It doesn't turn provinces faster to cold by any degree, unless you choose Heart of Winter.

And the same problem comes up, where the only one you know is going to be Cold 2 (or 3) is your home province, you can still under that scale get just as many Cold 1's. It's just on how the sites are set and whatever impact is on the temperature scale. And if you happen to get a game without a heavy variance (it happens probably 50/50)and loss of gold income, poof, you are taking -3% income in your largest starting province as well as most of the provinces you control.

Growth isn't even a 'long game' increase in income. The effect is so minute that it's not even worth mentioning the growth rate unless you are talking in the 100's of turns.

The only reason in my mind to take growth is you need supply and have no access to items to supplement you, or you plan on some savage blood harvesting with heavy patrollers (which growth can even out some of) or you can't up another scale that would increase your income (order, production, luck).

If you want to make sure you have your temperature scale without worrying, take Heart of Winter. It clears it up as well as spreads outside of your dominion.

[ February 12, 2004, 00:26: Message edited by: Zen ]