What to do about "rat traps"?

[EternalSpark]

Every once in a while, I'm playing a game and I see a potential base location that would be pretty nice... except that it's on the ice, and the bonuses are Furs (beavers), and you know there's just not the food potential there to do anything with the area.

I call these spots Rat-Traps. The reasoning, if you're curious, is twofold:

• When on a vacation in Canada, me and my girlfriend were harassed by a particularly ornery beaver, which my girlfriend, in fit, called it "a giant-ass rat with a paddle for a tail", which I've never forgotten
• Any citizens that are born in the area, unfortunately, are trapped in a cycle of eating, waking up, looking at the beavers, and then going back inside and waiting for death.

Regardless of the name, the image I linked to is my situation. As you can see, there's three Furs and a iron there. If I was able to improve and work each square, I'd get this each turn:

0F-5H-12C
(if I did my math right, that is)

The problem? 0F, of course. The only two food-producing squares are the brownish-green squares in the upper left of the picture, but each produce only 1F a piece.

So what should I - or you - do? My base placement, which I now realize was sub-optimal, won't reach that area in even the remotely near future. and frankly, I would not be surprised if an AI tried to sneak a base there.

[Jaybe]

Build the city there when you can afford to. It will only be there to claim the resources, not to grow to become a productive city -- it will be there to allow OTHER cities to be more productive. If that is your only iron source, then get that city there sooner (or soonest)!

[Harovan]

Are you sure there is no food? The still undiscovered water tiles might have sea food. If there is no food at all, build a city later just to claim the resources, leave it at size 1, work the best tile, give it a barracks and let it build inexpensive units, such as catapults.

As Jaybe said, if this is your only chance to get iron, build it ASAP, otherwise later. You could also hope for AI or barbs doing the city building for you. Especially the latter are known to settle in crappy spots with good resources, just leave it fog-covered for a while.

EDIT: Seeing the expanded picture, you probably won't be able to do that. Just settle there. Try to choose a spot that gets all resources into one city radius.

[Fleme]

Are those the only sources for those particular resources you have? Iron is always good to have so if you don't have any other sources, settle down there if only just to gain access to it. Build a lighthouse, have the city produce low commerce and leave it at that. It'll end up paying for itself and providing you with resources.

I personally avoid settling on ice unless my only source of Iron or comparable resource is there, but will settle nearby so my culture will eventually gain ground there too.

[wodan11]

Since it's coastal, you can make a trade city. Plus, you'll have at least a coast or two. I see some ice but there is some.

A trade city can easily make quite a bit of commerce from trade routes, even with only 2 or 3 pop. And that iron will make building a harbor, lighthouse, and whatever else, pretty easy.

Once you have the necessary buildings, set it to build research, wealth, workers, or units.

Wodan

[ben04]

Sid's Sushi helps in those situations. However it comes pretty late in the game.

[snoopy369]

I wouldn't generally settle that city, but if I were to, I'd settle on the furs on the coast. Water gives you 2 food per tile w/lighthouse, and will pay for the city pretty quickly. You wouldn't actually *use* the tiles you're grabbing, except for the resources.

A plains hill is better than that iron, and most tiles are better than those beaver tiles.

[Kuciwalker]

How do you get harassed by a beaver?

[Supr49er]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
How do you get harassed by a beaver?

I remember President Carter being attacked by a rabbit while fishing.

[Theben]

Aside from Sid's, your other option is to settle Great Merchants there. A costly one, to be sure.

[wodan11]

Well, for that matter, there's Supermarket, and also an event that can give your Stable +1 food.

Wodan

[frenzyfol]

Originally posted by ben04
Sid's Sushi helps in those situations. However it comes pretty late in the game.

Agree, I think all the corporations come too late
I've usually won or lost by the time corporations come into play.