While they're just twiddling their thumbs

[rah]

Usually somewhere in the middle game (usually right before railroad) I have many idle workers (usually those captured during wars)

To make them useful I will have them create tile improvements for me to pillage for money. Does anybody else do that? And what's the best improvement to pillage. Cottages never get big since you don't work them.

[couerdelion]

I didn't think you got any money from pillaging your own lands.

[Nacht]

[mutax2003]

Calling Out to all weekend Warriors, pay 100 civ golds, and we will give you bazooka and dynamites to blow up farm shacks and asphalt roads to your heart's content, while you compete with opposing teams to see who can wreak the most havoc.

[rah]

I know it works outside of your cultural border.

I'll test it tonight, I'm pretty sure it will still work.

[Diadem]

You can't build tile improvements outside your cultural borders. Except for roads, but they don't give anything when pillaged.

[rah]

Yeah, i've been playing occ where the land outside of your cultural area is always worked.

[Diadem]

I sometimes use spare workers to build railroads inside the lands of other civs. Preferably not on mountains or lumbermills though

Handy to have them there already once I invade. Even better when I have some commando units lying around.

[MasterDave]

A government hiring people to create public works that are too far out of town to be useful, and then having others pillage them for quick cash sounds just a little bit too true to life...

[Jaybe]

I prefer to stash my workers when there is nothing to do. I do not road or rail every tile. I will improve the communications net of my vassals, of course.

[rah]

Yeah, too good to be true. No free money. I guess I just hate to have lollygaggers around for centuries without work. I do road tiles that I may be working on in the future, but that runs out quickly.

[Tattila the Hun]

Well, it would be nice, if I could have my workers work a tile, say, a farm, and give that farm +1 food. Some limitations per city, but, as I've often seen my citizens starve, in silent frustration... Or stack them in city, so they boost with % whatever is built there, to a limit.

Same with troops, I'd love to have them do exercises. Gain some percentage for certain amount of turns, for small increase in upkeep..

[Jaybe]

Originally posted by Tattila the Hun
Same with troops, I'd love to have them do exercises. Gain some percentage for certain amount of turns, for small increase in upkeep..

That is already factored into the game. If it wasn't, then your units would continually be losing experience points.

[rah]

I'd like to be able to assign automated patrols, ground, sea or air. designate a square to a specific unit that would move to that square and back every turn. (even if it was workers). Might as well have them doing something productive during the slow periods.

[senowen]

Originally posted by rah
I'd like to be able to assign automated patrols, ground, sea or air. designate a square to a specific unit that would move to that square and back every turn. (even if it was workers). Might as well have them doing something productive during the slow periods.

Yes, automated patrols is something I've wished was available for years. I understand line of sight to be reflective of patrolling, but when the shortest period of time for a turn is one year I think troops could patrol much further than one or two squares. Besides its boring having to send my planes on recon missions every turn I not at war. If there is such a turn in late game. Being able to set a plot for a unit to patrol, even over several turns does not seem like something that would be hard to program into the game. The mechanics are basically already set up.

Anyway, I don't think it will happen.