Tile Improvements outside the bigfatcross?

Let's say i've purchased all the workable tiles in my city so my borders keep expanding beyond that. My workers can build fort,farm and trading post on non workable tiles. Is it because if i decide to put another city around that tiles so everything will be set beforehand? Or can i gain science and gold bonus without working that tile just building trading post? Thanks for the help

No, any tile needs to be worked to gain it's benefit with the exception of happiness-giving stuff. It only needs to be in your border (in case of natural wonders) or be improved and inside your borders (in case of luxuries).

So, improve all luxuries even when you can't work them. And as you figured out when you got unworkable tiles inside your borders you might sometimes want to pre-improve them to give newly founded cities in range a start boost.

you don't get any direct benefit out of building on those tiles (aside from connecting luxury/strategic resources).

you can work them for the hell of it, for future city planning, or whatever other reason (sometimes I'll clear forests and marshes on the edge of my territory if I plan of having an army march through there.)

Nope, if anything it gives your enemies and barbs something more to pillage and heal themselves with.

Got it. Thanks a lot for quick responses

You can not work any tiles outside the 3rd ring. But building an improvement such as a mine or a plantation on a luxury or strategic resource will give you that lux/res but not the other benefits from it such as gold, hammers and food (or faith and culture if you have that as a pantheon).

I usually only build those kind of improvements if I really need those extra horses, iron or extra lux. If I can sell it for more then I pay for it in maintenance then it can be a good deal.

johnny_rudeboy said:

I usually only build those kind of improvements if I really need those extra horses, iron or extra lux. If I can sell it for more then I pay for it in maintenance then it can be a good deal.

Click to expand...

And that maintenance is 0.
It's pretty stupid to be honest that the game always says "tile improvement maintenance" when only roads and railroads actually cost maintenance. Everything else is free.