Jarrod32
Warlord
I go just a bit different in terms of specialization. The main factors that determine specialization are ultimately your national wonders.
Military Production...a city with good production (hills to mine, some food to support it, production resources such as iron and copper that add hammers). This city gets the production improvements (forge, etc) to go with Heroic Epic and eventually West Point. Tile improvements are mines wherever possible, lumbermills eventually, and farms to support working the mines. You also need to focus a bit on some health improvements (granary, aqueduct) to counter the negative health of the forges and factories.
Money...I usually end up 'forcing' this city...it ends up going in a city where I might have a particularly lucrative shrine. Wall Street with a good shrine makes for a good combination. I also like some extra food...a few merchant specialists help leverage the power of Wall Street. And don't dismiss the idea of joining a great merchant or a great prophet to this city (assuming you don't need to build any more shrines) to further leverage the power of Wall Street.
Science City/Great Person Farm. I combine these two, which is a bit different than what many people do. Oxford and National Epic in a high-food city (lots of farms and food resources) with a buttload of science specialists can be powerful (particularly with representation). Add the normal science improvements (including academy), and you have a research powerhouse. The downside here is that it makes it tough to get a great person other than a scientist. The upside is that this research powerhouse is largely not affected if you have to drop your research rate a few notches.
Capital...this usually gets ironworks, and ends up as a second military production city. If it is a holy city of an early religion, my capital will often have ironworks and Wall Street...an odd combination, perhaps, but one that seems to work all right. This also ends up being the wonder-building city. Lots of cottages and all the science and money improvements here to support whatever you need from your research/money slider. Adjust any specialists you might have here depending on your need.
I can identify these city locations early in the game...a couple food resources among hills will be a good production city. Lots of food (if you can get three food resources in a city radius, for example) is the great person farm/science city.
Other cities you try to leverage the territory...and always look for a coastal location where you have access to at least a few hills, as you will need somewhere to build naval units...and it is often hard to find coastal cities with good production.
Military Production...a city with good production (hills to mine, some food to support it, production resources such as iron and copper that add hammers). This city gets the production improvements (forge, etc) to go with Heroic Epic and eventually West Point. Tile improvements are mines wherever possible, lumbermills eventually, and farms to support working the mines. You also need to focus a bit on some health improvements (granary, aqueduct) to counter the negative health of the forges and factories.
Money...I usually end up 'forcing' this city...it ends up going in a city where I might have a particularly lucrative shrine. Wall Street with a good shrine makes for a good combination. I also like some extra food...a few merchant specialists help leverage the power of Wall Street. And don't dismiss the idea of joining a great merchant or a great prophet to this city (assuming you don't need to build any more shrines) to further leverage the power of Wall Street.
Science City/Great Person Farm. I combine these two, which is a bit different than what many people do. Oxford and National Epic in a high-food city (lots of farms and food resources) with a buttload of science specialists can be powerful (particularly with representation). Add the normal science improvements (including academy), and you have a research powerhouse. The downside here is that it makes it tough to get a great person other than a scientist. The upside is that this research powerhouse is largely not affected if you have to drop your research rate a few notches.
Capital...this usually gets ironworks, and ends up as a second military production city. If it is a holy city of an early religion, my capital will often have ironworks and Wall Street...an odd combination, perhaps, but one that seems to work all right. This also ends up being the wonder-building city. Lots of cottages and all the science and money improvements here to support whatever you need from your research/money slider. Adjust any specialists you might have here depending on your need.
I can identify these city locations early in the game...a couple food resources among hills will be a good production city. Lots of food (if you can get three food resources in a city radius, for example) is the great person farm/science city.
Other cities you try to leverage the territory...and always look for a coastal location where you have access to at least a few hills, as you will need somewhere to build naval units...and it is often hard to find coastal cities with good production.
