Cities on resources

[Double A]

I'm not sure about this - if you settle a city on a resource, do you gain its benefits? It seems to me like you do, because I had placed a city on a spot of aluminum in the classical era, and when I got electricity I gained the aluminum. But on the other hand, when I have some new settlers, the "suggested city" tiles are never over luxury resources. So... is it just with strategic resources city tiles gain benefits from, or all kinds?

 

[Nunya]

I know for sure it works on strategic resources and I expect it works on luxury resources as well. The reason the suggested location is never directly on a resource is because luxury resources are usually pretty good tiles for your pop to work and the advisor AI considers it a waste to place a city on them. You'll notice it never suggests settling on strategic resoruces either.

The main reason to place a city o a resource is to get faster access to it. Otherwise you are better off to make an improvement and have your people work it.

 

[Double A]

Oh, OK, I was just wondering because if I didn't put it on a resource I'd lose out on several more. That's good to know I still get it.

 

[mzprox]

Otherwise you are better off to make an improvement and have your people work it.

That was in civ4, but not in civ5

 

[oneinfinity]

That was in civ4, but not in civ5

i kind of hate it when people make posts like this. why bother making a comment without explaining what exactly it is you mean.

 

[Beef Hammer]

As far as i can tell it's still better in the long run to settle next to a resource and improve it rather than on it. The only time i settle on one is if i need to expand quickly for some reason and i need the happiness immediately, or i need money and need to sell resource just as badly.

 

[Trickster7135]

i kind of hate it when people make posts like this. why bother making a comment without explaining what exactly it is you mean.

What he meant was, most resources when improved give less total yield than a trade post in a forest or plains, especially when taking golden ages into account (most improved resources offer gold or production, but not both).

Personally, I always settle on resources if I can. The base yield bonus is added to the city yield.

 

[Beef Hammer]

Interesting trickster, i'm gonna make a new game here and focus on settling on top on resources just to see if it changes my games any

 

[vendur]

I've been intending to try a resource whoring game with catherine + freedom just to see how it would work out on diety.. Just havent had time.

 

[mzprox]

i kind of hate it when people make posts like this. why bother making a comment without explaining what exactly it is you mean.

I just said it is not true "you are better off to make an improvement and have your people work it."
not much to explain: improving a resource usually +1 gold, improving any tile with trade post +2 gold.

 

[Martin Alvito]

As always, the choice is "it depends".

You're always giving up the bonus from the improvement when you settle on a tile. As mzprox and Trickster suggest, if the improvement provides +1G then it's a no-brainer to settle on it as long as doing so doesn't affect the other resources you enjoy from the city. You'll improve a different square with a Trading Post for +2G and come out ahead on the bargain.

It gets a little trickier when dealing with Food/Hammer improvements. For instance, a Gems tile goes from 0F/2H/4G to 2F/2H/4G when settled. But that same Gems tile becomes 0F/3H/5G if you improve it. +1H is a lot to give up; it comes out to more along the lines of +4/+5G. Here you have to balance the value of +3G on your city tile now against +1H and +1G once your city has grown.

Similarly, you can settle on Grassland Cows for a 3F city tile. But you would work that tile as your first tile anyway, and so you're not gaining anything by settling on it unless there's another amazing tile that you could be working as well. You are giving up +1H later on to settle on the Cows, which hurts (and is functionally -2H during Golden Ages).

I find that the majority of your early Gold comes from luxury resales, and that accelerating that process is unhelpful since it takes the AIs a number of turns to start raking in the cash. So I tend to be willing to settle on Calendar improvements, but not things that can be Mined or Pastured. YMMV.

 

[EscapedGoat]

As has been mentioned, Plantations usually add just 1 gold, and you need a worker + 7 worker turns to complete. Potentially you also need a tech to clear jungle/forest + 3 turns to clear it. If the resource is in a good spot just settle on top if it for immediate access. You will still get the "base" bonus of the luxury if you settle on top of it.

If you can turn around and sell it to an AI, you just made 300 gold, which equals a free worker for your new city. Quite powerfull in terms of turn-advantage.

 

[Double A]

I just said it is not true "you are better off to make an improvement and have your people work it."
not much to explain: improving a resource usually +1 gold, improving any tile with trade post +2 gold.

You can't sell unneeded trade posts to the AI

 

[rightwingpsycho]

I always play with Legendary Start enabled, but when I try to settle on a calender resource I don't gain the resource. Maybe I will gain it after I research Calender?

 

[billthecow]

I always play with Legendary Start enabled, but when I try to settle on a calender resource I don't gain the resource. Maybe I will gain it after I research Calender?

Yes. But you do get the production bonus from Marble without Masonry, just not the happiness or ability to trade it. Probably a bug.