How does exploration work?

[Caboose]

When you explore a great plains, or a river or a desert, etc. - how does this work? Sometimes I get cash and my own name for the terrain, sometimes I don't.

I don't get it.

I've tried finding some logic to this. Is it when you enter the middle section of every large forest or river or whatever? Why do I sometimes not get any exploration cash even though the terrain hasn't been given a name yet??

Please help!

 

[Ninja Flick]

I think there are just certain territory squares predefined to being discovered for a gold bonus. They're most likely randomly chosen as the game sets up the map.

 

[Hertsh]

Yes, I think they are random. I haven't seen any pattern in this.

 

[Kadazzle]

I believe you're kind of right. When I explore say, a great forest, it is always in/near the middle of the packs of forest. I can now generally tell where the each exploration tile will be (1 tile off) because of the tiles situated around it.

 

[Caboose]

Yeah, seems like it's normally around the center of a minimum 3-tile forest or plains, etc.

But sometimes there is no middle and I waste time on my scout (warrior) trying to get some cash and sometimes there is no cash :[

But I get the general idea. There is a minimum space between them, so if it's too close to another (within 4 squares or so), there won't be any cash for yoo! ("no soup for yoo!") Thanks for the answers, guys.

 

[Kadazzle]

I generally find 4-7 exploration things per game. As you pointed out, it's not always there, but it is always there if there's 4+ squares of the same type in a general area. Just always go to the center. For rivers, it's a tad different, it's in the middle but where it starts to turn. If that makes any sense, you welcome!

 

[Apolex]

I always find it funny late in the game when I build a couple of extra roads between cities and send troops that way, and then they run over some exploration cash area that was never found. It's just kind of amusing when your Tank accidentally discovers the "Ephesian Forest".

 

[eddiexflatts]

I think i once found a mountain when my plane flew over it.

Am i right or was i dreaming?

 

[Caboose]

You seem to be right, because if there is a chain of mountains (at least 3 squares) you wont discover it until you have planes.

So, I seem to understand pretty much how this works now. Thanks again guys

 

[Kev]

I've also had exploration bonuses from sea squares as well when my ship hits the spot.

 

[Kadazzle]

I've had that happen twice, once when I settled by a sea type thing and popped out a galley, the other time when my galley went far north and found one by a 1 square island.

 

[sadu]

I found it pretty amusing when I landed my assault troops out of the boat in the modern age right next to Washington and got to name the square. It's like "F*** you Lincoln, I get to name your forests".

 

[sadu]

Also, use those caravans you spawn from huts for finding those squares. Explore areas in detail where there isn't already a great forest/plains/whatever nearby. Caravans are much better than warriors for this, and if you end your turn next to an AI unit, the AI will usually let you keep the caravan (whereas they will always pinch the spy).

Also, when you finally send your caravan into the AI city, make sure you go the long way and use up the 3 movement points. In other words, if you are 2 squares away from the city, use your spare move to explore an extra enemy tile. This costs nothing, there is no risk, and just sometimes - you pop a landmark tile with that extra move.

It makes all the difference to pop 2 or 3 lots of 10-15 gold before getting the 50gp from the enemy city (usually enough to get your 100gp for the free settler a bit faster).

 

[Sciguy001]

This might be sorta off topic, but once with Spain I recieved 800 gold
by discovering a landmark mountain in 2080 I think. Exploration gold raises as the game goes on, and I think it is higher for mountains, see squares, and obviously for Spain.

And a little bit more on topic, once when I discovered a landmark in an the Zulus territory Sorta werid, if an enemy was invading you and they stop to name the forest next to your city. And now the Zulu have to go through the rest of the game with the words "Ceaser Rulz!" in big letters right next to Shaka's palace city

 

[Boomsie]

And now the Zulu have to go through the rest of the game with the words "Ceaser Rulz!" in big letters right next to Shaka's palace city

that's awesome! I wanna do that.

And exploration is random and the spanish get double cash bonus for it.