Best City Location I've Found Yet

[Dual]

As I was exploring in my current game, I came across an incredible piece of land a ways east of my capital. It has got 3 cows, a wheat resource, lots of bonus grassland, and even has a river running through it.

But as luck would have it, the plot of land was even closer to the expanding Sumerians to the south. I started building a new settler right away (all the rest were expanding in the opposite direction), but I thought there was no way I'd beat the Sumerians to the punch.

Much to my surprise, old Gilgamesh ignored all the cows and built a city just to the south of that great spot. So, a few turns later I was able to sneak a settler and warrior in there and claim my land.

It's easily the best city location I've ever owned. Once I get the forbidden palace I'll build it there, and make it that much better.

So, does anyone else have some awesome city locations they've come across in their games?

 

[777]

Can't remember all the good ones, but one time I found 4 or 5 whales for the coastal city. It was quite a nice place.

 

[[DG]]

I got a start very similar to the one you posted a pic of, but mine had all the cows on BGs. Made for a very, very nice start.

 

[Khan_Asparuh]

It's a good one, awesome if it's the starting one, but in this precise moment you have two problems with it:
1) It's offending Sumer a lot
2) It's under high cultural pressure

 

[Rik Meleet]

I don't think you'll be able to hold on to that city. I think it will be a reason for a Sumerian sneak attack or it will flip.

 

[thetrooper]

It's a nice spot indeed, but why build walls? Get rid of the Sumerians!

 

[Doc Tsiolkovski]

The city is not offending. It is not within the workable tiles of a Sumerian city. And, since you can see more dark blue borders to the W, it is somehow connected with his lands. Sumeria will have settled the resources there anyway, so I don't see a sneak attack necessarily.
But, culture....
3 Cows at the start are of course amazing. But here...the Wheat isn't that useful. The city is too food-heavy for my taste (still a good production, but imagine two additional Gold Hills....or Gems ).
To tell the truth, if you go for the Sumerian cities soon, I'd move your city onto the coastal hill. That'll give you 3 very good cities.

 

[pason]

For that city I should have rushed for culture points. Just build libraries, temples and such buildings. Just to ensure that city isn't lost. Ofcourse build a courthouse ASAP.

 

[MRick]

I would ruch a Temple or Library instead of walls.

This city will grow very fast and walls are useless above size 7. The city will not stop growing at size 6 because of the River...

On the other hand cultural building are very usefull to fight off the risk of cultural flip...

In my current game, I build a city between 2 zulu cities, I rushed a Temple and then a Library, and the one of the zulu city flipped to my empire about 2 or 3 rounds later !

My city was only size 3, and the zulu city was size 9...

I guess the zulu citizen were getting bored of losing the war (this is an "always war" game, I've been at war against the zulus since I met them). I was crushing dozens of Impis and Longbowmen with my Trebuchets, and the zulu were in Republic !

 

[Zavior]

I once had 7 cows. Too bad I was playing on warlord

 

[Dual]

Thanks for the strategy tips everyone. I think what I'm going to do is first build a temple in Garden of Eden, to help the culture.

I just made peace with Sumeria, in exchange for one of their smaller cities, so I don't want to take a reputation hit from attacking those two cities below me just yet. But after the treaty is over with, I'll definitely be prepared to make an invasion. Of course, if Sumeria breaks the treaty first I wouldn't mind.

In the mean time, I'm going to send a settler to found another city on that coastal hill Doc Tsiolkovski mentioned. That wheat resource may be more useful in helping a second city grow.

This game is actually a warlord level multi-player game, which I'm playing with my father and 8 AI civs. I usually play on regent or monarch, but my dad is still learning the ropes. But since we only play together a couple hours every evening, it will take me a while to see what happens to my new city.

 

[andis-1]

my best start ever...
btw there was two more wheats in the dark territory in north

 

[Khan_Asparuh]

That's not too good if you're on a diet, but is NIIIIIIIIIICE in CIV.

 

[mastertyguy]

hills, on a chokepoint, with whaels and 3 wheat FP, access to a river. Best start I think possible. AND ... iron and coal!!!! This gave me about 200 shields.

 

[777]

@masterguy: Wow, I haven't ever had changes to do Iron Works.

 

[dgfred]

I once had 4 Ivory in my Capital city radius as Celts on emperor .

 

[island007]

andis-1, you have too much food. Were you lucky enough to pull a forest in the southwest fog? The issue is you have no high shield (forest tile) for the govenor to place the new citizen when you grow. If not then you may need to mine the hills and use that as you open forest tile.

 

[Tomoyo]

Even without a forest, that's three four-turn settler factories he's looking at.

 

[bingen]

Welcome to CFC!

I got a start very similar to the one you posted a pic of, but mine had all the cows on BGs. Made for a very, very nice start.

Cows on bonus grassland do not occur on unedited maps (I've observed this using the editor and by playing many games, only a seed number would convince me otherwise). Cows do provide an extra shield though in contrast to wheat.

 

[shadow-walker_]

this is from like a year ago but still here is my best start