City Planner

[JesusOnEez]

Download here!

I was looking for a spreadsheet or database that would allow me to plan a city to some extent and do some maths for me. I couldn't find one and was using vast reams of paper, so knowing a "little" about Excel, I decided to have a go myself.

It's not perfect by any means (hence the low version number), and is only suitable for early game planning.

Done:
Sums base and improved yields of terrain and improvements

To Do:
Incorporate technology based yield changes
Incorporate civic based yield changes
Incorporate leader trait based yield changes
City tile doesn't work properly as yields are permanently 2F, 1H, 1C (which they are most of the time).

Do I know how to do any of this stuff?

Not really.

CHANGES:

v0.18 - 25/4/07
Changed the city tile so that it works for the majority of cases. Needs much work to get right though.

v0.15 - 24/4/07
Original release

 

[JesusOnEez]

Reserved for future use.

 

[Potatish]

Great idea, and the Freudian slip is classic.

 

[Flek]

Hope you don't mind, I got a hankering to play around with this so I did..


Added Max formulas on City Setup sheet to correct for -ve values. Also corrects City tile F/P/C.

Moved input to the City Plan sheet.

Made buttons for adding rivers, revealed by master button (need to allow Macros).

Changed terrain/resource input to ActiveX scrollbars to test if easier or not. Toggle master button to unhide the controls.
Noticed this method allowed 'intelligent' reduction of which improvements need be scrolled through (bit experimental, not very neat).


Up to you if you wish to incorporate the changes, but be warned I am quite fickle with my time, so might or might no be able to input/help further.


Several things still not dealt with AFAICT.. off the top of my head:
Civics, Traits, Technology, Golden Age, Railways, Irrigation.
[Edit: Oh yeah, also: Specialists]


At least one main improvement I thought might be to annotate city pop and allocation of worked tiles / specialists.


I guess the usefulness would be derived from examining the City Setup sheet to help planning / calculations?
Or another way to go might be to restrict to the 1st 50 turns or so of a game (eliminating many of the undealt-with things), and build it into a full-blown city simulator in order to test for an optimal start before a game?
Dunno really.. I was just playing with the interface

 

[JesusOnEez]

Flek.

Nice one!

I'll have a proper look when I'm not at work but first impressions look good. To be honest, I had thought about abandoning it as I just don't have the time to work out the stuff that's not obvious to do. The one thought I did have was that for picking resources, a combo box may be better...it takes a fair bit of time clickclickclicking to spices for example.

I love the river stuff though...it's something I thought of for a more visual view of rivers but couldn't figure it out...that's my favourite addition I think.

Like I say, I'm 99% sure that I'm not going to have time to continue with this so if you want to take ownership, then by all means do so...your kung-fu is stronger than mine.

 

[Flek]

No probs matey.

I know it sounds kinda naff but I was just playing really, wanted to teach myself a few spreadsheet skills (not done ActiveX controls before). After thinking about it, I wasn't too sure what the goal was, but was fun to fiddle with it anyway.

I can run you through how I just did the rivers if you are unable to adapt the SSheet or just interested (I bet there's even better ways but hey ).

Resources: I agree. Although you can alleviate since clicking & holding on an arrow rapidly scrolls them alphabetically. I just wish I could figure how to autocomplete if typing as a third solution (without providing a full list in hidden cells below each box!) Well.. or the real black-belts would do a funky link to a game save file to do the inputting (not me!! Wouldn't know where to begin!)

What I almost thought was to find a copy of the template some people are using when discussing (S)GOTM openings and see if I can somehow link the two for a more graphical version.

Unfortunately, like I say, sometimes I'm happy to waste a day fiddling with something, others I'm busy or just not focused enough (or in the mood). I won't fuss about ownership, but being free to build from this as a starting point (when I get the inclination) is very kind, cheers.

 

[JesusOnEez]

There's a template for SGOTM? Linky?

 

[Flek]

There's a template for SGOTM? Linky?

Not sure, but I was thinking of digging around for something like this: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=5551094&postcount=64

Not done any asking or looking yet..

Was thinking how to automate setting up this sort of SSheet, and if that work had already been done or not?

[Edit: Realised now that there is no point really. Easier to set up a city in the world editor & play through any opening moves that might want to be tested.]

 

[mikezang]

I also modify the original version, but without macro.
You can input inside City Plan sheet.