Having trouble with coal!!!

[A E Butterfield]

I have now played CIV III a number of times and have never had coal within my borders?!? Most resources appear when you have the technology...I get steam power but no coal

Often my neighbours clear jungle and coal appears. Having never seen coal, does it just appear? Do you have to look for it?? Will it not appear if you have already cleared jungle or mined hills and mountains???

While I can live without Ironclads, the loss of railroads is a BIG problem. Any ideas?

Andrew Butterfield

 

[etj4Eagle]

Except for the occasional spawning of a new resource, all the resources are placed on the map when it is generated. You just seem to have a run of bad luck in starting positions. I don't know off hand what land can hold coal, but I would suggest on your next game maximizing the amount of those types of land you control (that info I do believe is in the manual). And better luck with you next game.

Or you can always trade for it, while looking for the ability to weasel your hands onto one of your opponent's deposists. Paying off the other civ's to go to war with your victim while you land a quick strike force to claim that resource by building a new city on it works very nicely.

 

[RallyK]

Good point, Eagle.

I try to fight my civ 2 instincts according to the terrain I build on. My natural impulse is to control grasslands or plains with natural resources such as cattle or wheat. But I think that makes getting strategic resources harder. I unconsciously avoid mountains, jungle and desert since they are harder to expand with.

I now will even build a pointless desert city in the hopes of future oil or saltpeter, especially if it looks like the AI might claim it.

Do you think the strategic resources are placed independent of natural resources or luxeries? Often I think I have a good start with several cattle around only to find I have to battle someone for control of horses and/or iron.

 

[A E Butterfield]

Both are good points!


I try to control mixed terrain. I will encircle mountains and deserts with cities to block off access so that I can get any resources that appear.

According to the manual, coal appears in jungle, hills and mountains. I was mainly wondering whether improving terrain squares stops new resources from appearing? I only seem to have this trouble with coal.


Andrew Butterfield

 

[etj4Eagle]

I would guess that if you cut down a jungle that was originally slated for coal and the resulting land type can't sustain coal, then you will eliminate that resource. In which case I would suggest saving those jungles, until at least after you reach the coal era.

This might actually explain those posts where people have played games to find only one coal resource on the map. Gives reason to not engage in massive deforsitation. Will have to keep this in mind for my own games.

 

[Stat Kat]

No, the resource should still show up in the terrain is improved. At least that is what I've heard in other threads. Haven't actaully seen it myself.

 

[Salvor]

I've seen rubber appear in grassland that started the game as jungle. I haven't actually seen it happen with coal, but I assume it's possible.

 

[rangers85]

On the subject of Strategic Resources, I like one of the Graphic mods on the site that puts a blue shield that will show up on the map along with the resource. It makes it especially easy to find those resources when they are hidden in forests & jungles where you can barely see them. After Steam Power is discovered, coal shows up, but it's almost impossible to see it in the jungles. I use that graphic mod and can scan the map for those blue shields. There's also others that label the lux. resources and/or bonus resources but I think those would just clutter the map.

Also, for the future, according to the Editor, coal can show up on hills, mountains, and jungles.

 

[Magnus]

I find it jungles most of all - that's the trick, see jungles are worthless and hard to make useful - BUT they have the best resources!

 

[Cunobelin Of Hippo]

Originally posted by Magnus
I find it jungles most of all - that's the trick, see jungles are worthless and hard to make useful - BUT they have the best resources!

Yes, Jungles are key to claim. I build a city in the middle of them, rush build a temple, then set it on 'Wealth' for the rest of it's miserable existance

 

[Ohwell]

Originally posted by Cunobelin Of Hippo


Yes, Jungles are key to claim. I build a city in the middle of them, rush build a temple, then set it on 'Wealth' for the rest of it's miserable existance

Why not clear the jungle? The rescources stay even if you clear, even if you clear it before it appears! But what you said is what I do until the city is cleared up. Then its whip- cracking time!

 

[Furry Spatula]

if you think tahts bad, try playing a game being the only civ without oil or rubber and at war with those who have it, that's a game that calls for a restart, all my allies on my continent didn't have it either. And the resources are seeded at the begining of the game, so from what i have seen, chopping down the jungle doesn't prevent you from getting the resource. But yea coal is pretty much a must have.

 

[Special_O]

THe best thing is to expand like crazy, so you have a better chance of obtaining all resources.

 

[Psychlone]

Yes, coal will appear even after a jungle has been cleared.

A E, are you playing with the unpatched version, by chance? I know that in the original version, coal was a royal pain to get hold of due to outrageous rareness, but the patch seems to have drastically increased coal frequency. I've not had a problem obtaining it (even if occasionally via trade) since the patch. In fact, I usually seem to have 3 or even 4 deposits of it.

 

[Zouave]

No coal?? I never could find iron! (After the patch).

Do what I did.

I long ago went into the Editor and increased the likelihood of strategic resources appearing within my borders, decreased the chance of their vanishing, decreased everything related to espionage and intelligence, and increased the cost of the Manhattan Project to the max.

Many of Sid's values, including for units, are way off.

I will see how the game plays, and make adjustments. All resources should be rare, and trade encouraged. But they shouldn't be virtually unobtainable, esp. as it is sometimes impossible to trade for resources despite offering great deals.

EDIT!!!

 

[A E Butterfield]

Thanks guys


I am playing with the patch. I have now started to check jungle squares with the terrain info command and GUESS WHAT, coal was there, it was just invisible.

CIV III should probably have a search map command that highlights what you are looking for. Any worth having is worth fighting over.

Thanks again.


Andrew Butterfield