Road frenzy

[Strategist83]

The AI loves to clutter the landscape with roads. Personally, I just connect cities with a single road and do not take part in the road frenzy until my workers run out of tasks and are automated.

What do you do?

[Hamwise]

I like to have lots of roads as soon as possible - otherwise a well timed 'raising' can sever trade networks and make your life more difficult.

Thats leaving aside the obvious movement benefits.

Perhaps its a hangover from Civ 2 for me, as roads used to generate commerce - I dont think they do that directly now - unless someone can prove me wrong!

Oh, and this is my first post here - Hi.

[Strategist83]

Hi, and welcome!

No, roads no longer generate commerce. Railroads, however, do.

[MadDjinn]

railroads don't anymore either...

[joncnunn]

Actually, if the tile is producing 2 production, the railroad will add another.

So it makes a lot of sense to road the tiles you mined / windmilled / lumbermilled so it will be faster to rail.

Also, single city road paths have weak points, so I want some redundacy in my road network.

[xxFlukexx]

Actually, railroads give +1 hammer to only mines and lumbermills.

I like to road as much as possible, I need the mobility to move troops to beat barbarians and in case an enemy attacks I can move troops around fast.

I probably road too much in the early game, you don't really need that many roads, mines and farms are usually more important than roads once you get your trade network all connected.

[afrodius]

Part of teh road frenzy for me is just habit from playin the previous 3 civ games, but i find a well maintained transport network extremely useful. This is mostly for military reasons so i can move troops to meet the enemy from whatever angle they attack from, it makes it a lot harder for them to sever your supply lines. Before i build a pointless road however ill usually build a useful improvement first.

[Diadem]

Roads do not add production or commerce
Railroads do not add commerce, and add +1 production only to mines and lumbermills.

But I still build roads all over. Makes severing your trade network harder, makes defending against invaders a lot easier, and it keeps invading units busy with pillaging, buying you some time.

[Dis]

I don't build them everywhere.

Mainly on hills (with mines) and forests ( I plan on lumbermilling later), and to connect cities. And sometimes I road to make it look pleasing to the eye. And if there's a lake in the middle of my territory, I'll make 2 routes around it. I also like to have a route to and from every city. Only a city at the end of a peninsula would only have 2 road leaving the city.

[sovietwaffle]

I end up building roads everywhere for defensive purposes. The enemy will always have limited movement in your land, and you need to take advantage of that. I railroad everywhere too though, more than with regular roads.

[wardhali]

road everywhere, gives something for your workers to do while waiting for techs for more improvements.
but mostly for the hangover from civ3

[Guynemer]

I usually just make sure that all my resources and cities are connected initially; however, once all my cities have been fully upgraded, I usually turn all my workers to "automate trade network" and let 'em rip with the roads.

[Kuciwalker]

I eventually get roads everywhere in the city radius, so that I can get to areas faster with workers. I often forgo roads early though if resources are by a river, since simply building a farm/mine/whatever next to a river hooks the resource up.

[chequita guevara]

First I connect my cities to resources, then to each other. Then I hit the trade network button and let them go to it, unless I have something more urgent for them to do. If I get invaded, a full road network is handy.

[Feyd]

I agree with the "road frenzy" camp. I sometimes set my second worker to "build trade network" I'm so road crazy.

For all the previous comments is why I build a ton of roads. haven't you ever wished that the AI nation you were invading didn't have all those roads? It's a serious pain to deal with the counterattacks from every direction especially when you're using 1 move units and to attack out of your "stack of doom" would be suiciding the unit even though you get rid of that .06 health calvary which just defeated your 4th level tank!

This is why I really like the new helicopters... Perfect for cutting trade lines and making the enemy's territory work for YOU for a change all while being able to return to saftey of your newly captured town at the end of the turn!

Joy...