Unshielded Grassland: the best thing to do

[cracker]

Theseus you old wardog, good to hear from you again.

Destroyer,

I would second Theseus's comment that you may have things exactly backwards. We have had this discussion before (about 10 or 20 times) and my take on the irrigating grasslands is that it is almost always a bad idea in any game where you have not had your Golden age yet or where you could even possibly need war mobilization. GA and Mobilization adds one shield to teh production of any square where you already have at least one shield being produced. When you irrigate grassland you preclude the chance of that square producing a shield and effectively give up any benefit from the GA or mobilization. A pair of two squares (one bonus grassland and one common grassland) would still add up to have the same raw production values under your scheme and the recommended approach, but you would end up with somewhere between 6 and 12 fewer shields per city per turn on the average.

Who do you think would win the game?

[vmxa1]

You don't need my two cents, but you really can not disupte Cracker on this subject. If you are not taking that advice you are hurting your game, simple as that. You can do that and it may not even be fatal, but it will slow you down. To make it simple, do not irrigate tiles before hospitals, unless your city is not growing. The exception have been noted, such as you need to get water to another city for growth (I hate that).

[alva]

there 's a very good thread on this the Apolyton directory aswell
By DeepO of all people

DeepO's very good advice on grassland

[vmxa1]

It is an interesting article, but the two big points he makes as I see it are not always relvant. Mobilization is not used by many, so it will not be a big factor. GA will be a factor, if it did not come before RR. Anyway to me that is good data, but does not have the impact that early improvements do. I say this as you have preordained your fate before you get to the point he is talking about.