CxxxxC, not CxxC!

[LivingDog]

I noticed in the City Display that the actual grid for a city view is 5x5 tiles. with the corner tiles always missing. (I could show you images, but CF's uploader is broke, and I was warned about ImageShack.us) So maybe this will work using text... "x" is a workable tile, "C" is the City, and "o" is a missing tile from your City Display (the corners of the 5x5 grid).

oxxxo
xxxxx
xxCxx
xxxxx
oxxxo

So to prevent any overlap, I believe one could use this instead of the oft mentioned CxxC plan.

oxxxooyyyo
xxxxxyyyyy
xxCxxyyCyy
xxxxxyyyyy
oxxxooyyyo
oyyyooxxxo
yyyyyxxxxx
yyCyyxxCxx
yyyyyxxxxx
oyyyooxxxo

Absolutely no overlap should occur. I am trying to test this but once I start a game there is not enough continuous land or the game gets involved and I have to play to survive - leaving no chance to test it.

 

[maniackiller]

this appears 2 be very true after i load up my latest game! cant say ive even really noticed it dont give u them 4 tiles but i beleive ur CxxxC plan would cause no overlap where as the CxxC would

 

[LivingDog]

this appears 2 be very true after i load up my latest game! cant say ive even really noticed it dont give u them 4 tiles but i beleive ur CxxxC plan would cause no overlap where as the CxxC would

yep. Look at the City Display. The corner tiles are missing (I can't show you images b/c of upload/ImageShack issues) and if you count the tiles visible you will see: two on each of the four sides, one for the city itself, and then another string of tiles for the outer limits - that's a 5x5 grid.

So now I am creating all my cities where there are at least 4 vertical, or horizontal, tiles away from another city, and I am getting no overlap. Of course, when I see valuable resources, and the plan needs to be broken, then indeed I do get overlap - but exactly where I expect it to be.

Information is power.​

 

[maniackiller]

I tend to build my cities next to valuable resources also, but as long as the resource is in the vacinity you gain the same bonus as if it were right next to the city right?

 

[Whelkman]

Doesn't matter where the resource is in the city view--you'll get the same production regardless.

Actually, that's not 100% true. You cannot build rails on the home tile after founding the city, so you will lose any railroad bonuses if your home tile has roads only.

 

[maniackiller]

Thank you @ Whelkman!

As i try this straty of CxxxxC its gettn harder and harder to count these squares. Is there anyway to make a grid to see the squares as in later civilizations?

 

[LivingDog]

Thank you @ Whelkman!

As i try this straty of CxxxxC its gettn harder and harder to count these squares. Is there anyway to make a grid to see the squares as in later civilizations?

I have the same problem. The way I am dealing with it is ... I guess, lame ... I start looking at the city on the map and try to "scope" a 5x5 space around it. I am trying to set my sights for this 5x5.

Regardless, it always is this 5x5. Now I know exactly what tiles are being used by whom and where to go for my next city. In my current game (which I can't upload ) I am owning everything! Wonders, France (who is stillusing Militia! while I am building Tanks and Fighters... LOL!) and land. My strategy is working...

Before:
me: <- AI
AI:

Now:
me:
-> <-


AI->

I EAT AI .: I AM!
​

Uh-oh, I just realized something... this is only on Chieftain! now I have to try Warlord.

me: <- AI
AI:

... the beat goes on...

 

[Whelkman]

Is there anyway to make a grid to see the squares as in later civilizations?

I use TerraForm's BMP export feature and overlay it with semi-transparent city view geometric shapes to plan cities far in advance. Otherwise you'll need to get used to breaking down squares by eyeballing it. The DOS version is easier on the eye compared to the Windows/Mac version.

 

[Dimosha]

Is there anyway to make a grid to see the squares as in later civilizations?

No, there is no easy way. Only if edit the game resources.

 

[maniackiller]

Thank you to both of you as it seems just a lil too hard to have or make a grid i will have to do with out. As i stare at the screen longer and longer though, the squares seems to come out after a while. This game is rather addicting for how old it is and it isnt necessarilly easy!

 

[LivingDog]

... and overlay it with semi-transparent city view geometric shapes ...

The shapes are created in Paint(?) and then pasted using TerraForm? I'm confused about this "shapes" comment. How do you make them semi-transparent? How do you overlay the shapes?

 

[Whelkman]

The shapes are created in Paint(?)

Yeah, something like that. I forget what I used but anything that can draw pixel-perfect lines at right angles will do, Paint included.

and then pasted using TerraForm?

