Its quite apparent that there is a particular area of Civ that has very little choice associated with it:
City Size: Bigger is always better.
The 'trick' is finding a way to grow your cities faster, and keep the minor annoyances and costs in check. Generally speaking, however, there are always internal solutions; you can fix what ills the city by building the temple, courthouse, hospital, aqueduct... or whatever. Governments are usually a limiting factor... but these affect the nation as a whole.
Bigger is paper and smaller is the stone, and there are no scissors.
Given the right order of tile improvements, city improvements and so on, a city can be all things... productive in food, science, gold and 'shields'... and happy too. Improvements generally have flat 'costs' and exponential 'rewards'.
Its true that the terrain can make certain cities more growth, production or commercially useful, and make the market place or mill a more beneficial improvement, for that city. That never takes away from the beneficiality of other city components, however...
Given the choice between ultimately having science, gold and production improvements, its almost *ALWAYS* a good idea to have all, at least ultimately. There is the 'sense' of choice within the game, but its really only a question of when, not if...
My contention is that the game would be markedly improved if:
* There were Specialization of cities... 'Generally balanced', Production, Gold or Science.
* That specialization would be costly, and require that the city 'sacrifice' in some other area.
* That ultimately multiple specializations in a single city would be counter productive.
* That these specialized cities should be symbiotic- thus although Gold is the overriding improvement support currency, Gold specialization towns should require other resources or deal with other limiting factors to be productive and/or viable. Production and science towns should require (mucho) Gold... perhaps.
* Specializations should become more costly as the city increases in size, requiring an even growth and support policy to maintain cohesion.
* That the AI would be aware of these concept, and use them to its benefit.
Thoughts? Comments?
MrBaggins
City Size: Bigger is always better.
The 'trick' is finding a way to grow your cities faster, and keep the minor annoyances and costs in check. Generally speaking, however, there are always internal solutions; you can fix what ills the city by building the temple, courthouse, hospital, aqueduct... or whatever. Governments are usually a limiting factor... but these affect the nation as a whole.
Bigger is paper and smaller is the stone, and there are no scissors.
Given the right order of tile improvements, city improvements and so on, a city can be all things... productive in food, science, gold and 'shields'... and happy too. Improvements generally have flat 'costs' and exponential 'rewards'.
Its true that the terrain can make certain cities more growth, production or commercially useful, and make the market place or mill a more beneficial improvement, for that city. That never takes away from the beneficiality of other city components, however...
Given the choice between ultimately having science, gold and production improvements, its almost *ALWAYS* a good idea to have all, at least ultimately. There is the 'sense' of choice within the game, but its really only a question of when, not if...
My contention is that the game would be markedly improved if:
* There were Specialization of cities... 'Generally balanced', Production, Gold or Science.
* That specialization would be costly, and require that the city 'sacrifice' in some other area.
* That ultimately multiple specializations in a single city would be counter productive.
* That these specialized cities should be symbiotic- thus although Gold is the overriding improvement support currency, Gold specialization towns should require other resources or deal with other limiting factors to be productive and/or viable. Production and science towns should require (mucho) Gold... perhaps.
* Specializations should become more costly as the city increases in size, requiring an even growth and support policy to maintain cohesion.
* That the AI would be aware of these concept, and use them to its benefit.
Thoughts? Comments?
MrBaggins
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