Floodplains Watermill

[Xhaine]

I am slightly surprised that the watermill floodplains isn't more commonly used. Not highly specialised but highly useful IMO
With just the watermill the tile would have 3 1 1
After the discovery of replacable parts the tile would have 3 2 1
After Electricity: 3 2 3 (4 if financial)
Under state property (assuming you have the above techs) 4 2 3 / 4
If only as a way to add production to a science or wealth city or something to that effect.

Any thoughts?

 

[colcolstyles]

Sounds pretty good to me. However, I like to irrigate most of my floodplains and then use 1-2 extras on cottages so that they can support population while bringing in some cash at the same time. But with the right techs, watermills can do both decently as well as bring in some hammers. I like it.

 

[Infantry#14]

floodplains in the early cities are often cottaged or farm for extra commerce. I only build watermills much later in the game at least after replaceable parts and most likely build them on plains and tundra river tiles. Also, I dont use State Property much anymore.

 

[6K Man]

I think I have always cottaged floodplains. By the time watermills are available, those cottages have matured to the point where razing them in favour of a watermill doesn't make sense. If I ever were to come across some unimproved floodplains late in the game, I'd watermill them - in fact I prefer to watermill any land that doesn't need extra food, when I won't have time to support a cottage>town metamorphosis.

 

[Ibian]

Why watermills specifically? Its an extra food no matter what you build.

If its a cottage city ill cottage it and enjoy the faster growth. If its a wonder city its a food neutral workshop. etc etc.

The only case where i find floodplains more useful than other tiles, besides the food bonus, is for GP farms. The less farms you need to work the better.

 

[AmazonQueen]

I usually cottage them but sometimes I'll do watermills or even farms (but only if the site has only a couple of floodplains).

 

[Bleys]

Its a question of timing. Floodplains are usually the first tiles I improve (after actual "resource" tiles, and sometimes even before), with cottages for a CE or farms for an SE.

Later in the game, it just doesnt make sense to plow over a Town for a watermill. If I am running an SE, perhaps once all the techs and civics are available, a watermill would be more efficient, but to be honest, there are other tiles that could use "re-building" more urgently.

 

[Kennigit]

It takes all the way until replacable parts until it starts to compound and get good- otherwise, you could/should easily have a town by that time and soon after universal suffrage, making an 8 commerce town (or 9 w/ financial) only have 1 less hammer. With a farm w/ biology (same time as electricity) you'd have 2 farms and 1 workshop for 12 food instead of three wathermills for 9 food (assuming not using the weak-ish state property), and also keep up in production.

 

[Verge]

Never. Always cottage, provided my city has sufficient food already.

It's mainly because I rarely run with State Property.

 

[PimpyMicPimp]

Sounds good, but it takes until late in the game for it to really kick in.