Terrain Use Question

[Harry Tuttle]

I am debating the use of terrain in my Roman scenario. Currently I have incorporated the following.

Desert

Plains

Grasses

Forest

Hills

Mountains (Impassable)

Waterway Trade (Trade bonus, High movement cost - Units are penalized for moving into terrain tile, but all tiles are placed with rivers, allowing a movement bonus for units once they are on the tile.)

Metallum Resources (Shield bonus)

Fertile Land (Food bonus)

Northern Forests (Untamed forests, High movement cost)

Ocean

I'm not sold on the use of a shield or food bonus terrain tile, at least on the main map for normal gameplay. Major cities could benefit from the proximity of these tiles, but that won't portray the use of resources in the ancient world. Rome didn't become big because it had bountiful fields or iron deposits, it got those from elsewhere. If I were to add bonus tiles in, either around Rome or a colony city then those cities would just get big by themselves.

I can use a food bonus tile, but only if I decide to use "game mechanic cities" on the edge of the map to simulate food routes. Even then I probably don't need a separate terrain tile.

So what the heck should I use the two extra tiles for? Impassable terrain to hem in the Parthians and make them drive west?

[techumseh]

I find making desert impassible helps keep units where they should be. So maybe a passible arid terrain for places you want to allow movement?

Swamp as a third kind of impassible terrain is useful as something to add in spots to control unit movement.

[Harry Tuttle]

Good call. I think that might be what I need as the map is pretty big.

[McMonkey]

What period is the game set in? If the Romans already have Sicily and Egypt then you could give cities in these areas high food output (special + food square) and pre program (with CivCity) many food trade routes to Rome and other Roman cities with low food output. This way if the Roman's lose control of Egypt or Sicily then their grain supply dissapears and starvation looms.

Just an idea

[Harry Tuttle]

Good idea, but I'm afraid Civ won't allow it. If I remember correctly from my AEII prep the trade routes will remain. That was an annoying problem that I had to use an event workaround for. I might use the same solution for this scenario but even then there's usually enough surplus without the bonus to make the routes work.