Founding cities on resources

[Saurus]

This has been discussed before but I must ask once again as I am now becoming confused.

In my current game I built a city on a plainsquare and later found out that a resource of iron was on the same tile. My citysquare now produces 2 hammers instead of 1 so founding a city on a iron resource increased the produktion value of the city by 1.

Earlier I remember reading that founding a city on a resource, brings in the resource (provided sufficient technology is available) but do not bring the extra production bonuses.

Now it appears that I do get SOME of the production bonuses but not all of it?
Is the outcome the same if founding a city on a commerce/food resource?

[couerdelion]

If you found a city on any tile producing more than one unit of production or commerce then this will be given to the city. This works for any tile including those with resources. Note though that since the city founding will remove a forest, you have to consider the tile value without forests.

Example: founding on a plains hill wine by river will give the city 2 food, 2 hammers and 2 commerce (3 commerce if financial civ)

For food resources, if the tile with the unimproved food resource generates 3 food, then the city will get this tile. As will forest though, founding a city will clear any floodplains so you do not get 3 food from a floodplains city – although I think you did in Vanilla Civ4.

The benefit of founding on a resource is often lost if this resource can be developed into something better. As a rule you do not want to found on any food resource and usually not on any metals (including the precious ones). The choice will also depend on how long it will be before you acquire the tech to develop the resource and how the developed tile compares to others within the city radius.

It will sometimes be beneficial to found on the following resources

marble/stone – particularly if on a hill
ivory – particularly plains
sugar – usually this is in a jungle anyway so the founding will save you the effort of clearing one jungle tile and give you a resource which only generates +1f+1c with plantation
wine – particularly on hills

These are also the types of improvements that I will often, later in the game, replace with some better improvement.

[Saurus]

Thanks for your reply. Makes sence to me now.

Btw...is "oasis" a terrain feature witch is removed if city is built on it?

Under some circumstances it will indeed be worth founding cities on resources. Winesquares in particular since a winery does not yield parituclary much compared to better buildings. (like cottages/towns). Better have one extra grasslandtile in the city radius then for a cottage than a winesquare witch must be sacrificed for a winery.

Of course, from a strategic point of view, finding cities on strategic resources prevents the resource from beeing pillaged in a war. The resource will be available up until the city falls.

[couerdelion]

I’m fairly certain you cannot build a city on an oasis.

[Dis]

Originally posted by couerdelion
I’m fairly certain you cannot build a city on an oasis.

tell that to the mayor of my city. .

but I know civ isn't exactly real world.

I still do not like founding cities on resources. You just have to be careful and not let pillagers in.

[MasterDave]

Founding a city on a resource in a desert isnt usually a bad idea. Desert Stone or Incence usually is not worth working with an improvement (no food and three hammers, or no food and some commerce- not terribly appealing). However, a city on a desert tile gets two food.

[ben04]

By founding on stone/marble will you get the resource even if you don't have masonry? This could be intersting in combination with building the oracle to grab the COL and then using a great priest to get CS.

[Thedrin]

No.

Edit: You need the prerequisite technology to access resources upon which you have build a city.

[Quillan]

You get the resource once you have the necessary technology. What you lose is the benefit the improvement provides. So, while you get stone if you found on stone, you lose out on the bonus production the quarry would give you.

[couerdelion]

Originally posted by Quillan
You get the resource once you have the necessary technology. What you lose is the benefit the improvement provides. So, while you get stone if you found on stone, you lose out on the bonus production the quarry would give you.

Ultimately you would want to replace this with a better improvement.

Windmill > Stone Quarry almost always
Watermill >= Stone Quarry after Rep Parts
Farm > Stone Quarry after Biology
Workshop > Stone Quarry after Chemistry and State Property.

[killomatic]

In multiplayer, where most games seem to be all about resource wars, you should always build cities on top of strategic resources. It's much easier to defend, you'll get the strong units earlier (huge advantage getting your axemen out before your neighbor), and alot of times your opponent won't even realize you have that particular resources until it's too late.