't know where to find it. it might be in the strategy section

population: self explanatory
land area: self explanatory
I think literacy shows your science rate. good to be #1
Disease: is this the # of aquaducts/sewer systems? not sure
pollution: well you know what that is
life expectancy: I think based on food surplus


I sure wish I could remember all these. I may look for that thread. Not to important though. Especially if you have embassy's. Then you can check their techs and bank (I think).

[Builder]

actually it is very useful screen.

It allows you to check your position on the planet.

Many times it helps me to decide whether to keep expanding(when i'm in the last places of territory) or to start playing in perfectionist stile(when disease are high and literature is low).

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That was another post in my long journey to EMPEROR.

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i don't take exe files from gifted children that know assembly" - Sirotnikov being paranoid again...

[Bereta_Eder]

It is my most valuable screen. I use it everytime!

My formost concern is to be #1 in literacy.
Second comes GNP and third productivity (or is it efficiency? I mean the last one)
It's extremely useful to my way of playing. I don';t need to have established embasies to get info about where I stand in the world. The demographics screen does a large deal of that work. And from the very begginning.

I never care about military service though. The others may have more units but it's technology that counts.

[Bereta_Eder]

Oh. Growth rate (number of children) and manufacturing capacity are also importand statistics in that screen

[Smash]

Demographics

[jcarkey]

For me, the most important items are the M. Goods, Population, Productivity, and Literacy. M. Goods and Productivity show me how capable of putting out units if a war came, Population to relativly compare sizes of my civ to others and Literacy to show how advanced I am. There is a thread called "Locating a Civ using Demographics"

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[This message has been edited by jcarkey (edited December 22, 2000).]

[ChrisShaffer]

I never use it until I've established embassies with all the other civilizations. The game is easy enough already - this screen gives you free info on which civilizations are in the game and their relative status. Hopefully, in Civ3, you won't get numbers for civilizations you don't know.

[Builder]

What the productivity means?

[Builder]

ok, never mind.

Saw it in the site Smash brought.

[Maelhavok]

Hello Civ2 fans,

Thank you all for your input. I really didn't understand what the screen was saying. Thank you Smash for the link. I can now use the info to maximize my gain. Family size = relative food surplus. I didn't have a clue.
I can see some of your points about game imbalance by intellengently utilizing info. Personnaly I like the Strategy as well as the Tactics and I can really see a clearer picture of the lay of the land w/F-11.

Merry Holidays,

Maelhavok