City radius reference marks

[Naokaukodem]

It is particularly difficult to planificate exactly our city web expansion with the isometric view of civilization 3 or without a grid (even with), considering the tough form the radius city has; a square without its corners.
This is why I would want to see in Civilization 4 some feature that allows us to put city radius refenrence marks on the map, to make it easier to locate where it will be better to put our next cities, and with less chances to do an error, because errors I usually do with the current system, like "ha i didn't realize that those two cities would have so many squares in common".
The mark could be accessible through any button or be a settler "functionnality", so when we click on it a city radius would appear in place of the normal mouse cursor, so that we could set it anywhere on the map, and it would remain on it in a lower color intensity.

Hope i have been understandable, sorry for the language.

 

[bonscott]

It's a great suggestion. It was a feature of Alpha Centauri that was a toggle in the options. It created a thin solid red line around the cities workable squares. I was really suprised that this wasn't in Civ III and even more suprised it wasn't added in one of the expansions.

 

[ybbor]

ctrl - G might solve your problems

 

[Science Rules]

ybbor, the grid does not show which tiles are workable by your cities and which are not. A light outline of all the city radiuses would help a lot in choosing what you workers do, I have often irrigated a tile by accident that is within my culture, but three tiles from my nearest city. This option should be in the preferences menu and can be shut on/off at will like the food/shield icons; that way they will not interfere with the game when you don't need them.

 

[Naokaukodem]

I don't think i have been undertood well. I'm talking about city radius appearance on the map, that's a thing, but I don't speak about existant city radiuses. I talk about non-existing city radiuses, it is to say the city radiuses up to come next on the map, where you decide that you will send a settler there. This is to draw the future city web that i want a city radius to be on the map, like that, free of any real city. Like so, with every city radiuses on the map, you could see well where to put your next cities, city radius by city radius, to be sure that they fit their place, and to be able to planificate your expansion. However the idea of existing city radiuses in good also, for city placement also.

 

[Woody]

I still dont see the problem with the current system, with the grid on it only takes few seconds to see what tiles will be in the city radius by just noting where your settler is and counting a few squares. I guess I am so used to the sytem that its almost automatic that I know what tiles will be in a city before I build it. I rarely even need the grid on to know this, only in few cases that are on a jagged coast or an area of many mountains do I need the grid and then its no problem figuring it out once its on.

 

[Naokaukodem]

You may not have difficulties when you want to place only one city, but you may have when you try to place several cities in the same time, to test what figure of cities would be better around your capital. It is for this purpose that i would want city radius reference marks (without their cities) to be displayable on the map.

 

[brinko]

u have to select grid mode and count the squares.

 

[Naokaukodem]

u have to select grid mode and count the squares.

It is not always efficient, because you have to remember the position of some virtual city to be able to place correctly, virtually or not, an other one.

 

[Kayak]

It's a great suggestion. It was a feature of Alpha Centauri that was a toggle in the options. It created a thin solid red line around the cities workable squares. I was really suprised that this wasn't in Civ III and even more suprised it wasn't added in one of the expansions.

There are a lot of features that were in SMAC that I'm surprised were not carried over to Civ3.

 

[searcheagle]

Something like this could be easily incorporated, add to the ease of the user, and therefore, lets add it. Why not?

 

[Crazy Jerome]

As I said in the "naming regions" topic, I'd rather see a general ability to mark up the map--both for personal use and for others to see (as the marker so desired). Certainly, templates of common things, prime example being a city radius, would be good tools to build into the general marking ability.

 

[eddie_verdde]

to make it easier to locate where it will be better to put our next cities, and with less chances to do an error, because errors I usually do with the current system, like "ha i didn't realize that those two cities would have so many squares in common".

ahhh....come on...this can easily be solved if you pay attention to what you're doing...what's the big deal in counting a dozen squares??

 

[Admiral8Q]

I agree with Naokaukodem. Although with the grid it's easy to count the tiles and plant your cities, it's a useless and annoying waste of time.

This option like ctr-G should be available in Civ4, and if you don't want to use it, you won't have to!

 

[Naokaukodem]

ahhh....come on...this can easily be solved if you pay attention to what you're doing...what's the big deal in counting a dozen squares??

I swear I have a great experience in civilization games. But it don't prevent me to do sometimes some errors. Plus, not considering the error factor, it would be very usefull when to come to multi city placements, like wondering how you will place all your cities around your capital, each depending of each others. Come on, it's not a big deal to add such a feature to allow city radius reference marks for people who want to use them. It would become very pleasant to imagine the placement of your next cities with it. And many times you currently have to re-count the tiles because of a lack of other refenrence mark of the map, like ressources or particular terrain. Come on, it would be an easy small feature to add and provide a lot of easyness to planifaicate your city web, cause i'm one of those who planificate it, not putting cities one after the other and see what.

 

[brinko]

I agree with Naokaukodem. Although with the grid it's easy to count the tiles and plant your cities, it's a useless and annoying waste of time.

i disagree
it is not useless and not a waste of time, its called thinking, and to have the computer do it for u is boring and easy.

 

[sir_schwick]

Computers are supposed to count. Strategy is deciding whihc direction to go, not counting squares. It is an easy feature that should exist.

 

[bkwrm79]

Counting and thinking aren't the same. I want city radii like in Alpha Centauri. I want to be able to place markers. And if we can right click on a square and select 'display city radii' or something like that, it would be a big help.