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I wrote this guide to share some ideas on how to make the most out of your initial cities through specialization. The advantage of specialization is that you can make the optimum of modifiers from specific buildings, like national wonders.
Main specializations are:
-Commercial Powerhouse
-Production Factories
-Great Person Cradle
Commercial Powerhouse
These cities are the commercial backbone of your civilization. They generate the most commerce that can be used for science, culture, maintenance, unit upkeep or cold hard cash. Typically you need one to three of these initially depending on your total size.
The goal of these towns is to use as many tiles as possible, so these cities should be able to grow to 20. Commercial powerhouses are normally built near rivers or coasts with minimal hills/mountains. Look for flat terrain, and try to incorporate several resources in the process.
In order to grow to 20 you'll need the following:
->40 food - Assuming a tile mix of 50% grassland/plains and one food resource this boils down to the 1 city tile (2 food), 1 farmed food resource (4 food), 6 grassland farms (18 food), 3 grass land (6 food), 10 plains (10 food). Every non farmed tile will get a cottage or windmill (for hills). Of course build the specific improvements required for resources in the city radius.
->20 health for the population plus a few for forges, factories, etc later on. Achieved from fresh water, resources mix, granaries, aqueduct, grocers, harbors, etc.
->20 happiness - which ever way is possible: resource mix, marketplace, military units, theater, temple, etc
Buildings
Apart from health and happiness buildings these powerhouses build improvements for commerce and science like banks, libraries, monasteries, courthouses, etc. Every spare scientist can put an Academies in these cities, you can have multiple so go for it. Oxford University and Wall Street are National wonders that can be put into commercial powerhouses. A useful world wonders in the city is The Great Library and for to have in your civ are The Colossus and The Great Lighthouse,
Cities like this should be able to generate base income of 80+ which can be modified with all types of buildings.
Production Factories
Try to incorporate many hills and some grassland. Maximizing production will make great unit factories. They should grow to 20 to make the most shields possible.
Similar to commerce powerhouse the should have enough capacity for 40 food through a food resource if available and 6/7 farms. Rest of the tiles should remain forest, be mined if hills, have workshops if flatland and watermills if on rivers. Similar to Commercial powerhouses they need to eventually have 20 happiness and probably more than 20 health to cater for production improvements like forges and factories.
Buildings
These towns should all get barracks, forge, factory and a power plant ; and of course all buildings to maintain health and happiness at 20. With regards to National wonders you have some options, Heroic Epic for +100% production of units, Ironworks (when it gets fixed), Red Cross for Medic I promotion, Scotland Yard to produce spies and West Point for extra experience. So HE and WP makes a good combo, the others can be spread across your Production factories.
Other wonders to have in you civ are The Pentagon (+2 exp), The three Gorges Dam (free power)
Great Person Cradle
The goal of this city is to support as many specialists as possible as well as building several wonders to increase GP points. Usually a good city for this is the capital as it always seems to have several hills and lots of grassland. Typical starting positions for these towns are near flood plains or 10+ grassland with a few food resources.
Farm all the flatland tiles, you need to support as many population as possible. Mine a few hills and keep some forest initially to have high production in the city. Linking stone, marble and copper is good for wonder production. Maximize health by all means possible and get the Globe theater to avoid unhappiness. Health is not so bad as you’ll have lot’s of food and getting a penalized a few should be manageable, if you can live with the unhealthy city graphics. Once you hit biology, this city should be able to grow to 30+ even 35+ generating lots of great people points.
Buildings
This town should get the Globe theater (no unhappiness) and the National Epic to increase GP points. Also the Parthenon helps GP points. Almost all wonders add GP points so get as many as you can get built in the city. So keep production as long as possible. Later on you can convert to windmills, farms, and get rid of all forest.
Hybrids
You could also have several mixed cities. Reasonable production, enough farms to support 20+ population, a few cottages for extra income. These cities will typically have mixed terrain. They help production, provide some commerce and give a great person once or twice a game. Hybrids are typically frontier cities, which are not so bad to lose.
A word on Ciivcs
Government: Representation helps largest cities and specialists.
Legal: Bureaucracy for capital, Nationhood for extra happiness, or Free Speech for more commerce.
Labor: Caste System for Specialists
Economy: Free market for more trade routes.
Religion: Pacifism for GP bonus
What does this mean
I feel every civilization should have at least one great person factory with National Epic and Globe Theater. You could have a second if there is more fertile terrain around, with food resources and/or flood plains. Any city with lots of flatland or on the coast can be turned into Commercial powerhouse where you can add academies if you get Great Scientists. The more of these you have the better you will do in the area of Science and Finance. You should also have 2-3 cities near hills to provide the bulk of your military production, one should have the Heroic epic and West Point. As you expand you can assign more cities to production or commerce, or as hybrids.
GOLDEN RULES:
1. For non-specialist cities build 6 farms and focus the rest of the tiles either on Production or Commerce.
2. Production Factories build enough buildings to sustain 20 population in terms of happiness and health and then always build military units.
3. Commercial Powerhouses build all commerce and science buildings as well as specific happiness/health needed. If they run out of things to build they can build science or wealth (to take advantage of all their modifiers).
4. GP factories max food and some production for wonders. They should keep growing with 4-6 food surplus and make rest people to specialists
Hope you enjoyed this guide and find it useful.
Let me know if you have any comments or suggestions.
