When I want to make a city, my first rule is almost always: Have a food resource in the workable area (the BFC, the famous 21 tiles).
Food resources are: Corn, Rice, Wheat, Sheep, Pig, Deer. These are obvious.
Cow - which also produces hammers - is very good.
Flood plains can also be counted as food resources, as they give 4 food when farmed.
There are other, but focus on these for now.
Food is needed to grow and to work important tiles like mined hills, cottaged plains, for example.
You can of course break this food-rule, and often there is a good reason to do so, but at your level you should build cities to always include one of these tiles in the magic 21. If you can snag any other special tiles that is of course even better, but make sure you have food.
About capturing resources for your empire's use: Stone/Marble/Iron/Bronze/Horse/ are typical tiles you do not particularly need to work, but are very nice for your empire to have access to (wonders and warfare!). You only need one of each, though. (You can trade extra ones for money or other resources). Also happiness resources often give a lot of commerce when you work it, but often the +happy (means 1 potential extra citizen in every city you own) is even more important. Fur located on ice is a tile you want access to, but not to work.
Food resources are: Corn, Rice, Wheat, Sheep, Pig, Deer. These are obvious.
Cow - which also produces hammers - is very good.
Flood plains can also be counted as food resources, as they give 4 food when farmed.
There are other, but focus on these for now.
Food is needed to grow and to work important tiles like mined hills, cottaged plains, for example.
You can of course break this food-rule, and often there is a good reason to do so, but at your level you should build cities to always include one of these tiles in the magic 21. If you can snag any other special tiles that is of course even better, but make sure you have food.
About capturing resources for your empire's use: Stone/Marble/Iron/Bronze/Horse/ are typical tiles you do not particularly need to work, but are very nice for your empire to have access to (wonders and warfare!). You only need one of each, though. (You can trade extra ones for money or other resources). Also happiness resources often give a lot of commerce when you work it, but often the +happy (means 1 potential extra citizen in every city you own) is even more important. Fur located on ice is a tile you want access to, but not to work.
