Border Expansion/growth and Staking Claims

[Teleon22]

Like many of you, I really enjoy the Civilization genre. I especially enjoy Civilization 5 Brave New World. However, I’ve always found the border expansion or growth feature a little strange. For instance, why do borders automatically expand? And why don’t I have a say in where they expand too? Am I not the supreme ruler of my civilization? Also, why can’t I negotiate with my neighbors what our mutual border will be through diplomatic land swaps or purchases?

I wish I had control over what tile my borders will expand to next if I so chose to micromanage that particular feature.

I wish I could negotiate a trade or land swap with my neighbor. I’ll give him a plot of land on “his side” of the river if he will give me that plot of land on “my side” of the river.

What are your thoughts…

 

[Gooner_BNA]

Thanks for asking this question. I have wondered the same thing. What is border expansion based on? In other words, what criteria is used when determining that tile.

 

[Randall_Flagg]

The criteria is 2 fold from what I see. Best workable tiles according to the AI. IE any resource. After that it looks for resources in the 5 ring, it will go towards them. This is another reason I do not like the AI in 5 ring area.

After that it just goes until the 5 ring is done.

Now it would be great if the op's vision was in game. But lets get real, the player would always win the border wars if we could *talk* to the AI about them.

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

I would also add the the border expansion algorithm prefers flat/easy terrain over rough terrain, land over sea, the near side of a river over the far side, fresh water over none, close over far, etc. Sometimes it will avoid a luxury if the terrain is too rough. You may need to chop a forest or jungle or clear a marsh to get the cultural border to cover that tile. Or just buy it.

 

[quantum42]

All cities should start with a radius of 2 tiles. When a city is eligible for expansion, an option should appear stating, select a tile for expansion. Also all tiles in a player's territory should be workable for increased production, food, etc, even those 4 or more tiles away from any city.

 

[renkenbd]

I always considered the "automatic" tile acquisition as representative of the "natural" or "organic" evolution of my society's outward expansion (people migrating out on their own to find new spaces). In contrast, I still exercise my control as "Supreme Ruler" of my civilization by "buying" new lands (with the three tile limit signifying the limits of my supreme power, as it were).

 

[kingofsealand]

All cities should start with a radius of 2 tiles. When a city is eligible for expansion, an option should appear stating, select a tile for expansion. Also all tiles in a player's territory should be workable for increased production, food, etc, even those 4 or more tiles away from any city.

This would he cool up until you own 10+ cities and have to micromanage expansion on every one

 

[KrikkitTwo]

It selects a tile within 5 hexes based on what has the highest value

distance->negative (more with more distance)
water, mountain, rough terrain->negative
across a river from any of your other territory->negative

resource->positive
adjacent to existing territory->positive
tile output->small positive

 

[Fluffball]

I always considered the "automatic" tile acquisition as representative of the "natural" or "organic" evolution of my society's outward expansion (people migrating out on their own to find new spaces). In contrast, I still exercise my control as "Supreme Ruler" of my civilization by "buying" new lands (with the three tile limit signifying the limits of my supreme power, as it were).

This is the whole point of the current system. Borders grow organically and in some ways represent how people will more likely choose to move to and work areas that are better than worse.e.g. they will move to somewhere that would give them a lot of gold or food so they can live well.

You still have the option to play total god by buying tiles yourself to force people to inhabit certain areas and much like real life this costs. If you want people to move to a crappy and inhospitable place you have to pay them.