Question On Building of cities

[Anna749]

When building your cities, do the cities all have to connect to one another or can you build them apart and let them expand to meet the other city. And should you build your city over the resource or just in the vicinty of the resourse. Thanks

[planetfall]

Re: Question On Building of cities

Originally posted by Anna749
When building your cities, do the cities all have to connect to one another or can you build them apart and let them expand to meet the other city. And should you build your city over the resource or just in the vicinty of the resourse. Thanks

Quick answers:

City distance: any where from 2 to 200 tiles apart.

City connectors: a road, harbor or airport.

Resources: to be of value must be either within city boundaries and roaded or a colony.

Caution: there is no hot key to show city boundaries. Maximum size is 2 tiles from center.

City distance: most players have cities 3-5 tiles apart. AI usually builds 4-6 tiles apart. Read strategy forum for reasons behind different city placement styles. For a strange one search for "borg".

-- PF

[Arrian]

Anna,

If I understand your question correctly, you're asking whether or not you MUST place your cities such that the borders hook up with already established cities. If so, the answer is no.

If controlling a resource is your goal, I would build a city no farther than 2 tiles away from the resource (then you only need to accumulate 10 culture to have it within your borders). For extra safety, build on it or right next to it (when I say safety, I'm thinking more about the AI building a city nearby and "stealing" the resource than actual war).

In case you're not sure, FYI: in order to use a resource, it must be 1) connected to your cities via roads and 2) within your cultural borders or colonized. In order to trade a resouce with another civ, the road connection must go to your capitol.

-Arrian

[Anna749]

thanks so much for the help....that explained it to the t for me. As I was trying to build all of my cities to connect with each other and wasnt sure if I could just sprawl them out to the resource itself and then go back and build cities in the gaps....but just building roads to connect them up will help me alot then. Again thank you so much for your help

[Wormwood]

If you build a city on a luxury or resource, do you still get the food/trade/shield bonuses to that city that one gets from working that section?

[Anna749]

I have found that yes you still get the full benifits of the resource. Although I have never went to war yet except for the pesky germans attacking me a few times...lol...

[Willem]

Re: Question On Building of cities

Originally posted by Anna749
When building your cities, do the cities all have to connect to one another or can you build them apart and let them expand to meet the other city. And should you build your city over the resource or just in the vicinty of the resourse. Thanks

The locations of resources are irrelevant really, you can connect to them pretty much anywhere. First, they only have to be connected by road within your cultural boundary, they don't need to actually be within a city raduis. Also, you can use your Workers to build a colony to where a resource exists. The only advantage to having them within a city raduis is security; it's easier to defend them with a city nearby, and the cultural border will ensure that the AI won't snatch them up under your nose.

[alexman]

Originally posted by Wormwood
If you build a city on a luxury or resource, do you still get the food/trade/shield bonuses to that city that one gets from working that section?

You get the trade/shield bonus, but not the food bonus. The center tile always produces two food no matter what terrain it's on. It also produces at least one shield, so that's why it's a bit of a waste to build on bonus grassland.

[vmxa1]

Maybe I missed it, but one other reason to connect your cities is that is acts as a pacifier to be connected to the palace.

[Willem]

Originally posted by alexman


You get the trade/shield bonus, but not the food bonus. The center tile always produces two food no matter what terrain it's on. It also produces at least one shield, so that's why it's a bit of a waste to build on bonus grassland.

Not quite right. The city square produces as much food as what the minimum requirements of a single citizen is. If you set your game so that everyone needs three food, that's what the center square will give you.