[GS] Bonuses to unimproved tiles

[acluewithout]

So, with the September Patch, we now have a few things that boost or work with “unimproved” tiles.

Off the top of my head, we have:

• Reyna gives +2 gold to unimproved tiles (and adjacent tiles get more appeal). I guess this is directed at Old Growth Forests and National Parks?
• Aquarium buffs Reefs and Shipwrecks.
• Maroi
• Now Shipyards give production to unimproved Coastal Tiles.

Anything else?

How do people feel about these sorts of mechanics based around “unimproved” tiles...?

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

I think it could be useful to a Native American Plains civ in a third expansion, if there is one.

 

[Archon_Wing]

I don't like the shipyard change because that defeats the purpose of the fishery buff. I would have liked it if they added that on to the Seaport.

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

I don't like the shipyard change because that defeats the purpose of the fishery buff. I would have liked it if they added that on to the Seaport.

I'm not big on micromanaging Governors. So I typically only put down fisheries in one city. The Shipyard buff will be useful in all the other coastal cities.

 

[Ziad]

Even without micromanagement, I think the intent is to buff tiles that belong to a city that doesnt need Fisheries. (Needs prod more than food/housing for now)

I usually rush/buy Lighthouses and Shipyards so it'll basically help with my early city infrastructure.

Also buffs Reefs and makes basic coastal tiles better than Harbor specialists.

 

[Kaan Boztepe]

the fact the game rewards micromanaging to a lesser degree is welcome, major rewards would have been bad
i am quite sure there will be a native american civ in the next expansion , since nothing else is left in north america to add as a modern civ.
japan has begun to search for rare earth minerals in the seas , so maybe we can get also sea mines in the future

 

[acluewithout]

Personally, I don’t really like the “unimproved tiles” type mechanics. I mean, I want to like it, but I just don’t.

I really dislike citizens working unimproved tiles. To me, it always feels like I’ve failed to properly manage my empire if I have acquired citizens I can’t put to work on improved tiles.

The only exceptions are (1) Jungles early game (I’m okay because it’s just temporary and I haven’t got my economy going yet) and (2) old growth forests because I’m going to turn them into a National Park.

So, yeah. I don’t like this mechanic. Almost as much as I don’t like the “it’s an improvement, but your Builder can only place one per City”. (Honestly, I feel like all those “one per city improvements” should just be a unique District a particular Civ can build).

On the shipyard specifically - I’m okay with it buffing Reefs etc. Honestly, it’s going to be a barely noticeable feature of having a Shipyard.

 

[UWHabs]

Shipyard kind of feels like it should give +1 production to all tiles (would map well with the other harbor buildings, lighthouse giving +1 food to all, seaport giving +2 gold to all), but I'm assuming they decided that would be too strong of a bonus and instead give fishing boats production, and shipyards a bonus to different tiles.

As for having these bonuses to unimproved tiles, I'm fine with it. I kind of treat them like passive yields - nice bonus to have, but you really shouldn't be working them. And it is nice to have some reasons maybe to keep some forests around, or to not spam improvements on every tile on the map.

 

[acluewithout]

This thread is going to become all about Shipyards, isn’t it?

I think one problem with the Shipyard buff is that it’ll feel like building fishing boats initially removes yields and then also sort of undermines the hammer fishing boats get after colonialism (because you’re just getting back the hammer you lost building a fishing boat).

Frankly, I actually think the Shipyard change is pretty bad. It’s only saving grace is that I’ll be able to basically ignore it!

I do think the last patch made improvements less fun overall, and I suspect this patch will do the same. I feel like currently I can just improve everything, and everything is awesome, all the fricking time, particularly if there’s a volcano involved.

FXS obviously have a brief to “make stuff better”, and that’s probably a good goal overall. But they need to be more careful not to remove “colour” from the game and or make things samey

 

[Pietato]

Maroi

 

[Pietato]

Reyna gives bonuses to unimproved features.

 

[iammaxhailme]

I'm not big on micromanaging Governors. So I typically only put down fisheries in one city. The Shipyard buff will be useful in all the other coastal cities.

Yes, this is why I rarely unlock fisheries unless I have a really good spot. I just don't want to bounce governors all over.

Sometimes I'll do it with city parks for tourism if I'm doing culture victory but that's about it

 

[SammyKhalifa]

Yes, this is why I rarely unlock fisheries unless I have a really good spot. I just don't want to bounce governors all over.

Sometimes I'll do it with city parks for tourism if I'm doing culture victory but that's about it

This is kind of shallow but I just plain don't like how they look on the map.

 

[UWHabs]

This thread is going to become all about Shipyards, isn’t it?

I think one problem with the Shipyard buff is that it’ll feel like building fishing boats initially removes yields and then also sort of undermines the hammer fishing boats get after colonialism (because you’re just getting back the hammer you lost building a fishing boat).

Frankly, I actually think the Shipyard change is pretty bad. It’s only saving grace is that I’ll be able to basically ignore it!

I do think the last patch made improvements less fun overall, and I suspect this patch will do the same. I feel like currently I can just improve everything, and everything is awesome, all the fricking time, particularly if there’s a volcano involved.

FXS obviously have a brief to “make stuff better”, and that’s probably a good goal overall. But they need to be more careful not to remove “colour” from the game and or make things samey

By the time a city can actually get a shipyard online, fishing boats will already have a decent yield amount, and you probably have already put fishing boats down on all the tiles you care about.

 

[SammyKhalifa]

I like districts, but one thing I miss that districts kinda killed are those weird one-tile island cities. Maybe this will make them okay(ish)

 

[Cerilis]

By the time a city can actually get a shipyard online, fishing boats will already have a decent yield amount, and you probably have already put fishing boats down on all the tiles you care about.

Also, fishing boats get +1 production at colonialism with the patch, which is in the same era as shipyards.

 

[Ziad]

Yes, this is why I rarely unlock fisheries unless I have a really good spot. I just don't want to bounce governors all over.

Sometimes I'll do it with city parks for tourism if I'm doing culture victory but that's about it

As someone who loves huge faith/gold economies and promotes Reyna and Moksha to buy districts in cities, I'm used to the concept.

 

[iammaxhailme]

As someone who loves huge faith/gold economies and promotes Reyna and Moksha to buy districts in cities, I'm used to the concept.

Yeah. I'll do it with those two becuase buying districts feels much more important to me than fisheries and city parks, especially in the lategame times when you make them... but still, I really wish those things were empire-wide. Maybe give a bonus if the governor were on the right tile.

 

[Architect]

These changes encourage player agency and have a depth that on the surface is simple to understand but depending on the conditions of the city and the other factors at play is subtle and deep.

From a game design perspective these are all good things.

 

[UWHabs]

I like districts, but one thing I miss that districts kinda killed are those weird one-tile island cities. Maybe this will make them okay(ish)

At least now a one-tile island will get more housing from harbors and fisheries, meaning they'll be able to grow bigger. Still will be stuck with only a Harbor and Waterpark unless if they have other land in the area nearby, but these changes could potentially add 5-10 housing to those cities, and maybe 5-10 extra production as well. Small things, but bonuses nonetheless. And if they end up being a 2-tile island, you might be able to find a nice campus spot as long as there's at least one reef.