Use TerraForm to export a BMP of the entire map than overlay on top of that using an image program. I never thought of doing it this way, but there should be a method of designing a filter for an image editor that draws a grid onto the BMP for you by simply drawing 1 pixel lines on the tile boundaries. That would yield the desired grid but it would be outside of the game, naturally.

How do you make them semi-transparent?

Use any image editor that supports adjustable opacity. For example, For example, Photoshop, Paint.NET, GIMP. Note that you don't strictly need semi-transparency as an outline is technically sufficient. However, "shading out" used area makes the process much more digestible.

How do you overlay the shapes?

Preferably use an image editor that supports layers. Again, for example, Photoshop, Paint.NET, GIMP.

 

[Whelkman]

I forgot I made a thread about this years ago. Here's the basic idea in action:

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=217379

 

[LivingDog]

I think that my CxxxxC idea is too dispersed. An enemy AI can easily move passed my cities and build some of their own on my own continent! I think I will also shrink that down to maybe CxxxC... although that middle tile CxXxC will allow them to move passed me.

See attached image.

E.g. on my current game, Warlord 03, the Russians are on the west coast, the French landed on the NE coast, and the Babylonians are doing what I call the "death dance" - their ships - (they have LOADS of them) are "dancing" around my southern shore just waiting for the "GO!" order to invade and wipe me out. How do I know? I had to pay them 450 g in order to stop them from using their nukes!

Well as I said, this game is really something. The more I play the more I learn, the more I learn, the more I play!

 

[hannurabi]

As I didn't see anyone pointing it out yet, it's often better pack your cities tight. Only thing that really matters is how well you can use your tiles. If you use CxxxxC or wider cap between cities, you will waste so many tiles early in game, before you cities have grown big enough to work all 20 tiles.That's why I'd prefer for example CxxxC or sometimes even CxxC.
In short: Don't waste your tiles!

 

[LivingDog]

As I didn't see anyone pointing it out yet, it's often better pack your cities tight. Only thing that really matters is how well you can use your tiles. If you use CxxxxC or wider cap between cities, you will waste so many tiles early in game, before you cities have grown big enough to work all 20 tiles.That's why I'd prefer for example CxxxC or sometimes even CxxC.
In short: Don't waste your tiles!

Check out my post about my latest game: Warlord game 04

I just started developing the upper east side of the map. The lower east side is more cramped than I usually place them. I'll see if the conflicting tiles affect my cities growth.

 

[Matek]

I have hard time understanding what you guys are talking here about, but one thing I would like to clarify is; You build road and irrigate the square where your city is to be founded?

When it comes to the cities I build them with three - four "blocks" apart, or I even leave bigger spaces depending on the area (eg. lots of mountains it's the best spot when it comes to growing fast).

 

[LivingDog]

I have hard time understanding what you guys are talking here about, but one thing I would like to clarify is; You build road and irrigate the square where your city is to be founded?

When it comes to the cities I build them with three - four "blocks" apart, or I even leave bigger spaces depending on the area (eg. lots of mountains it's the best spot when it comes to growing fast).

1) if it works don't fix it!

2) you don't have to R and I your city. I tried it twice and both times I got 2+ food without building an R and I. (See attached image "City Display - fat plus - 5x5.jpg" in thread Warlord game 04. I saw a good spot and built that city without so much as a thought of a R and I and built it on the spot. 2+ on the spot - same as if I wasted turns building a R and I on that tile before I built the city.)

3) while cities use a 5x5 space, the need to build them so far apart is not clear to me anymore. I thought they needed to be at least 4 squares separate but I was losing in Chieftain. I believe b/c I was wasting too much time doing R and I and finding new sites. That separation costs even more time to build up your civ fast. So now I use a "that looks like a good spot" approach. After a while I will probably start counting tiles, but I think that "eyeballing" it works just fine. After all, following a formula in this game is a hazard. Build, Grow, Research is all done on a per game basis. Granted there can be a "rule of thumb" for starting, but after the game gets underway there is no repeatable winning strategy. If there was this game would have been forgotten a long time ago.

 

[SkyProf5]

Doesn't matter where the resource is in the city view--you'll get the same production regardless.

Actually, that's not 100% true. You cannot build rails on the home tile after founding the city, so you will lose any railroad bonuses if your home tile has roads only.

Build road and RR on the intended city square before founding the city.

 

[LivingDog]

Build road and RR on the intended city square before founding the city.

I think they are referring to cities before RR is discovered. After RR is discovered then you can do the RR first. ... or am I stating the obvious?

City without RR

City with RR
.
.