Do you ever choose to move capitals, and why?

[marius_kaparius]

I like having a coastal capital in the exploration age so I move it - when I remember to scroll down.

 

[StargazingDog]

Always move capital. It's thematic. I get the new name, and I enjoy coming up with an explanation for why the capital changed over time.

 

[Navelgazer]

Honestly I do it for kicks just to see the name change and feel more like I’m playing as the new Civ. But mitigating missing out on the economic golden age is nice too.

 

[pjotroos]

Yes! I just wish I could pick any settlement instead of being restricted by the two options the game presents me. I'm yet to figure out how the game even makes that decision.

I did some experimenting in my last game, and it seems to pick the two cities with the biggest rural population. Not sure what the tie-breaker is, but I did manage to move the capital where I wanted to with some strategic plague spreading and migrants.

Aside from the very first game, I'm always moving mine; it gives me a matching name, a bit more space for wonders typically, and I enjoy the shift of the center of gravity. I try to go coastal for exploration age capital, and at least once I've managed to create a good Petra-style city ready to take over in the modern age.

In my current game, I'm actually thinking of keeping my very first capital as mining town, since it's now fully developed, and seeing what it does to the economy.

 

[Yzman]

It renamed the city and gives you a free city. Easy decision. Do it every time.

 

[jammerculture]

it’s way better to switch capitals. Usually by the end of the era my capital tiles are pretty full, at least the good ones. So when I change civs I change capitals, it’s like the new dynasty which arises from the frontier and takes over. So you get the free city but you also get a blank slate for the next age, way more space to lay down some more wonders and spread out some more urban areas. By the time I hit modern I have two previous capitals that are full yields, I just need to overbuild and I usually take the new capital in the distant lands. Way better thematically and again, more room for wonders.

 

[Navelgazer]

it’s way better to switch capitals.

Exactly. It's counterintuitive, but switching gives you 50-50 odds of winning, while staying with your old capital keeps your odds at 1/3.

 

[Serenya]

I swapped mine a couple of times when I had the option to - but most of the time it's not an option, and I don't know why.

 

[ProMeTheus112]

It can be useful because the palace gives 5production 5food 5hapiness per age instead of 3 of these for the city hall so if you want to move these yields to that town.. Also may help deter AI to settle close to that new capital as I imagine it takes it into account before settling if they don't want to lose relation. And also free city conversion yeah.

The food endeavors, I think they target towns actually, not sure how much exactly maybe +4 food per towns. But yeah other stuff like narrative events target the capital so that would be another reason to switch it I didn't think about.

 

[elephantsidread]

Aside from the free city, I just like the 'flavor' of changing my capital. You get a new name (And it's very bizarre that you can't rename cities), while feeling more thematic. The Normans continuing to rule from Pataliputra is very funny though

Yes this exactly, you get a real feel of transition and passage of time. I love conquering a city and then moving my capital there in the next age. Also, mostly flavor related, it's fun moving your capital to the Coast in exploration age.

 

[sixty4half]

I swapped capitals when playing Catherine the Great. The Tundra start wasn't going to help me in Exploration. Interestingly, I didn't get a coastal option so I took the one next to Mt St Helens because those volcano yields are crazy!

 

[Yzman]

Usually advantageous to swap. You get to build up another town and it gives you an extra city to start with.

 

[Tanel]

I have done it if there is a better option. Usually a captured enemy capital or just a better location than my initial spawn. Sometimes it doesn't give you the best options though.

I have never been given an option to make a distant lands city into capital although it was the best one I had in one game.

 

[reddishrecue]

I hardly ever choose to change capitals. Ever. I just find it unnecessary to do it.

 

[vorlon_mi]

My criteria are similar to @SammyKhalifa and @jammerculture -- when my Antiquity capital is getting crowded, due to a unique quarter and/or wonders, yes, I move it. If I have tiles to overbuild, I may keep the capital the same Antiquity -> Exploration but move it Exploration -> Modern. In the games where I kept my capital the same Ant -> Exp, I was on a navigable river so I had access to the ocean. I also understand the aesthetic reasons for moving and renaming. That plays a role for me, but it's not the biggest driving force.

 

[Taefin]

The decision is entirely aesthetic and location for me as well. A free second city is only 200g saving, and I’ll probably slot enough production resources in my cities that the palace difference is only relevant if I want to absolutely max out production in one city when building a wonder. Sometimes the options aren’t even towns I want to make into a city.

 

[Noble Zarkon]

Cities that used to be an AI capital make a great choice to switch to, especially as they lose their old name which is a nice touch

 

[wesplaysciv]

Others can verify, but one tip is to first use gold to make cities you want cities, and THEN select this legacy option. This is because the gold cost to upgrade cities seems to depend on pop and how many cities you have, and is updated dynamically even during that first turn.

 

[Yzman]

Others can verify, but one tip is to first use gold to make cities you want cities, and THEN select this legacy option. This is because the gold cost to upgrade cities seems to depend on pop and how many cities you have, and is updated dynamically even during that first turn.

It depends on pop and if the city was a city in the prior era. May also depend on number of cities, but not sure.

 

[gdr_willter]

Usually the capital potentially has the highest production output, which is most critical to build wonders. When I pushed hard to build them in earlier age, the most of locations for wonders ran out in the original capital. That's one of the reason why I choose to move capital in upcoming age.