City on one-square island

[okosling]

In my current game, I have had a city on a one-square island, which is quite common as such an island makes a good city site. I left a rifleman there to defend it, but later I figured I could have quite safely left it undefended, as nobody has Amphibious Warfare (and only a land unit can capture a city, and only a marine has amphibious capability) and my government is Democracy (so can't be bribed). Is that correct?

[Bloody Monk]

You can't leave it undefended completely. If shield support is the problem use a dip or camel. But don't leave it empty. Any mil-unit, explorer, or even a settler can walk off a boat into an empty city and take it.

Monk

[-Jrabbit]

FWIW, a paratrooper could take it as well, but that's post-marines anyway.

Definitely leave a dip/spy in the house.

[Old n Slow]

Some other city can provide the shield support for a military unit -- your camel/dip is at risk should a wandering boat choose to bombard, thus emptying out the city. I haven't seen the one-two punch, but then again, I usually don't leave these prizes empty too long.

[rah]

And remember not to defend it with a early ship. The city itself doesn't count as a land square so your ship may sink since it didn't end it's turn next to a land square.

[Straybow]

Whoa, I'd never heard that one. I suppose that any time I may have left a Trireme touching no land tiles except a city I got lucky?

[debeest]

A city counts as a land tile. If you're next to it, you're fine. But being IN a one-tile island city, you're not NEXT TO land, and you sink. Stupid bug, one must suppose.

[Scouse Gits]

Yup - the Sinking Trireme Syndrome - one of the more endearing 'features' of the game

[rah]

Originally posted by debeest
A city counts as a land tile. If you're next to it, you're fine. But being IN a one-tile island city, you're not NEXT TO land, and you sink. Stupid bug, one must suppose.

Thanks for saying it more clearly. This is what I meant.

[-Jrabbit]

That's a new one on me... Pretty funny, actually.

[Elephant]

Another "issue" with one-tile island cities: when you want to build a wonder in one using caravans you have built in the city, you need to load them into a boat and make them "arrive" again so you get the "use for Wonder" box. They have to exit and re-enter the city.

[duke o' york]

Isn't that the case with all cities though? Or have I not noticed the ability to just convert camels stationed in the city into wonder shields and spent years moving them in and out?

[Mercator]

Yes, but with one-tile islands you need a boat to let them exit and re-enter the city.

[duke o' york]

I know, I was just pointing out that that was a bit obvious, given that you can't move the camels to any other square before feeding them back in. Well, unless you build roads on the sea squares, à la Civ 1.

[Bloody Monk]

I think Ellie made a worthwhile point. Nothing is obvious about this game. There are no multicolored flashing banners (in the game anyway). You have to think and plan ahead for almost everything.

And for a series of contributions to someone who might not have done something before this boat idea is a good idea.

Here is an extention of that idea to demonstrate a way that scenario might be worth doing. It is late in the game and you are researching Genetic Engineering with the idea of building the Cure. If you build CfC in one of your newer cities, its effects will take place for all the later cities in the list THIS turn...a very good result. If that city is going to be this one tile island, you better have a boat handy.

But if you have never done this sort of thing before, duke, I don't think needing a boat would be obvious.

Monk