Can colonies be upgraded?

[MisterMuppet]

Does anyone know if colonies can be upgraded into cities? If so is there a cost involved as cities require a settler to build, and colnies only require a worker.

Thanks

[Fidel]

no, they just get assimilated

[UKScud]

they just get assimilated

Yup! You loose that worker.

What are you going to do to exploit a resource? Use a worker to build a colony (and roads), or build a new city on top of the resource, or just wait till culture causes your city to expland its borders over the resource anyhow?

What factors would influence your decision?

[MisterMuppet]

Originally posted by UKScud

What factors would influence your decision?

How best to defend that resource, at least early in the game. I am assuming that it is easier to defend a resource with a city than a colony.

[UKScud]

I am assuming that it is easier to defend a resource with a city than a colony.

On if the city has a unit in it...and that's not going to be any different to having a unit plonked on the colony.

As I understand it, the colony gets no defensive bonus...and is just destroyed if another civ rolls over it...better have a unit there else the first enemy civ that comes along will just snip it out of your network.

Personally, I think I shall go for expansion. Most resources (especially the strategic ones) you will never see in the early game at all...but the more land area you occupy, the better the chance that a middle and end-game resource will be there somwhere.

With the new diplomatic options and culture/boundary game mechanics I think that you need to expand initially, to block off land routes into your continent. Sea-faring Civs will still dump settlers on your coast, but if your culture is relatively good, you'll absorb them soon enough.

[Sarxis]

I am wondering if we will be able to build fortresses over colonies.

[Earthling7]

Originally posted by UKScud
As I understand it, the colony gets no defensive bonus...and is just destroyed if another civ rolls over it...better have a unit there else the first enemy civ that comes along will just snip it out of your network.

I imagine that to be a diplomatic nightmare if you have relatively good relations with that Civ.

[MisterMuppet]

There must be a way of defending a colony with troops, rather than just counting on a rival not wanting to cause a diplomatic incident.

I don't expect a warmongering opponent being stopped from taking my undefended colony just because he won't be invited to the ambassadors ball.

[Civ Dave]

I would imagine that the colonies give some sort of a defensive bonus.

at least lets hope

[Urban Ranger]

Just put about 10 phalanxs there.