Are Clams worth empowering for?

[quantum_mechani]

Xietor said:

Gem producing items completely undermine the value of global spells designed to boost gem income.

Gem globals are some of the most popular globals there are, I'd say at least half of those that get cast are gem globals. Playing on past turn 100 is certainly possible, but out of the ~25 longterm dominions games I've played, I've seen it happen once.

EDIT: And is the 100 clams by turn 60 with or without forge of the ancients?

[Xietor]

Forge hammer, but no forge.

[Huzurdaddi]

In Dom2 clams featured a dominant role in many games on large maps. I remember a game when the limiting factor was the size of the magic item treasury in terms of clams/turn.

I think that the changes in Dom3 were for the better and they are close to balanced now. I have yet to see a game where they are decisive.

Heck, there are very few nations with mages which can forge them. Oceania and Jot are the only two that come to mind.