Corrupt cities

[cromagnon]

I would like to start a thread discussing what you guys do with far-off cities.

Let's say you've already built the FP at a nice distance from the Palace, and you're dealing with a freshly settled city that only produces one shield and one gold per turn. Let's also assume that it's not at serious risk of cultural conversion anytime soon.

A. What kinds of improvements do you build or definitely not build?
B. What kinds of units do you have it build?
C. Do you just max out the population and try to increase your score?

 

[DiamondzAndGunz]

A. Definately build a temple, I can't stand having the tiny lil city radius. Even if it's already btwn a couple of cities so that it's radius is increased, I would still build one, cuz i... want to. Also build granary, harbor (if applicable), and an airport (especially if I can't get a harbor, and it's on an island/other continent). After I'm done with those, I'd prolly go for a marketplace, just for the happiness.
B. I would have it build a defensive unit or two, never know when it could come in handy. I'd also build some workers, if needed.
C. Yeah, if the city has no other use whatsoever, I'd just try to max it out n keep it happy.

 

[Scyphax]

Temple and Library to max culture borders - I try to extend them past the city radius to get the monopoly on movement.

Barracks - if it does not have a road or rail connection to a city with a barracks.

Harbour if it does not have a road connection to a city with a harbour.

Airport if it does not have a road connection to a city with a airport.

For most far flung cities thats it - I generally let them grow to 6 and leave them alone.

If they have a barracks I have them create military units abet slowly.
If not artillary, workers or settlers.

I build rail contections to the frount line, fortesses and cities plus lots of roads. I generally don't do alot of other improvements.

A few cities where I want massive cultural borders (4 tile radius -culture influence of 1000) because of some resource I will build a cathereral, colossium and university as well.

I build all of these improvements with forrestry or a couple of turns of natural production followed by a rush buy.

 

[Rammstein]

I build courthouse and aqueduct as soon as possible so I can get away from the 1-shield-per-turn-hell. I ship units (and workers!) to it rather than build them on site, that way I can always have the latest in warfare ready if things would get ugly. If I'm close to an enemy, I make sure to build library and walls (unless I have workers there, then I build aqueduct instead so the city will grow quickly beyond size 6). This works pretty well.

 

[ziadw]

Is everyone letting these towns build temples, libraries, harbors, etc. on their own-- over 30, 60, 100 turns or whatever-- or are you dipping into the treasury a little (or a lot!) to help things along? Another strategy I have considered but not really tried is building combat units in larger, more established cities and shipping them off to these far-flung corrupt cities for the express purpose of disbanding them and helping along the production of a temple, library, etc. Is this more or less cost-effective than, say, putting one of these same established cities to produce 'wealth' and then simply buying the temple directly from the treasury? Also, exactly how much do courthouses and police stations reduce corruption? I've found they can be very helpful in very productive cities only a little ways out from my core, but in the most remote parts of the empie the corruption reduction they provide hardly justifies their cost.

 

[Scyphax]

Forestry is the best method
when playing the Egyptians (industrious + religous):
2 forests = 1 temple.
4 workers cut down 1 forest in 1 turn

Therefore:
2 forests with roads + 8 workers = Instant temple

 

[tao]

IMHO, we have to distinguish two situations:

• The city is part of your empire, you just wonder how to put it to use. In this case, I build cannon, artillery or cruise missiles.
  
• You want to bring an unconnected distant city into production status. Here you have 2 main lines of action:
  1. spending lots of money on hurrying improvements
  2. triggering wltkd to make the city as fast as possible self-sustained.
     [/list=1]
  Short recap on wltkd: wltkd requires pop>=6; therefore you want to hurry a granary 1 turn before 1st pop growth. Once at size 6, wltkd reduces corruption. You can then start building improvements out of local shields. Micromanage food at 12 to stay at size 6, while maximizing shield output. If you are at a food-rich site, you may want to go for marketplace to spur further growth. Otherwise build courthouse, maybe even policestation.
  
  Combine this with forrestry operations, and you really get going.
  
  Disbanding out-dated units also is a good way, since it is cheaper than upgrading old units and hurrying improvements.
  
  Choosing the right mix for each situation makes you a good Civ III player.

 

[cavemanf16]

It depends on what the city is gonna be used for, for me.

If it's a city I founded, I usually build Library -> Temple -> etc. to expand my border and my cultural rating.

If it's a city I captured, I usually build Walls -> Barracks -> defensive units, because I'd like to keep the city and beef up my 'front lines' in the short term so that if I DO lose the city to a cultural flip or to the counter-attacking enemy it won't be as damaging a loss (because Walls, Barracks, and units are cheaper to build than Library, Temple, Granary, etc.)

Of course, take this for what it's worth. You should know that I have had Civ3 and PTW since about a week after they were released, and have only just begun feeling comfortable enough with the gameplay to try out a 'Monarch' level game recently (I'm halfway through the Industrial age and winning so far).

 

[Gothmog]

If I don't have any workers there I get one out (usually 10 turns to grow and 10 turns to build for any city with a grassland) to take advantage of any forestry possibilities and irrigation. If I am religious or scientific I build temple or library to expand borders and in general add to my culture (cheap). If I am not I wait until after my courthouse (unless I have some units to disband over there). Then I build a courthouse, typically a partial rush. I try to get it to pop 6 ASAP to kick in the WLTKD, but don't usually go for a granary, just irrigation. By the time I have my culture building/worker/courthouse combo the city should be size 4 or so anyway (remember corruption doesn't affect food). Those are the basics, subject to change with circumstances.

There are lots of other factors. How many cities above optimal am I? How far is the city? Can I get there from my core easilly? Enemies about? Bonus tiles/resources to exploit? Costal or inland? etc.

For info on all your corruption related problems check out the corruption thread:
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=19922

 

[looper]

My input:

2 catagories:

1. cities that actually useful, which means after getting a courthouse, it actually have more than 1 shield. then I will build court house first, then temple, then maybe other 1 or 2 improvements.
2. cities that even after getting a courthouse, still generates 1 shield, then, a temple is enough. when I have money, late in the game, I may buy gating city improvements(aqueduct, hospital, habor, Granary) for share scores.

I always conquer these remote island cities, never build cities there. so when I conquer them, I always get free workers. Bad thing about it is that when these cities are under attacks.