Aquatic Cities base yields boost

[Starrynite120]

Has anyone else noticed that aquatic cities have half Unhealth from population and +50% culture? Anyone have any idea what the reason behind this might be?

 

[SupremacyKing2]

Has anyone else noticed that aquatic cities have half Unhealth from population and +50% culture?

Yes, that is a default characteristic of all aquatic cities.

Anyone have any idea what the reason behind this might be?

Well, from a gameplay perspective, it is probably intended to differentiate aquatic cities from land based cities. The devs said that they wanted aquatic cities to be unique and not just more land based cities on water. The lower unhealth and extra culture give players a real reason to build water cities and become particularly useful to players who want to focus on culture.

In terms of in-universe lore, it makes sense for water cities would have less unhealth since living on the water would be healthier. With the right desalination equipment, your population would have plenty of fresh, clean water to drink. And there would not be any land pollution. Not sure why water cities would generate more culture. Perhaps, being alone in the middle of the ocean inspires your artists?

 

[Alexander Boney]

I was wondering why culture expands borders for land cities. It's possible that ocean cities, which will be more centralised, have both more cultural exchange (due to higher density) and a more inwardly-focussed idea of development rather than the more expansionist land culture that would develop from more separate housing and production units.

 

[Starrynite120]

I'm just thinking, in terms of gameplay, this makes aquatic cities much more desirable. They're better with no real drawbacks. Shouldn't there be some sort of drawback if they have some very strong bonuses? Because this doesn't really make them distinct, it just makes them better.

 

[SupremacyKing2]

I'm just thinking, in terms of gameplay, this makes aquatic cities much more desirable. They're better with no real drawbacks. Shouldn't there be some sort of drawback if they have some very strong bonuses? Because this doesn't really make them distinct, it just makes them better.

Water cities do have a big drawback in that they start with weaker strength and HP. So new water cities tend to be weaker and easier to capture than land cities. Duncan's sponsor bonus negates that weakness a bit since his bonus is stronger water cities. But most sponsors will find their early game water cities to be weaker than their land cities.

 

[Gorbles]

Also terrain defends Aquatic Cities far less than the natural terrain of land-based Cities (which features Canyons, Mountains and the inverse-Mountain-Basin things. I think they're actually called Calderas).

 

[Starrynite120]

Shouldn't there be a bigger drawback than just a military vulnerability? Cause in most cases your city being a bit weaker and more open to attack doesn't matter

 

[SupremacyKing2]

Shouldn't there be a bigger drawback than just a military vulnerability? Cause in most cases your city being a bit weaker and more open to attack doesn't matter

No, I don't think so. If you gave water cities any further drawbacks, then they would not be worth building. Plus, the military drawback actually does matter. The AI is able to capture water cities much easier than land cities. You often need a large blockade of units to protect water cities which you don't need to do with land cities.

 

[masda_gib]

Well, the other drawback is that that they don't get tiles via culture. That's the reason they have 150% culture in the first place (according to devs).

I think needing production or gold to expand and weak defenses are enough drawbacks since it makes them high maintenance cities.

 

[Callonia]

Advantages: 50% less unhealth, 50% more Culture, and a city that can move.

Disadvantages: Easier to assault in general for AIs, No acquisition of hexs via culture, lower defense strength, if they choose to move it consumes their production and they only can move one hex a turn. (If you wanna move a city to a location that's 50 hexs away, that's 50 turns at minimum of traveling and no building anything else. I've done it.)

 

[KrikkitTwo]

I'm just thinking, in terms of gameplay, this makes aquatic cities much more desirable. They're better with no real drawbacks. Shouldn't there be some sort of drawback if they have some very strong bonuses? Because this doesn't really make them distinct, it just makes them better.

Well the +50% extra culture they get is useless for expanding your borders (the probable game play reason)

Land city 2 culture for virtues + 2 culture for tiles
Sea city 3 culture for virtues

 

[LethalLeigh]

Anyone else also Notice that Water City seems to have a lot better resources than land Cities?

The resources seem to be Clumped together a lot more and seem to be more bountiful.