Bad capital location and no gold

[Carver]

Warfare wise, this game has been going well. I just finished a war with Zara. I took three cities including his capital. I've secured good resources and I'm in a good position to trim the Germans back.

But as you can see, there's very little room for cottages around my capital. I suppose I need to get some workers over to that western landmass to build cottages. I've made some progress on the Chichen Itza but I think I'll have to abandon it to build a galley and a worker.

As you can see, I'm going to be bankrupt very soon. I think I may go to war with the Germans just to put some cash in my pocket. Will the game let me go into a negative balance this early in the game?

This is probably the worst capital location I've ever had, but I thought it might be cool to have a capital almost surrounded by water. The food is great. And Berlin is in almost as bad a spot. But, going by the religions being founded, I think the other continent is ahead of mine.

 

[Carver]

And, btw, I have libraries in my three main cities and I'm building them in the new Ethiopian ones.

 

[frob2900]

That capital location is actually pretty good. But why haven't you pastured the sheep by 980 AD?

Also, forget about the Chichen Itza and build something useful (as far as I can see you don't have stone hooked up?). You'll get a bunch of gold from the uncompleted Itza as soon as the AI builds it.

What skill level is this? Post a save and we can have a look, makes it easier to give constructive advice.

[EDIT] Also, I count four unused seafood and an unused stone quarry. Build cities to get them! Seafood is really useful stuff.

 

[MrFelony]

I think the last thing he needs to do right now is build more cities, which will increase his upkeep . it looks like the cities you've captured are pretty far from your capital so either you can move your capital into the middle to reduce distances costs, or build a lot of court houses. also, if you moved your capital, you could move it to a location that would be better suitted for taking advantage of beaucracy (i.e. a production or commerce city)

 

[frob2900]

I think the last thing he needs to do right now is build more cities

That part is the worst advice I've ever heard. You always need more cities, and it can always be handled, one way or another.

It's 980 AD and he has 4 or 5 cities. Not particularly much. At that point in the game you are not supposed to be reducing upkeep by not building cities or expanding.

which will increase his upkeep .

Yes, ok, this part is slightly better. Like was mentioned, Code of Laws and Currency are key techs here. Some courthouses should be whipped. Perhaps some cottages worked

My course of action: Start working some cottages. Get courthouses up. Get them up in the most distant cities first. Build gold if you have to in one city so your economy doesn't go to STRIKE. Once you get courthouses in your most distant cities and a few cottages worked your economy should be good as gold. (EDIT: The savings really are phenomenal, must be seen to be believed)

However, do try and get those seafood cities built while you are performing CPR on your economy, despite the poster who thinks a 4 city empire is good at 1000 AD. Seafood is amongst the best food yield tiles, and if its coastal its giving you 2 off the bat, so those cities won't be pushovers.

And if you don't have either Currency or Code of Laws, then ditch Aesthetics and nab them ASAP. Also like I said, ditch the Chichen Itza, it's no good

(Also, moving the Palace for maintenance purposes in an empire that small is hardly a winning move, unless of course, there is some Grade A terrain near your northern cities. Don't listen to the poster who told you to move without reviewing the northern terrain)

 

[LedHead]

Problems i see. mostly all fixable

1) you have at least 3 food tiles you haven't improved. crab, clam and sheep.
2) your capital is only size 6 at 1000ad (health or happiness to blame?)
--a) those extra food sources would help the health (do you have a granary?)
--b) unconnected gold, temple and monarchy for happiness
3) You have a religion that the other two Civs have but your not using it. (brothers of faith bonus as well as religious civics...)
4) I assume you don't have Monarchy yet. (unconnected wine and happiness issues) should get that helps happiness two fold.
5) your 6 turns from going on strike. Then you loose troops. When you power level drops Bismark will happily move his longbows into those new cities.
6) a lighthouse to increase food
7) later a maui (sp?) statue and get a hammer for each water tile then replace those grass hill mines with cottages.
8) unless you razed the holy city or have another civ that gave you that religion you have the holy city. I don't see a star. Even more reason to have a religious experience...
9) you've had the capital working on that wonder a while without growth what other things could you have queued up that would have increased the value of the city?

The only real bad thing i see is needing a galley to get a worker to the sheep. Now that your war is over you need to focus on building back up your cities that you were grinding out units.

City automation sucks right now...
I'd look at each city and sacrifice some production to start turning some coin.
A lighthouse for the capital followed by galley for worker. i'd use an existing worker to get at least the sheep up.
hopefully the ai finishes that wonder and you get a cash boost.
Change your research to something that you need to improve your situation.
That close to strike if you fail to take a German city within the first round or two you wont have any troops left even to defend your cities let alone attack. In 4 rounds you'll be facing longbows.
Increase your pop commerce should follow.

@frob the reason he doesn't need more cities is he hasn't used all of the ones he has yet... Judging by this small sample.

 

[frob2900]

@frob the reason he doesn't need more cities is he hasn't used all of the ones he has yet... Judging by this small sample.

You mean "used his cities" like in "built tile improvements and courthouses"? That can be done in parallel.

I wasn't advocating conquering more AI cities, but rather building cities on all that terrain close to the capital.

 

[Hoerks]

You can build cottages on the grassland hills. But letting your capital grow should be a way more important to get gold. The water tiles+lighthouse will help alot.

More cities are only a long term strategie to get gold. But his science spending is already at 0% and he still got negative income.

If you dont want to go bankrupt you will need to reduce your military spendings (getting your units back to your territory) or get income by pillaging others.

 

[Carver]

Thanks guys and/or gals.

I've gotten around to doing a lot of what you suggested. Someone else built Chichen Itza so I got some cash there. I also seized Cologne to grab some land and raise funds. I poprushed courthouses almost everywhere, and now I have markets coming up also. So it looks like the financial crisis is over. I got over to the island to get the sheep and build cottages.

Not adopting the religion was a mistake. When it first came up I didn't want the 1 turn of anarchy, then I just forgot about it.

I'm still way behind it tech, but at least now the nation is stable. I think what threw me is that I've never had a map where my capital was so far from the other cities I built. I should build over to the east of the capital, but I was concentrating on blocking-in Zara and Bismark.

 

[NaZdReG]

well seeing what the other civs are teching to right now you could be in for some serious hurt in 20-50 turns. get caught up militarily or you could see some serious losses.

NaZ