To destroy or not to destroy (unique buildings)

[Zim]

I was just wondering what most players do with the unique buildings in settlements they conquer. Do you ever destroy them? I just had a very difficult war with Carthage (still going on, actually), losing one of my best settlements and many soldiers, and just finally managed to take Carthage itself. Now I'm trying to convince myself to sack their unique building for the money (and revenge) but I'm having trouble bringing myself to actually do it...

[Megas Methuselah]

Destroy. And don't forget to dump all the salt on the ruins.

[HunGeneral]

I ususally act like my faction would. ÍFor example as Makedon I destroy the Colossos of Rhodus because it is a memory for a makedonian defeat - something no true makedonian would allow to stand.

As with Carthage: if you are palying as Romani then don't hesitate to ruin there unique buildings: they give no bonus to you, you can get lots of money this way and you cause harm to your enemy which he can't repair.

As some factions you can leavy many unique buildings standing, if your wish or if it provides you any bonuses. As barbarians or nomads I destroy wonders not connected to my own culture.

[Zim]

I am playing as the Roman (played EB for several years, since .8 came out and never played as them for more than a dozen turns or so before...). It does seem to be the rp thing to do, and all I get from the temple of Baal is a slight increase in tradeable goods and +1 morale or something, nothing like the big bonus Carthage gets.

It's just so hard for me to destroy anything historical...

I'll probably go ahead and do it. It does help knowing other people destroy unique buildings. Feel less sacriligeous.

[HunGeneral]

Sacriligeus?

Youre "playing" the future lord of the world in this game - in 90% of all cases your dinasty or empire will be the one who writes history so they will say what is "sacriligeus" (anything your enemies have done to you and your people) and what is "not sacriligeus" (anything you have/are/will be doing)

Now seriously most of the time some empires or kingdoms would have destroyed these "buildings" - the Romani Barbaroi destroyed most of Karthadast and any culture that got into there path. The epirotes plundered the royal makedonian tombs, and there are many such cases in history...

And like it is said "History is written by the victor." (does anyone know the latin or greek term for it?) So don't hesitate to do what you must do for your empire and your people.

[Chris1959]

I tend to leave well alone, doesn't do to offend local Gods! Of course playing as Romanii you can afford such generosity as money is not a problem.
Also in reality most would be plundered not destroyed, and remember we don't get the negative hit from touching such sites, destroying the Temple in Jerusalem should, say, come with a 50 year -90% unrest!

[MerlinusCDXX]

Playing as Pahlava, I mostly leave buildings alone, since the Pahlavans were pretty tolerant of most local customs, except when the building in question has anything to do with Alexander. If so, it gets immediately torn down. No Parthian king would leave such a monument to one who conquered his lands standing.

[Mikhail Mengsk]

I usuallly destroy all that doesn't give me bonuses.

[Jebivjetar]

Long time ago when playing with Pontos i was in HUUGE debt so i've destroyed mausoleum at Halicarnass. After that i was ashamed and from that time i don't destroy any unique buildings.

[Maion Maroneios]

If you want to be like the rest who do, then go on and destroy them.

Maion

[mountaingoat]

i usually leave them , even if they are damaged ... in my current getai campaign , the parthenon is half destroyed (due to my raid on atheni) ... just a bit over 1000 years early.

[Apázlinemjó]

For faction-rp purpose I destroy some of them if needed.

[mountaingoat]

apparently you can demolish the mountain in sarmiszegethusa

[Ibn-Khaldun]

IIRC, then you can "destroy" those unique lakes in Tolosa as well.

[Aemilius Paulus]

apparently you can demolish the mountain in sarmiszegethusa

That is messed up. I agree.

IIRC, then you can "destroy" those unique lakes in Tolosa as well.

But this is not. For one, draining lakes is usually quite simple in comparison. Unless they are mountain lakes, as those can be formed in natural pits in the solid rock. But anyway, the reason why that lake can be drained is because tonnes of valuables were sacrifice there. In the building description it says that you can either destroy (drain) it for money or leave it for happiness (Which it does give you regardless of your faction.

As for myself, I used to destroy useless unique buildings (including the ones with morale and/or trade bonuses, as both did not work), but now I do not destroy anything. I like the uniqueness.

[Satyros]

I have only destroyed one building .

As Epeiros , when captured Roma after a bitter early game struggle against Romaioi ( nope , never got their hands on precious Taras , just tried once and I cut them from the shoulder down ) I happily destroyed the Temple of Jupiter Maximus ( or something like that ) .

You see I needed the 20k , and wanted the Romaioi to cry a river .

Both objectives accomplished , I was a richer and happier man .

