The below article is based on vast ‘generalizations’, and is NOT intended to suggest a hard ‘fixed’ set of parameters. I fully acknowledge at the onset that every player can relate a specific and detailed scenario in which the below assertions do not apply. That said, the intention of this article is to give players a ‘general’ overview to help make a proper choice between a Fascist and Communist government.
Fascism is at its best ‘after’ you have a large number of your core cities as metros. The free unit support of 10 is enormous. It is the better choice for the player that has had a slow start and finds that war is inevitable or necessary in order to win the game. Fascism also tends to be superior for the player that seeks to expand his empire ‘continentally or locally’, but not worldwide. By this I mean a more limited ‘warmonger’ whose war aims are less ambitious. This player may actually be seeking a space race or culture victory – but wants or needs a war and/or some resource access/denial to ensure the victory. Lastly, Fascism is also superior for the player perfectly content with his mid-sized empire – but seeking to engage his rivals in ‘scorched earth’ wars of ‘razing cities, destroying infrastructures, razing wonders, and thus slow his rivals progress without actually having to conquer him. Fascism tends to be the superior warmongering by ‘destruction’ choice.
Communism is the superior totalitarian government for those who already have a large number of cities and thus far exceed their OCN. Commie is better as a pre-hospitals totalitarian government choice for a player that has already done extensive warmongering, and has been in Monarchy government since the Ancient Age. This player has already committed himself to a warmonger’s victory, and while on occasion going Fascism may help initially – he can already foresee that ‘long term’ Commie is the better value. Lastly, and surprisingly to many players, Commie is superior for the warmonger that finds he will be unable to achieve his dom/conq victory in time to win. His massive empire and production will allow him to prevent his rivals from achieving any of the victory conditions and thus ensure his histograph victory. If nothing else, his military dominance will ensure via ‘nuclear war’ that no AI can achieve a victory. *(be careful: the UN vote is the perennial exception that can bite a failed world conquest). Communism tends to be the superior warmongering by ‘absorption’ choice.
As a simplistic guideline choosing between Fasci and Commie comes down to:
1. if you have a large empire and have decided to pursue a dom/conq victory – Commie – reason: SPHQ reduction of corruption, and given a sufficient number of cities production totals will exceed fascism.
2. if you have a tight ‘borg’ style city spacing – Commie – reason: free unit support for city is identical to metro (‘6’) therefore you may be able to forego building hospitals as an option, and the SPHQ corruption effects.
3. if you’re going totalitarian out of ‘need’, to survive an AI dog-pile or WW has become critical and your intention is to be back in demo as soon as practical – Fascism – reason: higher free unit support and ‘nuisance’ corruption are superior to communal when total city numbers are lower. Also, the SPHQ wonder build would tie up a cities production in a critical moment and would then be lost anway upon your return to Demo.
4. if you’re a small to mid-sized empire that has decided on warmongering – Fascism – reason – superior production and science than commie when your starting off small *(once larger you may find a need to go from fascism to commie).
5. if you’re a peaceful builder looking for space race or culture win, fighting only defensive wars – BUT, WW is wearing you down and you just can’t get out of those wars – Fascism – reason: CORE CITIES production of spaceship parts, wonder buildings and nuclear weapons are usually superior, also science research to new techs tends to be slightly superior.
Summary:
The large empire ‘go Commie’, small to mid-sized empire ‘go Fascism’ is a truism almost always, but remains an oversimplification. Fascism tends to be the better choice for those ‘reacting’ to critical events. Communism tends to be the better choice for those that wish to ‘initiate or control’ events. The reason you’re seeing AIs consistently go Fascist is simple: because on average at the dawn of the Industrial Age the AIs have mid-sized empires engaged in wars – in other words, because going Fascist makes sense. In those games I have played in which a large KAI emerges before Industrial Age, I have noticed that they choose Communism over Fascism – in this respect the AIs choice is surprisingly similar to the one a human player would make. The large number of Fascist AIs is the result of AI performance ‘parity’, and not a programmed preference.