Game balance issue: Colonial Expenses

[Cornishman]

@Cornishman

For civ5, I'd prefer a model where the maintenance cost of a city is (partly) linked to the strength of the cultural link to the capital. If the city is far away and there are quite some tiles between the capital and this city without your culture, then the expenses would be high (like a colony). If the city is close with high culture tiles between the capital and this city, then the cost would be low (like one of your first cities on the same landmass). Thus the maintenance of a city would depend on the number of tiles between the capital and this city and the level of culture present on these tiles.
As culture zones can pass over small areas of sea, it would solve some of the problems with the present colony system.

(In this model, culture would symbolise a civilisations identity. If the cities share the same identity/culture, then their maintenance is smaller.)

That is a nifty idea. I like it Would it be possible to Mod Civ4 so that the landmass recognition uses the same principle?

 

[Roland Johansen]

That is a nifty idea. I like it Would it be possible to Mod Civ4 so that the landmass recognition uses the same principle?

Maybe, if you know someone who is good at modding. It sounds like one of the more complicated things to mod.

 

[Bhruic]

It actually wouldn't be that difficult to do... The only trick would be getting the AI to properly recognize when it should or shouldn't form a colony. Not that it's very good at it now, I often see it make 2 city colonies, which is a big waste.

Bh

 

[KrikkitTwo]

Well, as noted, the biggest problem is when you get a small starting area... however on a standard sized map, assuming you have a 2 part empire and locate your capital in the larger of the two parts... then your smaller 1/2 civ of a certain # of well developed (pop 23) cities, you get a certain amount more expenses on Noble Difficulty
amount listed per city (total expense)

this is assuming no Courthouses or Inflation

1=0
2=1 (2)
3=4 (4)
4=9 (36)
5=16 (80)
**6=25 (150)
**7=36 (252)
**8=49 (392)
9=64 (576)
10=81 (810)
11=100 (1100)

**= where a different cutoff would put it, and at this point you also have a good sized total empire (12-16 cities at least)


I'd reeally stick with the current Definition of continent, but
1. make the AI willing to move their Capital to a landmass with more cities (or at least more city potential)

2. cap it at somewhere between 20 and 40
OR just decrease the values... maybe .35 for standard sized maps would make 8 cities like 6 cities