How should i effectively use this land?

[annomammoth]

I'm on an isolated start with some really good land. So far i've built a specialized production city, a great person farm (which happens to be my capital), and a strictly commerce city in the works. I'm going to move the GP farm to a better location in order to take advantage of bureaucracy eventually. I've also built a balanced fishing city too. In the screenshot is what's left of my conus land that I want to make sure I take great advantage of. I know I can just build one monster city that would take in 5 resources at once and make it a capital, but I'm thinking that I should spread the resources out more amongst 2-3 cities. Problem is, I'm horrible with dotmapping and seeing potential in a city when it's not really smackin me in the face and clearcut. Some advice on this would be greatly appreciated. How would you dotmap this and specialize the cities? Thanks a lot!

[ABigCivFan]

Edit: Move city B 1N is better, it gets the health bonus and 1 more river tile.

My drawing is horrible, but think this kinda maximize the land use. 2 yellow circles are the only wasted tiles.

I thought the gem city should be coastal to take advantage of the trade route bonues with harbor, it should be a good commerce city.

Each of the 3 cities has a food source, can grow decently. And each had some production bonue for city improvements.

If you want, can consider put Forbidden city in city C, if you gonna stay on this land mass for a long time.

[Dubzilla8]

The number in the center is the city's location and the number of farms needed to reach maximum size.

I agree with the previous post on the first site (red), it will produce good commerce and have some hammers from the cows and horses.

My second city, in blue, is on the cost in a corner square, which I always like. It has a food source and some hammers for a navy later. It should be able to produce some decent commerce as well.

Pink and Yellow are a toss-up. I started with pink, but on second look, I would go with Yellow. Pink has no land for irrigation and no food, so it wouldnt be able to work those hammers. Yellow, on the other hand, can share those crabs from Djenne so it can grow. You only need enough food to work the cows and the three mines to the west, it will only be producing units for you, no commerce. (On a third look, you could move it south one and grab the Marble as well.) Edit: Actually, the Pink is a definate no-no. It would need 16 farms to grow to max size. Even if you had a river/lake, farming plains is pretty much worthless unless it irrigates a resource (like the rice in the sw). Bottom line, if you put the city in the pink it will be able to work the grasslands/jungle, the cows, one of the hills and a plain OR three plains. Not very good in my opinion.

The three orange spots are locations where you could squeeze in an extra city. I tend to lean towards spot 3. This area is almost completely lacking in food, so a lot of squares will go unworked. Having a city in the middle will allow you to work extra cottages while the other cities grow.

[cabert]

I would do it like this


the grey city could be 1 tile north, to cover each useful tile of the land, but it really doesn't change a lot and I like settling on hills.

[Vulcans]

Originally Posted by Dubzilla8

Yellow, on the other hand, can share those crabs from Djenne so it can grow. You only need enough food to work the cows and the three mines to the west, it will only be producing units for you, no commerce.

this is civ 4, you can no longer switch tiles between cities like you could in civ 3

[cabert]

Originally Posted by Vulcans

this is civ 4, you can no longer switch tiles between cities like you could in civ 3

Of course you can.
enter the city screen of the city you want the tile to be used.
click on the tile once to affect it to the city.
Click a second time to affect a worker to the tile.

[Vulcans]

great, more micro-managing.

[futurehermit]

I would only build 2 cities. 1 SE of the E gems for an uber city and 1 in the NW to get the cow-horse. A 3rd city seems wasteful given the lack of seafood (maintenance, etc.).

The ubercity would make a v. nice bureaucracy capital, but you want the capital to be in the middle of your empire at least somewhat to absorb maintenance costs

[Baldas]

I like Cabert's northern city, as it captures four special resources. There's quite a lot of overlap with the other cities though, especially since the two existing cities on the map haven't had a border pop yet.

How about this instead? My main concern is that City 2 would grow quite slowly until you can chain irrigate farms, but it does capture two good resources right away.

I'm no expert at dot mapping, but it might help you.

[cabert]

^^Overlapping isn't a problem in most games.
Let's say a game lasts 400 turns (likely on epic speed, unlikely on normal speed), how many turns do you want a special resource to be worked?
If you don't overlap, some tiles are worked only less than 100 turns.
When you overlap, the best tiles are worked a lot more.

I still mostly agree with futurehermit. 2 cities would be enough.
My third one (grey) is only a filler.

[r_rolo1]

One question: Are you planning to do any of the coastal Wonders ( Collosus, Great Lighthouse)? That makes a lot of diference in the dotmapping.

[futurehermit]

Yes, if Collosus and/or Great Lighthouse enter into the picture that could make things a whole new ball game...