Capitalization frustration

[honeychurch]

I picked up Civ II on a whim two weeks ago at the local Target. My family hasn't seen me since. Here's my question: I'm having a ***** of a time getting any of my cities to develop the capitalization improvement. I have two cities in my current game that are very productive (90+ shields), and are reasonably defended, and yet in both cities the capitalization improvement sits idle at "2 rounds." What am I doing wrong?

 

[Alan_Nicoll]

Not sure what the "2 rounds" means, but capitalization just converts shields to money. So it never gets "built."

 

[honeychurch]

Yes! Thanks for the reply, Alan. I know what the cap. improvement does, but have not been able to develop it for some reason. I'm playing an extended game, currently 2264. I've achieved every development in several cities except capitalization. When I select it as the next development I'm not able to purchase it, despite the fact that my civ is wealthy enough to. Instead, the capitalization icon in the improvements window sits at two turns, and is never achieved. Did this clear up my situation?
Help! Assist! The hated Aztecs are outspending me!

 

[Kev]

Welcome to the forums, honeychurch. I hope that we can help you out with this and any other questions you may have.

As Alan wrote, the capitalization "improvement" is not something that is built - hence you are unable to purchase it. It is more of a city "status" than an improvement. I know that it is confusing when you look at your screen and it seems to tell you that capitalization can be completed in a certain amount of turns.

I think an example may better explain. Let's say that you have a city that produces 40 shields (shields that are normally used to build improvements, military or whatever). When you switch that city to capitalization, the city will now give you 40 gold INSTEAD of the shields. It will do this as long as the city is in capitalization - every turn - ad infintium. The city may still grow if it has enough food, but it will not be able to build anything.

The only thing I'm not sure about is if this 40 gold is on top of what the city brings in via taxes, etc. I think it is, but I'm sure someone else here can verify.

Hope that helps.

 

[honeychurch]

Many thanks, Kev, for the advice and the welcome!

My question is basically this: given that my cities are wealthy, well fed, and have trade routes, why might they not be developing the capitalization option?

How Jersey this afternoon?

Doug

 

[honeychurch]

A P.S.:

Might the fact that I have overextended my Empire have anything to do with it? I'm playing the "real globe" option, as the English. I have already won the game, reaching Alpha Centauri. Now I'm trying to conquer the rest of the world militarily. I have a wealthy civ, if a bit spread out...I control all of Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, South Africa, and northern S. America. The hated Aztecs are compact (N. and C. America), but incredibly powerful. What do you think?

 

[thedirk]

My guess is that you have developed capitalization and you don't realize it. If you go into your city screen and select Capitalization from the menu, then your city has developed capitalization. You don't build it, you don't get a popup box saying "London has built capitalization".

Look at the row of icons telling you city production. If where there formerly were shields there now are gold coins, you have successfully implemented capitalization. Empire size or production of squares in terms of food or trade is irrelevant.

 

[Smash]

You need to research The Corporation for Capitolizaton to appear on the city build menu.

 

[Kev]

honeychurch,

Given that you say you have all of the techs discovered (fairly likely as you've already colonized AC and it's so late in the game), then you obviously have already discovered the corporation and therefore have the ability to put any one of your cities into "capitalization". I don't think that there is a government that you could be in that would not allow a city to "capitalize".

thedirk's advice is sound - one of your cities may be in capitalization already and you may not realize it. Remember, that city will stay in capitalization forever unless you change it yourself. As thedirk writes, you can check inside your city screen and look to where you would normally see the shield quantity for that city. If there are coins there instead of shields, then that city is in capitalization. To switch out, simply choose an improvement our unit to produce and the city will be back to shields.

I like to think of capitalization as a type of government but it only applies to the cities that you choose.

By the way, given what I know about your game I'm wondering why you would like to put any of your cities into "capitalization mode". Chances are that city may be better served by producing freight, engineers, or military units.

And NJ is just fine this afternoon - if a bit on the warm side. Hope things in Chi-Town are well.

 

[Smash]

lol..oh I see now.Gotta read more carefully.

I had the same problem in my very first game when I finally decided I should have 1 of those "wonders of the world" thingys.
I chose Capitolization

 

[honeychurch]

Thanks to all, especially kev. and thedirk for the advice. I feel like a ninny...but thedirk was absolutely right; I had already achieved cap'tion in not one but several cities. Cheers to one and all!

F. Honeychurch, PM of the English

 

[Caesar19]

Capitilisation is what you do when everything you want is built as it makes money for you!!! Put it on all your big cities when your space ship is launched and built and watch your gold amount grow and grow!!!

 

[noughmaster]

Capitilisation is what you do when everything you want is built as it makes money for you!!! Put it on all your big cities when your space ship is launched and built and watch your gold amount grow and grow!!!

It's not nearly as lucrative as sending freight and you don't get the science benifit either, but it's a hell of a lot easier, especially on a large map when you can have > 200 cities.

 

[starlifter]

Assuming your city can produce a commodity, you are wasting science and gold by using Capitalism.

A late game, 50-shield city can easily produce freight worth at least 500 gold *AND* 500 science for any old junk commodity. If you produce and deliver a demanded commodity to an overseas city, you can even get upwards of 4,000 gold and 4,000 science for that single measly freight. And you want to just get 50 gold by capitalizing the shield output?

That said, most of my late game cities have produced all the commodities they can, so capitalization is the only real option for a city at times. But get those freight produced and deliver them!

 

[allan]

Yep, when you've built all the freights you can (i.e. only food freights are left to you) out of a city, and it has everything else it needs, you should go to capitalization. I wish they had that in CivI... I would build everything I could, and they had a ridiculously small maximum number of units in that game (something like a couple hundred), but still I had to build SOMETHING (rather than just stop all production)....

If anything, it makes those late-game turns go quicker--just switch on capitalization in a city that has everything, and forget about it (concentrate on building up the newer ones)....

 

[cpemma]

I find Capitalisation handy in the late stages; luxury up, taxes down, everybody happy and more points.

You don't get any marks for money in the bank.