ok, i'm new, but is irrigation broken?

[Desprez]

I've noticed that when I irrigate a tile, it has zero effect on the ammount of food it can produce. The docs say plains go from 1 to 2, grassland from 2 to 3. But in my games they stay the same. What's up with that? Is this a known issue?

BTW, this is on a mac, and I have the latest patch.

[Desprez]

never mind

ok, i think i figured out what was happening.
In the early game, I am still under despotism, and a tile that would produce 3 food is reduced back down to 2. So I guess irrigation is pretty usless right now. I guess I'll have to wait until i get a new government to confirm.

Is this correct?

[Kloreep]

Yep, correct. Only tiles with bonus food sources (like cattle, wheat, or game on grasses & plains, and also wines on grass), which will already have gotten reduced by the cap, can get above 2 food in despotism. Regular and bonus grasslands are not worth irrigating in despotism at all.

[vmxa1]

I think AG gets one extra anyway for the city tile under despot.

[Kloreep]

Under despotism, agricultural civs only get their bonus food on the city tile if the city is next to fresh water. (on a river, or next to a lake)

[vmxa1]

Yeah, I forgot that part. Not that you would find many start for AG that were not next to water.