City sizes

[Trekkie Spice]

I seldom let my cities grow beyond the aquaduct stage (unless I win already large ones from my enemies) because they become expensive to maintain. Can anyone tell me what the benefits of large cities are please?

 

[Magic_gorter]

When you do trading a lot and have marketplace, bank, stockexchange and superhighway every freight delivered to another big city can give you a lot of money...and the same amount of techbeakers. If you have the taxrate not to low such city will earn a lot of money every turn. Just make sure that it has those buildings I mentioned and three trade routes and the money keeps coming in. A good example is the powerdemocracy strategy....it's described somewhere in the forums.

 

[Trekkie Spice]

Thanks, but I think an amateur like me (despite playing this game on and off for ten years) will stick with what I know. I actually do very little trading apart from the fairly early years because by the time I've researched all the things you mention, everybody else has already declared war on me, whether I want it or not, and my caravans get zapped before they get to their destinations.

I build Adam Smiths Trading Post then all my buildings costing 1 maintenance will be free and I just build a few buildings costing more than 1 where I need them.

 

[Prof. Garfield]

I take it you play MGE. Try sending your caravans by sea as much as possible, to reduce AI contact and danger time. Also consider paying tribute to the civ you want to deliver to. It will never be more than 1000 gold, so if your trade routes are especially lucrative it may be worth it. I've only paid tribute for caravan deliveries in scenarios, however.

As for city size, I hyperexpand until about explosives, then fill in the continents I have. I improve the land and celebrate my cities up. I usually play D+3, however, where every citizen is a black hat and luxuries are all that is required to keep the city happy. The strategy gives me an industrial base to rival the combined might of several D+3 AIs. Building upward instead of outward makes improvements like factories worth while, and thus saves the annoyance of rushbuying everything. Building cities up instead of out will leave production free for other things, and saves the effort of finding new city locations. If you think big cities are too expensive for their benefit, then play ICS and stick your cities close together.

 

[Jerrymander]

I always have about 50 20+ size cities. Helps my final score.

 

[Banach]

Thanks, but I think an amateur like me (despite playing this game on and off for ten years) will stick with what I know. I actually do very little trading apart from the fairly early years because by the time I've researched all the things you mention, everybody else has already declared war on me, whether I want it or not, and my caravans get zapped before they get to their destinations.

I build Adam Smiths Trading Post then all my buildings costing 1 maintenance will be free and I just build a few buildings costing more than 1 where I need them.

My two cents - keep the peace. Trade is one of the most important things to advancing your play, particularly in landing games. Big cities mean more trade, more production, and bigger bonuses, as Magic has pointed out. I'm playing GOTM 90 now and I 'm getting regular deliveries at 1000 gold and occaisonal 2000 gold delivery bonuses. These sustain my one turn advances as well as rush buying everything. A size 8 vs size 20 city is a factor of 2.5, which means 2.5 times bigger delivery bonuses. These delivery bonuses and the increased trade routes and everything (after Superhighways in particular) make any costs irrelevant. City improvement maintenance costs are irrelevant compared to a single freight, let alone a half dozen a turn. My cities tend to stay at 8 (except the SSC) until automobile is available. After that they get everything - Marketplace, bank, stock exchange are most important (after superhighways, of course, the most important improvement). Depending on the game they might get libraries and universities if I'm trying to chase more than one advance a turn. Temples and colosseums are good too, as well as mass transits when they get too big. Research labs are rarely built - SETI is rushed the turn it is discovered. Supermarkets are good for hyperexpansion.

Then again, ICS tends to be a superior strategy. I just prefer the other approach.

 

[Trekkie Spice]

Wow!!! My mind is boggling. Thanks for all the helpful tips, I just wish I understood more than ten per cent of it (my fault, not yours). Now can someone tell me what on earth the following mean - MGE - D+3 - SCC - ICS - GOTM 90 and amphibious elephants (are they just ellys on ships)

In the meantime, I will try sending my caravans by sea

Many thanks
Trekkie Spice

 

[Duke of Marlbrough]

MGE - Multiplayer Gold Edition (also sometimes called MPG), a version of Civ II.
D+3 - Deity plus three. An adjusted game that makes the level above Deity.
SCC - Super Science City (a city that has the wonders and city improvements to focus on generating huge amounts of beakers.
ICS - Infinite City Sleeze; a method of playing where cities are closley packed together.
GOTM 90 - Game Of The Month - Each month we have a new GOTM that people can play and compare their games to how others have done. (see the link in my sig)