Remconius
Version 1.0 (Start document)
Version 1.1 (added wonders and buildings per type)
Main specializations are:
-Commercial Powerhouse
-Production Factories
-Great Person Cradle
Commercial Powerhouse
These cities are the commercial backbone of your civilization. They generate the most commerce that can be used for science, culture, maintenance, unit upkeep or cold hard cash. Typically you need one to three of these initially depending on your total size.
The goal of these towns is to use as many tiles as possible, so these cities should be able to grow to 20. Commercial powerhouses are normally built near rivers or coasts with minimal hills/mountains. Look for flat terrain, and try to incorporate several resources in the process.
In order to grow to 20 you'll need the following:
->40 food - Assuming a tile mix of 50% grassland/plains and one food resource this boils down to the 1 city tile (2 food), 1 farmed food resource (4 food), 6 grassland farms (18 food), 3 grass land (6 food), 10 plains (10 food). Every non farmed tile will get a cottage or windmill (for hills). Of course build the specific improvements required for resources in the city radius.
->20 health for the population plus a few for forges, factories, etc later on. Achieved from fresh water, resources mix, granaries, aqueduct, grocers, harbors, etc.
->20 happiness - which ever way is possible: resource mix, marketplace, military units, theater, temple, etc
Buildings
Apart from health and happiness buildings these powerhouses build improvements for commerce and science like banks, libraries, monasteries, courthouses, etc. Every spare scientist can put an Academies in these cities, you can have multiple so go for it. Oxford University and Wall Street are National wonders that can be put into commercial powerhouses. A useful world wonders in the city is The Great Library and for to have in your civ are The Colossus and The Great Lighthouse,
Cities like this should be able to generate base income of 80+ which can be modified with all types of buildings.
Production Factories
Try to incorporate many hills and some grassland. Maximizing production will make great unit factories. They should grow to 20 to make the most shields possible.
Similar to commerce powerhouse the should have enough capacity for 40 food through a food resource if available and 6/7 farms. Rest of the tiles should remain forest, be mined if hills, have workshops if flatland and watermills if on rivers. Similar to Commercial powerhouses they need to eventually have 20 happiness and probably more than 20 health to cater for production improvements like forges and factories.
Buildings
These towns should all get barracks, forge, factory and a power plant ; and of course all buildings to maintain health and happiness at 20. With regards to National wonders you have some options, Heroic Epic for +100% production of units, Ironworks (when it gets fixed), Red Cross for Medic I promotion, Scotland Yard to produce spies and West Point for extra experience. So HE and WP makes a good combo, the others can be spread across your Production factories.
Other wonders to have in you civ are The Pentagon (+2 exp), The three Gorges Dam (free power)
Great Person Cradle
The goal of this city is to support as many specialists as possible as well as building several wonders to increase GP points. Usually a good city for this is the capital as it always seems to have several hills and lots of grassland. Typical starting positions for these towns are near flood plains or 10+ grassland with a few food resources.
Farm all the flatland tiles, you need to support as many population as possible. Mine a few hills and keep some forest initially to have high production in the city. Linking stone, marble and copper is good for wonder production. Maximize health by all means possible and get the Globe theater to avoid unhappiness. Health is not so bad as you’ll have lot’s of food and getting a penalized a few should be manageable, if you can live with the unhealthy city graphics. Once you hit biology, this city should be able to grow to 30+ even 35+ generating lots of great people points.
Buildings
This town should get the Globe theater (no unhappiness) and the National Epic to increase GP points. Also the Parthenon helps GP points. Almost all wonders add GP points so get as many as you can get built in the city. So keep production as long as possible. Later on you can convert to windmills, farms, and get rid of all forest.
Hybrids
You could also have several mixed cities. Reasonable production, enough farms to support 20+ population, a few cottages for extra income. These cities will typically have mixed terrain. They help production, provide some commerce and give a great person once or twice a game. Hybrids are typically frontier cities, which are not so bad to lose.
A word on Ciivcs
Government: Representation helps largest cities and specialists.
Legal: Bureaucracy for capital, Nationhood for extra happiness, or Free Speech for more commerce.
Labor: Caste System for Specialists
Economy: Free market for more trade routes.
Religion: Pacifism for GP bonus
What does this mean
I feel every civilization should have at least one great person factory with National Epic and Globe Theater. You could have a second if there is more fertile terrain around, with food resources and/or flood plains. Any city with lots of flatland or on the coast can be turned into Commercial powerhouse where you can add academies if you get Great Scientists. The more of these you have the better you will do in the area of Science and Finance. You should also have 2-3 cities near hills to provide the bulk of your military production, one should have the Heroic epic and West Point. As you expand you can assign more cities to production or commerce, or as hybrids.
GOLDEN RULES:
1. For non-specialist cities build 6 farms and focus the rest of the tiles either on Production or Commerce.
2. Production Factories build enough buildings to sustain 20 population in terms of happiness and health and then always build military units.
3. Commercial Powerhouses build all commerce and science buildings as well as specific happiness/health needed. If they run out of things to build they can build science or wealth (to take advantage of all their modifiers).
4. GP factories max food and some production for wonders. They should keep growing with 4-6 food surplus and make rest people to specialists
Hope you enjoyed this guide and find it useful.
Let me know if you have any comments or suggestions.
Remconius
Version 1.0 (Start document)
Version 1.1 (added wonders and buildings per type)
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