"Infinite City Sprawl"

[ac196nataku]

I noticed ICS in a lot of the higher level games here but have never done it myself. I searched for a War Academy article to enlighten myself, yet I couldn't find one. Can some one tell me what the pros/cons to this strategy are? Currently, I try to build without wasting a single tile.

How far do you space on ICS? CxxC?

ICS seems good for 100k, but for what else I on't know. It seems individual production would be low even though overall combined would still be the same.

Thx for the help.

 

[citizen001]

CxC usually, but i think you abandon some cities later on in the game.

 

[ac196nataku]

That sounds a litle too close, wouldn't that make the core useless?

 

[Tomoyo]

Most people don't ICS in the core, and if they do, it's only early on, so cities are small anyway.

 

[vmxa]

A true ICS is CxC and has only special applications in C3C. Smallish islands come to mind. In some games, you may use it with some cities being camps. Those could be abandoned if you ever build hospitals.

Mainly you are planning on slapping out workers and settlers and pop rushing things. This is useful on very high level games, with little in the way of lux to start. No problems with happiness and no need for lots of tiles, if you keep the size way down.

 

[citizen001]

I heard someone actually won a game with this ICS. Anyone know who?

 

[Furiey]

Have a look at SGOTM6. The victory condition is 100k and we can only do it in communism or despotism. As such we want to pack in as many cities as possible. Have a look in the various team threads and you can download the saves from the server - follow the links for SGOTM on the GOTM page to do this. Just don't post any spoilers please, some teams have finished, but some are still playing.

 

[chunkymonkey]

ICS is much more powerful in C3C. I mainly use it far from my core, where corruption is such that corruption and waste is huge. If city spacing is CxC, this allows 3 worked tiles. If these tails are irrigated and railed, the city can eaily become size 6.

Now what to do with those extra 3 citizens that can't work tiles...

3 scientists in every single corrupted city for a space/UN game...
3 engineers in every single corrupted city for a 100K game...

Whenever I play 100K, space, or UN, I always ICS...