A little dotmap help requested

[Sisiutil]

This a non-ALC game (obviously) that I just started and am playing off-line. I'm playing as Washington, Monarch level, fractal map, normal speed.

I'm on the northern part of a continent and I have a chunk of land north of my capital with some very desireable resources that I'd like to exploit with a few cities. The thing is, putting together a workable dotmap is becoming a frustrating exercise! So I thought I'd ask the group mind for a little help, and thought it might work as a worthwhile learning exercise as well.

Here's a screenshot of the area in question:

My initial instincts were to put one city 2 N of the cows that are due east of Washington and another one 2 N of the cows further north, but that made it hard to claim the corn in between them. Also, any city claiming the two incense tiles can get one of the clams in its fat cross, but not both. Frustrating, as I said. Any and all help is very much appreciated!

 

[Cam_H]

I can see your dilemma ... I can see lack of fresh water! ... this layout may work;

 

[nwadams]

i like those dot maps but i suggest putting the green one on teh question mark, makes it easier to get the sugar's or whatever they are to the south east

but i'm not good at dot mapping so get another opinion

 

[Sisiutil]

Thanks guys, especially Cam--I'm willing to overlook your sneaky reference to me as "Sisi" in light of your assistance.

Any other opinions?

 

[MrCynical]

Well if you have the two cities each to the north of cows as you suggest (they seem reasonable sites with two food at each), I'd put a third city on the desert tile 1W of the corn. It will overlap a bit, but I think with the corn and a fair amount of grass and sea it would make an adequate commerce city. I'd put another city on the southern of the two incense, and wedge another in on the tundra 2W of the marble (low priority and fairly overlapped but should more than pay its costs and would stop an AI pushing in). With the sea and a few cottages these sites should make adequate commerces cities, though they'll be nothing to write home about production wise.

 

[Cam_H]

I'm willing to overlook your sneaky reference to me as "Sisi" in light of your assistance.

... If you saw my chronic 'builder' playstyle, you'd know I'm in no position to call anyone a sissy!

nwadams is right in that you'll want to look at getting those Sugars if at all possible ... even if by force.

With the sea and a few cottages these sites should make adequate commerces cities, though they'll be nothing to write home about production wise.

... and there in is the problem ... limited fresh water coupled with few Hills ... "Head South young man!"

 

[pigswill]

Maybe build cornfish city (ne of capital) first to defend against the barbs then as Cam H said, head south and go green.

 

[aelf]

Can't add much more to that dotmap. I agree with placing the green site on the question mark.

 

[DaveMcW]

I would build pink X on top of the SW incense. A fishing village (or two, with the other clam) is the most efficient use of those tiles.

 

[flamingzaroc121]

how do you get so lucky i mean you have 8 food reasources, 5 happy reasources and marble all within reasonable distance from your capital

 

[Sisiutil]

how do you get so lucky i mean you have 8 food reasources, 5 happy reasources and marble all within reasonable distance from your capital

I think that's the result of the unpredictable fractal map.

I am definitely heading south as the only source of copper is down there. As are Hatty and Asoka.

Thanks for your help, everyone!

 

[cabert]

2 things :
- aside from the incense (i would settle on the incense like DaveMcW said, you just never work those tiles anyway + it opens room for another fishing village, better with financial fisher FdR), i agree with cam_h (as usual, hi cam).
- What's your goal? Is it to grab some/all the ressources fast? Is it to settle the whole landmass? Is it to build a production+2/3 commerce cities?

As a priority, my personnal favourite is cornfish hillsville : 4 potential mines and just enough food to work them. Without fresh water, the corn isn't as powerful as you could think.
But the only way to bring chain irrigation to this site would be to farm the spice
I guess you just have to take it as it is = no fresh water

 

[Calavente]

hmmm

cabert ??

I think the only option is 1)

irrigation do not spread through hill or pikes for any reason.
even when a city is on the hill.

So only way to irrigate is to farm the spice...
you better get another spice before going calendar !!!

 

[cabert]

hmmm
irrigation do not spread through hill or pikes for any reason.
even when a city is on the hill.

Right!
After a little worlbuilder test, I see it doesn't.

Edit : corrected false assumptions

 

[gdgrimm]

did you try?
I'm in doubt here, and i think a little worlbuilder test will give me an exact answer.

I tested it a real world game shortly after I got the game. And was very, very perturbed that irrigation will NOT transfer through a city on a hill.

 

[Calavente]

no I didn't exactly "try"
.. but I encountered the situation.. irrigating through the hilled city, it doesn't work..

it is one of the few bad points on settling on a hill (there has to be some )

 

[aelf]

IIRC, you can irrigate a plot to chain farm a next plot and then replace the farm on the first plot with another improvement.

 

[cabert]

IIRC, you can irrigate a plot to chain farm a next plot and then replace the farm on the first plot with another improvement.

Yes, but the farms won't provide any food!

 

[aelf]

Yes, but the farms won't provide any food!

Did they fix it in Warlords or something? I guess if it worked it would be somewhat an exploit

 

[Sisiutil]

IIRC, you can irrigate a plot to chain farm a next plot and then replace the farm on the first plot with another improvement.

With biology, the farm should still provide food, however, doing this will cut off irrigation, reducing all the down-chain farm tiles' food output by 1.