Making cities grow with a low amount of food...

[Cutwolf]

Say I am on a continent or arch map and the entire continent is nothing but regular plans, maybe some tundra, and a couple of dots. There is some forest around but that is all.

No cows, no wheat, none of that.


How could you possible improve a terrain like this to create enough food to bring most of your cities to size 12+?

The only time I have no problem getting cities to size 12+ is when there is a cow or two I can irrigate and they can farm. On regular plains or tundra, I have trouble getting my cities past size 5 or 6.

What do you guys do in cases where your land has crap for food?

 

[sealman]

The one time I was in a similar situation I just went with a build tons of smaller cities and ran away with culture strategy.

 

[nullspace]

A city that has only irrigated plains in its radius can grow all the way to size 22 since every irrigated plains produces 2 food, enough to support the citizen working on it. It will grow very slowly though, because it only has 2 surplus food every turn from the city square.

Cities that have nothing but tundra will always remain small, since tundra only produces one food and there is no way to increase that.

One trick to speed up growth is to keep some cities small. Towns below size 7 take less food to grow than larger cities, so they grow faster. Keep some towns small and have them build workers. Those workers then go join the larger cities that grow slower.

 

[Kiech]

Costal cities are able to grow quite well after you discover Harbors. Assuming you have no fresh water availble, you simply have to wait until Electronics to get your cities up to metropolis size.

An island with no fresh water and no food bonuses is a good time to try out the ICS strategy. Simply never build any hospitals in those towns, and attemt to give them no more than 12 workable squares.