Creating a Colony

[Neal the Neophyte]

I can't seem to make a colony. Yes, Im aware of the action buttons, but clicking on them and the point that I want to create a colony does not work. I tried with workers on the square and off the square. The condition of the square being outside my cultural boundary is understood. The manual and on screen help gives no clue as to exactly how to create a colony.

Help appreciated.

[Solomwi]

You don't get the create colony button until the worker's on top of the resource. There's a "colonize to" button, I think, but I've never used it. What are you trying to colonize?

[chuckdelicious]

Hmmm, maybe you need a road to said luxury/resource for the colonize action to work, but I'm not sure, I've never had any issues with it.

[Neal the Neophyte]

I was attempting to colonize a resource outside my cultural boundary. After posting my problem, I played another game as was able to create a colony using a worker. I'm a little hazy on the exact circumstance (hour 10 into the game and the rosters were announcing dawn), but I believe that I did not yet have a road to the resource. In previous attempts I had already constructed the road. That may be the key.

[Solomwi]

The reason I asked is that in my first game of CivIII, I was eager to try out all the new features and sent a worker out to form a colony... on some cattle. Needless to say, the results weren't encouraging.

[vmxa1]

Was the site inside another civs border? Culture borders disband any colony and probably prevent making one. I don't make them, so I forget the details.

[jatf]

IIRC colonies are only possible on luxuries or strategic resources.

JATF

[vmxa1]

I don't think you need a road to create a colony, only to connect the colony to the emoire, but it has been years......

[Willem]

Originally posted by vmxa1
I don't think you need a road to create a colony, only to connect the colony to the emoire, but it has been years......

No you don't, you just have to place the Worker over the resource and select the build option. You can road it later.

[Willem]

Re: Creating a Colony

Originally posted by Neal the Neophyte
I can't seem to make a colony. Yes, Im aware of the action buttons, but clicking on them and the point that I want to create a colony does not work.

Well that's your problem. If you have a Worker that's not actually on the resource, you have hit CTRL-B. It will then build a road to the resource and build the colony as soon as it arrives on the resource.

[eewolf]

there is another possibility. oil and rubber can appear on marsh but you cannot build a colony on marsh. if this is the case, you must get some workers out there to clear the marsh first, then build the colony.

in the epic game, it would be easier to just send a settler and build nearby.

i often create scenarios that encourage open land by restricting city building terrain and/or slowing down settler building. this makes colonies useful. and the ai will get with the program eventually (late med. early ind. usually) and build colonies. it also creates road/rail covered land that belongs to nobody and must be protected and maintained. this makes forts and outposts more useful, too.

[patcon]

1. move the worker to the tile not in anyone's territory containing a lux or resource (cattle don't count because they wouldn't bring anything into your civ)
2. on the next turn, have the worker "build colony" - this will "use up" the worker

The colony will not provide any benefit unless it is connected to your cities by a road.
Do NOT bother building a road on the tile before creating the colony, as a colony is automatically connected to adjoining roads, same as a city.

[vmxa1]

Better yet do not bother making a colony, make a city or expand your borders.

[Neal the Neophyte]

I'm not really that eager to make colonies, but I had put myself into a position where I was in mortal danger of losing my only source of iron, didn't have a settler available, and needed to insure that I didn't lose iron. My problem with making the colony testifies to how seldom I try to do so.

I was able, through superior tactics, game expertise, and heart thumping heroics, to save the resource - in other words, I lucked out.

[alva]

Originally posted by Solomwi
The reason I asked is that in my first game of CivIII, I was eager to try out all the new features and sent a worker out to form a colony... on some cattle. Needless to say, the results weren't encouraging.

I'm sure you're not the only one having attempted that one