City specialization! YES or NO, and How and why!

[Beatie]

I think we come to the point of discuss specialization of city's. I don't think you can specialise your city's like in Civ4 with the national wonders of civ4. But we can and we need to specialization our city's to reduce city's maintenance costs. In Civ4 knew how mutch food we need for a size x city. In Civ5 growing city size is almost limitless, or we don't have enough turns to get maximul city growt. So the question is, how much food do we need to make a good gold city? Same question goes for a production city. And the great people city is a totaly unknown area for me in civ5. I have no idea how this works yet. And perhaps we also can make happyness city's? city's with a copple lux resources can do? And in civ4 I usual make a navy production city with the ... statues. That is not in civ5 anymore, so a city with forrests and hills could wel do for navy production I think. Another question is that is wise or not wise to also build money making buildings everywhere. More money is always a good thing, the buildings also cost maintenance but it always makes more money that is cost right? And then the culture city? yes or no? or do we juist build culture related buildings everywhere?
Gold city's do not need Buildings that are related to production right?

summary:

1 how to create a GOLD city
2 how to create a Production city (for units)
3 how to create a navy production city, or it's just not necessary?
4 Did we need a wonder city, or do we just build wonders in your capital?
5 Do we need a culture city? of do we just build culture buildings everywhere?
6 Do we need a GP city? and if so, how do we do that?
7 Do we need a Sience city or city's? or do we build sience city's everwhere?
8 And the most importand question perhaps, wich ratio do we need to build our specialized city's? Like 1 gold, 1 prod. or 2 gold, 1 prod?

If we answer those questions we all benefit from this toppic, and be al better players! Perhaps we can play against other civ sites as teams

[pdxsean]

I try to do 2 gold cities for every production city. And for any city, I usually do two farms and then the rest whatever combination of mines/TPs works best for the specific needs of that city. Since I never come close to using all of the improved hexes in the city range, there are usually some spare farms if I need them, along with unused TP and possibly mines.

I don't build Wonders in any particular city, aside from the one with the greatest production. In the higher difficulty levels, I'm lucky to build two or three wonders at all and I take them where I can get them.

My culture and happiness buildings (aside from the monument and collosseum which I have in every city) are generally built in my production cities.

I'll often have a science city, where I can plop down my Great Scientists and make their special buildings. If possible, this city is smack in the middle of a jungle with a river running through it.

I build the money buildings in every city, because they have 0 maintenance and only provide more money. I build science buildings in every city as well, because all cities produce science pretty equally.

I'm sure others have better plans than me, since I mostly just take what I can get when it comes to specialization.

[Beatie]

Well your the first to reply here, and already sad some things that i think can use and though about it myself too. About the sience city, al that cares is a place with lots of food, and jungle because the good food en with trading post and the right policy can be a real boost for your sience city. Good idea to build culture buildings only in production city, and only build monuments and collosseums everwhere. I had a bright idea about specialize your citys today. I usual rename my city's into dutch ones. I make a list (for myself) and every city name got the same specialty. This way it's gets real easy to recognise your city over time. Rotterdam for example is always my navy/production city. Den haag should be a nice money making city

[pdxsean]

If I rename my cities, I'll indicate their specialty with a G, P, or S. I suppose I could do a C as well, if I had a culture special city. So I'll end up with cities like...

Seantown (P)
Port Jeremy (G)
Melissa Bay (S)

Or whatever. The drawback is that there's usually not enough letters so I have to be creative with abbreviations. Also, it's frustrating that afterward every city wants to start with the last unused name. It is easier with the P/G/S thing because you can see right off the specialty of your city and know right away whether there should be a factory or stock exchange built there first.

[Zoetstofzoetje]

Rotterdam for example is always my navy/production city. Den haag should be a nice money making city

you mean money slurping city ?

[Beatie]

If I rename my cities, I'll indicate their specialty with a G, P, or S. I suppose I could do a C as well, if I had a culture special city. So I'll end up with cities like...

Seantown (P)
Port Jeremy (G)
Melissa Bay (S)

Or whatever. The drawback is that there's usually not enough letters so I have to be creative with abbreviations. Also, it's frustrating that afterward every city wants to start with the last unused name. It is easier with the P/G/S thing because you can see right off the specialty of your city and know right away whether there should be a factory or stock exchange built there first.

Good idea! It was once easy to juist rename a civ's city list. If you like to play for example the germans, and you always use your own city it should not to difficult to make a name list like in civ2 ? I think I give a look to that..