Puzzled about gold right outside my city

[sboog]

When the game started I saw there was gold right outside of my city - maybe by one square. So I had a worker build a road to it, and then had him mine it. NOTHING HAPPENED.

So I went back and wanted to build a colony there - and there was no choice for the worker to build it.

And all the while I get these ghastly warnings, "The treasury is dangerously low."

Usually when I build a road to a resource or build a colony, I get a message of congratulations that everybody is happy and things are better. But not today.

And then when my city boundaries seemed to expand to include the gold, I still could not do anything. And when I double clicked on the city for the city display, it did not include the new boundaries in the city.

Puzzled.

sboog

[PhoenixPhlame73]

The gold isn't a resource or luxery really, all it does is lets a a city get more gold from that square. Go into your city view and move a worker to the square with the gold, you should notice that there is far more gold being generated than normal.

[sboog]

But it seemed to be one square OUTSIDE my city.

sboog

[Alex]

Gold is not a strategic or luxury resource. It is a bonus resource that provides more commerce income to the square which contains it. Therefore, you can't build a colony there, neither the gold will appear as a resource on your trade advisor screen. For this same reason, mining it won't net you more production or something like that, just increased commerce when you build a road on that square (in conjunction with the bonus effect, of course).

EDIT: Damn, PP73 beat me to it.

[sboog]

So are you saying that if gold is outside my city limits, I should just forget about it?

sboog

[Tuberski]

Yes forget about it.

[PhoenixPhlame73]

Or better yet, build another city that has it inside its borders, its there so you might as well make use of it.....

Sorry 'bout that Alexnm

[sboog]

I even had my worker mine it. What a loss.

sboog

[Alex]

PP73: no problemo.

sboog: well, you only lost it if the tile is outside your city radius. Otherwise, since gold is usually found on hills, you at least get more shields.

BTW, I think that gold could appear also in rivers...

Doh! Rivers do not cross tiles anymore; they're on the tile border, so I see how it would be tricky to implement this... perhaps not... I think I need some sleep.

[alva]

besides, it's not very wise to mine mountains so
early in the ( i.e. despotism)
even roads... if you can avoid these, go around!!
( not a 100% rule i know, works in most cases though, i feel)

^have fun^

[dwsmith]

build a city on the mines, you get normal food and production but you get the gold bonus...