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

So a tip from me about any Epeiros players out there : DO NOT DISBAND YOUR ELEPHANTES INDIKOI or any units for that matter ! If anything train some more Phalangites Deuteroi with your starting money and move them all across after you capture a couple of Mak cities . You should leave the northernerns and the southerners to their own struggle , strike a peace deal with the Makedonians ( which should be easy after you capture Demetrias ), then focus on the Romaioi , don't even go near Rhegion . To the north . To the downfall of the Romaioi . It took me 5 years of bitter struggle and many battles against all odds but I wiped the Romans , making the Megale Hellas a reality . Yep , the elephants did the trick . Had only one elephant remaining ( = 3 unit str ) , by the time that campaign was over , with 2 golden chevrons .

Then turn to your Greek cousins , Sicily and empire building .

You owe it to Pyrros , you know you do .

Oh , as soon as finances permit DON'T FORGET TO STRENGTHEN YOUR GARISSON IN DEMETRIAS , to discourage any offensive from the Maks and the KH against you in an attempt for any of them to gain the upper hand in what seems to be an even battle . In my game I resolved this simply by picking who to destroy first , it was the KH . Soon after that I attacked and made the Maks my protectorate , so now I am looking towards the east .

Ride the breeze of better times
where there are enemies to die
High fame and honour
won on the fields of battle .

Satyros

[Alsatia]

I just leave them alone, if I am in debt I usually demolish the useless ones.

[Saldunz]

apparently you can demolish the mountain in sarmiszegethusa

That is messed up. I agree.

I believe it's not so much you 'demolishing' the site as it is you plundering it, much one can plunder Delphi. Any holy place tends to be rich in booty.

It's good to know other people feel dirty about demolishing these buildings too. I can never bring myself to do it.

[Chris1959]

I actually "repaired" the cedars of lebanon and next turn got a nice little message aknowledging my plans to stop the damage to the forests!

[Apázlinemjó]

I actually "repaired" the cedars of lebanon and next turn got a nice little message aknowledging my plans to stop the damage to the forests!

Ancient Greenpeace, lawl.

[Maion Maroneios]

LOL at the Greenpeace comment

I remember repairing the Temple of Artemis once for a whooping 20,000+ or something like that. I thought I saw around 2,000, so you bet I was surprised to see my incomes high in the red the next turn.

Maion

[Mikhail Mengsk]

Oh, THAT unique buildings! I thought we were talking about foreign governments/barracks!

i never destroy unique buildings, i like to read their description.

[Maion Maroneios]

Oh, THAT unique buildings!

Well, isn't it obvious?

Maion

[Urg]

I usuallly destroy all that doesn't give me bonuses.

Me too.

[Vasiliyi]

Ive never destroyed those unique buildings. I think that later in the game after Ive conquered the world Ill look back and think of what a benevolent ruler Ive been.

[Knight of Heaven]

Yes i never destroy any of those unic buildings, in some cases i even reapair then if need be. I never feel the need to fill my coffers i have always alot of monney,main expection is in the start turns.
im doing a makedonian campaing and a romani one. i thought to destroy those temples in Cartage but i didnt do it...yet i belive ill do not for the need but for role play. ill also destroy the temple in jerusalem, when ill conquer it as romani. Alltough ill not destroy any other wonder.

"History is written by the victor."

This was said by Wiston Churchill

[Gunzak]

Ok maybe I am not understanding but are you saying that unique buildings only help the faction that built them? I am playing a Roman campaign right now, conquered about 40 cities around 230BC, and have not destroyed any unique buildings just baracks, local militia and the foreign governments. If they offer no benefit then I might as well destroy them.

[Macilrille]

Ok maybe I am not understanding but are you saying that unique buildings only help the faction that built them? I am playing a Roman campaign right now, conquered about 40 cities around 230BC, and have not destroyed any unique buildings just baracks, local militia and the foreign governments. If they offer no benefit then I might as well destroy them.

Some do, some do not is the short answer. The long one is that to the original owner or anyone of same culture, there is a large bonus, for others there is a smaller one, sometimes none. In my current Sweboz campaign I destroy some, but leave some, Stonehenge still stands for example, while the lakes at Tolosa is drained for all the gold. Rome was dead anyway, so Caepio could not do it ;-)

[Cute Wolf]

2 Options:

1 - As The Nomad / Barbaric King (Alter ego 1)
Naah, I'm actually not so benovalent nor humane... especially when playing with those nomads... I DESTROY EVERYTHING THAT MADE ME MORE MONEY... Mwahahahaha..... (with exception trade bonuses)

2 - As A good, Philosophical Hellene Strategos(Alter ego 2)
Oh... only if I have a really sore need of money, but then, in my non money-cheating KH campaign, usually The Colossus on Rhodos, and Makedonian tomb got destroyed... As Makedon, I usually get Epirote temple and Oracle of Zeus Destroyed, and in all campaign, Temple of Jupiter Maximus and the Getic Mounntain will be destroyed (Hate both Romani and Getai) I need the money...

[Atraphoenix]

I never destroy uniques, even repair them I wish there would be such charismatic trait when you do repair them.
I only destroy gov buildings and barracks. But in sacking campaigns I raze the the cities to the ground again except uniques.