How to Boost Population/Production?

[stoutnero]

I've read a few strategy guides that talk about sending settlers to cities to boost populations by "joining" the city. How do you do this? The only thing I can see doing with the Settler is "disband" it, but that just gives me a few extra shields, not an extra citizen. Also, there was a reference to using workers in a similar way to instantly boost output. Can anyone explain how to use units to instantly boost either population or output by sacrificing them?

Thanks,

SR

 

[DaveMcW]

Your city has probably reached its max size of 6 or 12. Build an aqueduct or hospital to let it grow and add workers.

 

[Knight-Dragon]

When you place your settler or worker in a city, there's a button for you to 'join' that unit to the city. I'm unsure as to the keyboard command...

When you do this, you're adding that worker or settler to the city's population. Hence you can work more tiles, which is what was meant by boosting food or production.

If not, then it's probably as Dave had mentioned, your city has reached its limit and you need the respective improvements before you can increase the pop over the limit.

 

[zagnut]

You can also put the worker in the city and press the "B" key (for Build). That worker is then added to the city population.

One strategy you can use when you have cities can't exceed 6 or 12 population because you don't yet have the aqueduct or hospital, is to build as many workers in those towns as you can. They help build up your infastructure while you are waiting for the hospital to be built. Then when you do get the hospital you can use those workers to immediately increase the city population.

 

[NTJedi]

What I find works great is using the workers stolen/bought from other civilizations. Tossing one or two into a city works great since they're not as valuable as your own regular workers!!

 

[Oceanus]

I believe using foreign workers to join the city creates citizens of that foreign nationality, so I'm always careful of that in situations where culture flipping is an issue.

Example, I capture a Roman city which is still in proximity to other Roman cities while I'm waging war on them. Inside the city I capture 4 workers. I wouldn't add the 4 workers I just captured to that city, as more Roman citizens=more chance Rome will snatch it back through culture.

I might however, starve out the city and add workers I prodcued in my homeland back into it

 

[Lynx]

just never stop the workers...

 

[Mercade]

Originally posted by NTJedi
What I find works great is using the workers stolen/bought from other civilizations. Tossing one or two into a city works great since they're not as valuable as your own regular workers!!

Uhh? Just like Oceanus says, I'd never put captured workers into a city. Especially not when their native civ is still in the game. They'd only become upset with the war that their poor mother country started with me.

Why would capitured workers not be as valuable as your own regular workers? The manual specifically says that they will server their new master as diligently as they did their previous employer.

 

[Bamspeedy]

They're not as valuable because captured workers move at half-speed compared to your workers. However, they don't require any upkeep so that offsets it a little. Joining captured workers into cities can sometimes be very beneficial if you are trying to out-expand your opponent (because you'll be able to produce settlers faster). After that, it would probably be better to have them improving the terrain (unless you already have too many workers).

 

[DiamondzAndGunz]

Actually, I like using captured workers, especially when I have massive amounts of them. In the game I just finished up, I had ONE native worker, and the rest were captured. It was a tiny map, and I had about 20 captured workers. Since I was Persia (Industrious), they worked just as fast as native-non-industrious workers would. They came in especially handy clearing the jungles and laying down railroads. Saved big on worker costs...

But, yeah, I would never add them to my cities. I have a hard enough time trying to get the non-native citizens out of the cities I capture... Something just doesn't feel right about starving 'em..