Harbor Failure

[MaryKB]

Oh please don't get me started in the original Colonization, that is my favorite video game of all time! I had so many automated wagons moving across the map, picking up goods (and food!) and taking it somewhere else. It was fun to dump food into the University colony to keep gaining fresh Free Colonists and then training them to be Elder Statesmen or Veteran Soldiers (or something else useful).

The scale of that game was different though, and we have to try to think more in abstract terms. Don't forget also that those trade routes to far away cities are going to pass through multiple trading posts! They are probably picking up goods all along the way from Rome to the frontier cities. To get the +5 food per trade route, you have to be using policy cards and/or a governor, which means that something is going on to make sure there is a focus on getting that food for those convoys. How many years does it take for a caravan truck to get from Rome to the farthest city? I guarantee they could not have picked up that food and kept it in cargo the whole trip!

Realism unfortunately sometimes has to take a back seat to game balance.

 

[Karpius]

I suppose you did not understand what I meant. I want to allow both inland cities and coastal cities so that a civ (human or AI) can exploit ALL resources nearby.

I believe I did understand what you meant and as I illustrated in an earlier post not all real life harbors 'work' the resources as you want them to. Some are simply ports for commercial shipping and nothing more. (I pointed out Philadelphia as a prime example)

Further, the game mechanic allows the tiles within a certain ring around the city to be worked, but you are seeking an exception based on the placement of a harbor. This would put cities that are placed within three tiles of a coast in an exaggerated position compared to other cities because you have effectively extended their range of workable tiles beyond what other cities are allowed. I can just see the ensuing rush to build all cities within three tiles of a coast to grab the land resources as well as the sea resources. They would be like super cities.

I understand we are constantly trying to juggle realism with game balance (and I generally favor realism), but I can't help but feel your suggestion pushes the boundaries on both.

 

[historix69]

There are easier and more efficient ways in Civ 6 to create a "Super-City" by using lots of trade-routes ... the harbor extension does not mean that you get a super city nor that a super city would be useful, just that you can reach resources like luxuries being further away.

In general I think reducing the minimum spacing between cities by 1 should be enough, so you can add a harbor city near the inland city just for resources or have more coastal cities on a rather small island / continent.