City placement help

[--==Terra==--]

Hey guys, noob here wanting some advice

I'v just started an easy game to get me into things while I learn try to learn things (my 2nd game, 1st was just a blast through the tutorial), and I'm not 100% sure on my city placements. I'v read a lot of guides and a few of the SG's to pick up some tips etc.

Here's a lil dot map of what I'v got so far:

I built my 1st city where I started, it seemed like a decent place next to the cows and on a river, and nicely enough I got a wheat aswell after the fog cleared.

So far, I'v got Roosevelt off to the west (Pink next to the copper is the edge of his border) and Saladin off to the east (Pink next to the sheep is the edge of his border), also got Tokugawa off hiding somewhere, but I didn't spot his border while exploring, but I'm pretty sure he's over near Saladin.

Main questing I'v got is, how are my placements looking? (Just popped my 1st settler, so want a bit of advice before I make any decisions)

I'm not sure which to go for 1st, or whether to move any of them slightly. I was thinking of maybe moving the Blue city east 1 tile, so I love that Peak, but is it worth loosing a couple of Forest tiles aswell?

The Yellow city should be 1 tile to the north, I mucked up a bit on the map

I stuck the save on the end incase anybody wants to have a better nosey around
Small Pangea, Warlord difficulty, normal Barbs, Epic speed. Catherine (cre/fin)

View attachment Andy BC-2410.Civ4SavedGame

*Edit* Just noticed im researching Metal Casting, no idea why probably a miss click lol.

 

[svv]

What's your barb setting? Assuming you're at normal or raging, you probably are going to want some copper.

Planning on building Stonehenge or Pyramids? You'll want some stone.

Both problems would be solved by building on the hills between the stone and the copper. I'm assuming you're not creative, so you'll want city 2 right next to these resources to access them right away.

You needen't lose the Northern Pigs permanently. A city just NW of the sheep would pick them up, along with the horses to the East, after it pops.

 

[--==Terra==--]

Cheers for the advice dude, I didn't think to put in the barb settings or a build plan.

Barbs are set on normal.
Pyramids didn't look too interesting, is it a wonder worth taking?
I was planning on building Stonehenge at some point for the extra culture.

Yes I'm on a Creative leader Playing Catherine on vanilla, so cre/fin.

My main aim of this game isn't realy a specific victoy, I was mainly looking at having a dabble at micro-management and city specialization, having just read the guide on the info centre I wanted to give it a go, see what it's all about.

 

[svv]

I was wrong about a city being able to get the pigs (I guess they're not pigs - are they deer?) the sheep and the horses. Horses are too far.

Also I think I was wrong about the hill that I was saying build on. I now think that's a peak, so you can't build there. Maybe build one south of the stone. You'd have the stone and clams right away (do you have fishing? you could start right away on a fishing boat) and the copper when it pops. I don't play creative enough to remember how long it takes them to pop their cities on their own. You'll need workers to mine/quarry the resources, and build a road to the river that goes by the capitol. The road need not reach all the way at first; the river counts as a road if you get the road that far.

One thing to keep in mind is that flood plains (those desert squares by rivers with the green edging) are GOOD things. Build city 3 just NE of the bananas. This will pick up five flood plains, plus the bananas, plus gems (!). This would be a great commerce/research city. It also has the advantages of being snug close to Moscow, but with no overlap.

 

[--==Terra==--]

Yeah those are Deer up north, not pigs... not that I noticed

I popped my 2nd city south of the Stone so that It'd grab the Copper on the 1st border pop, soon afterwards though, the americans borders popped and started pushing the Copper tile (It's down at 64% Russian now IIRC), I managed to get Stonehenge out though so it should hold.

I'm just about to whip another Settler from Moscow (possibly followed by a Worker build) and I'll work my way down towards the bananas. If I pop a city near the bananas though, I can only get the ivory OR gems in my fat cross, which would you recommend for a commerce city?

I also found my 4th opposing Civ off to the south, so it seems I'm going to be boxed in sooner or later.

 

[Pete2006]

I think you are better off settling locations closer to your capital. You'll be spending a lot of worker turns building roads and the barbs will probably pillage them anyway.

