Forts - What gives?

[wodan11]

I'm not sure I understand your last sentence, though.

If you have a resource on an island, all you have to do is build a fort on the resource and you get access to the resource. (Within borders, and Sailing).

[Baldyr]

Thanks for the clarification.

One more question is whether Forts act as ports for trade purposes - not only if the coastal Fort is built on top of a resource, but if it can connect say an inland city to the larger trade network over the sea. I suppose the Fort would have to be located inside your borders, but could the Fort connect different parts of a trade network (other cities/ports outside of the borders, like in a colony situation)?

I think someone already refuted anything like this, but maybe someone else has another answer or experience.

[Lord Avalon]

If you have a resource on an island, all you have to do is build a fort on the resource and you get access to the resource. (Within borders, and Sailing).

Only if it's next to a river. Otherwise you stll need a road. And I double checked after unloading BUG.

Also, while forts can be built in neutral territory, you don't get the defense bonus until it's within your borders. Ships & planes cannot enter a neutral fort.

[wodan11]

Thanks for the clarification.

np

One more question is whether Forts act as ports for trade purposes - not only if the coastal Fort is built on top of a resource, but if it can connect say an inland city to the larger trade network over the sea. I suppose the Fort would have to be located inside your borders, but could the Fort connect different parts of a trade network (other cities/ports outside of the borders, like in a colony situation)?

Yes. There was a thread about 3 weeks ago where there was a city isolated by ice and used a fort on the only available coast tile precisely to connect the isolated city to the trade network. Was pretty interesting, actually.

Only if it's next to a river. Otherwise you stll need a road. And I double checked after unloading BUG.

Perhaps you should check the sceenshots I posted above? The second one directly contradicts what you just said. Can you please triplecheck? If correct, then you and I should compare settings.

Also, while forts can be built in neutral territory, you don't get the defense bonus until it's within your borders.

Good to know... that answers one question I had. Thx.

[Lord Avalon]

What is that bottom screenshot in post 36 supposed to be proof of?. Put copper on an island and see if you get it without any route. I don't think you will.

[wodan11]

What is that bottom screenshot in post 36 supposed to be proof of?. Put copper on an island and see if you get it without any route. I don't think you will.

That's a FORT sitting there on the corn, without a road or river. Look closely behind the 3 stacked food icons... you can see the edge of it. And, you can see in the screen that the city is indeed getting the resource in the upper right resource list.

[Lord Avalon]

Well, I don't know what to say.

Forts - no road - no resources.



Forts - roads - resources.

[wodan11]

Did you end a turn inbetween?

[Lord Avalon]

At least a couple times.

[wodan11]

Beats me, then.

[Rempedaalops]

It seems that whenever the AI attacks one of my cities, and I have a fort nearby with a large army in it, it actually passes the fort and completely ignores it, attacks my city, and then I can attack the weakened army from 'behind'. Worked a few times now.

[rjmatsleepers]

It seems that whenever the AI attacks one of my cities, and I have a fort nearby with a large army in it, it actually passes the fort and completely ignores it, attacks my city, and then I can attack the weakened army from 'behind'. Worked a few times now.

AFAIK, there's no benefit in attacking from "behind". Presumably, having your large army in the fort saves it from collateral damage. But you still need to have enough defenders to prevent your city being captured. Perhaps the large army in the fort is a reserve for defending more than one city. But by building a fort, you cannot apply the normal development of that tile - I'd like my fort on a wooded hill, but I'd prefer to build a mine there.

RJM

[Rempedaalops]

I know there is no benefit from attacking from 'behind', that's why I put it in parentheses. I meant it as in attacking after they weakened themselves because of attacking my city. I usually put the fort about three or four tiles away from the city, not in the BFC, so as not to interfere with the resources, but close enough to attack anything next to the city in one turn. I usually only do this near borders. That way I have a rapid response force ready if necessary to attack anything before it enters my lands (thereby saving workers and improvements), and am also close enough to protect border towns. But maybe you're right that the defence potential is higher if I'd stack all of them in the border towns instead of forts. Less rapid response, more defency maybe.

Hmm, have to think about this. Somehow the fact that the AI seems to ignore my armies when they're in forts seems like something that can be exploited.

[rjmatsleepers]

I usually put the fort about three or four tiles away from the city, not in the BFC, so as not to interfere with the resources, but close enough to attack anything next to the city in one turn.

Having the fort outside the BFC avoids worrying about an alternative development for the tile. However, it does mean that your one move units have a more limited number of squares that they can counter attack. Presumably you're thinking about a tile on the edge of your territory in the direction from which the attack is coming - if the fort is behind your city, surely the fort would be in some other city's BFC. I wonder whether the army in the fort would be better employed weakening the incoming stack.

RJM

[Hauptman]

Generaly, I tend to keep forested hills along a border forted. plop 3 defensive units in it and watch the AIs waste 15 catapults trying to kill off those 3 units. Ive never had the AI bypass a fort, they always attack it for me. Thus giving you a cheap way to defeat the inevitable SoD.

Total 100% unbombardable defense on a forested hill. If the AIs were smart (wich they arent) they'd at least destroy the improvement with a spy or bomber first.

So in short. I use them as forts to defend my borders, as well as dockyards for quick troop unloading, and resource defense close to a border.