 

[svv]

Oh, and yes you should build Pyramids. In fact, since you're creative, you really don't have much need of Stonhenge. Build pyramids in Moscow as soon as you can hook up the stone, and make Moscow your GP farm. Concentrate on employing engineer specialists and wonders that provide great engineers (Pyramids, Hanging Gardens, Ironworks, Hagia Sophia, Pentagon, Three Gorges) all in Moscow. Build some other wonders there too if you can, such as Great Library.

 

[svv]

If I pop a city near the bananas though, I can only get the ivory OR gems in my fat cross, which would you recommend for a commerce city?

Gems, definately. An ivory camp is not that great for a commerce city. You do better with a cottage on regular terrain, and much much better with the gems. Plus you need to be more than 2 away from the ivory to catch all the flood plains (I'm assuming that's a flood plain NW of the gems).

 

[svv]

I think you are better off settling locations closer to your capital. You'll be spending a lot of worker turns building roads and the barbs will probably pillage them anyway.

I'd rather have my Axemen patroling the open road than have to research archery and have my archers huddled in cities.

 

[--==Terra==--]

@Pete: I only had to build a few roads due to the river almost completely linking Moscow to St.P

Gems, definately. An ivory camp is not that great for a commerce city. You do better with a cottage on regular terrain, and much much better with the gems. Plus you need to be more than 2 away from the ivory to catch all the flood plains (I'm assuming that's a flood plain NW of the gems).

Yup thats a FP, and Barbs kinda made that decision for me before I noticed your post, just as I whipped my settler they popped a city just SW of the ivory, that'll have to be taken care of asap, shouldn't be a problem though now I'v got my copper hooked up.

 

[Hold The Onion]

Horses will be fine for now. Chariots are the best barb defense anyway- they're mobile and they own axes. I'd stay tight with the horses and let my neighbors settle those other spots for me. Then I'd take em with catapults and elephants once I had construction. With a little luck, maybe they'll be Iron around as well for some support troops.

 

[svv]

Horses will be fine for now. Chariots are the best barb defense anyway- they're mobile and they own axes.

I think that's only in warlords, and he seems to be playing Vanilla - though I could be wrong about that.

 

[Hold The Onion]

I think that's only in warlords, and he seems to be playing Vanilla - though I could be wrong about that.

Good call. i overlooked the fact that his Cathy actually had 2 useful traits. Ignore the part about chariots owning axes. But still roll with cats and phants when you get a chance.

 

[--==Terra==--]

I'm playing Vanilla, didn't want to spring for the expansion untill I'v seen what vanilla has to offer.

Axemen were plenty enough to take out that newly sprung barb city, i took 5 down anticipating to lose 1 or 2, but they only had 2 archers defending and my axemen walked all over them

got 5 axemen stood about doing nothing now, so I'm going to get construction and pump out a few catapults and elephants seeing as Saladin and Louis are both pushing my borders, although Saladin is friendly so I'll try bribe him into the war against Louis 1st to weaken them both

Weeeee, fun times!

 

[Meanness]

Two thoughts:

1) Pile your cities much closer together. You'll have lower maintenance costs and easier defense. The fat crosses of your cities should at least be touching, though mine usually overlap 2-3 spaces.
2) Get a military resource with city #2. I don't see any copper on the map, so your second city should include horses. I would settle 1E of the sheep.

 

[--==Terra==--]

Cheers for the info dude, I played out that game last night and took a loss, I start out pretty strong but find that I dont expand enough mid-game and it realy slows me down. I improved on what I set out to though, so its all good.

Thanks again for the tips guys

 

[cabert]

I dotmapped your start, but I'm a bit late...
Try again, and don't be shy on coastal cities (more so when you play a financial leader)

 

[Elkad]

little late, but I'd say you are kinda spread out there.

I would have probably settled sheep-horses (just NW of capital) on the hill between them, and then elephant-banana-dyes (SW of capital) on the tile directly S of the elephants.

corn/wine/marble NE and wine/rice/gems E (same wine, city on desert tile 2W of rice), and then a sugar town SE. Those 3 could move slightly, depending where iron pops up.

Even on vanilla (no vs axe bonus), chariots get the job done well enough, and you keep your empire close together. Easier to fogbust and move chariots to interecept threats.