Moai

[AutomatedTeller]

I did a quick search, but couldn't find any really good thoughts on what sort of city should get Moai, and I was wondering what you guys thought.

Obviously, the biggest impact is on a 1 tile city, because then it can get a lot of production. On the other hand, it takes forever to build there.

So... I'm wondering - when and what type of city do you guys use Moai for? A lot (15+) water tiles? A small (3-5, because it's a major production center) of water tiles? something more midsize, like 7-9, to take a marginal production coastal city and make it better?

is it best for a production city or for a commerce city?

 

[shyuhe]

Moai helps make a reasonable production city. You want to build it early if possible, using stone. So a city with at least a food source and 2-3 hills + lots of coast would be ideal. You can build it well before 1000 AD then and have it contribute to midgame wars both on land and at sea.

 

[vranasm]

I usually completely forget to build it... but in the rare ocassions I remember something around 6 tiles is fine. Production cities are usually small and you have bigger production on land, so planning for 20 size city where 13 tiles would be water is not wise by my record.

 

[Fleme]

I tend to do it on locations with 10-15 water tiles. Preferably a location that can have fresh water (the ideal location is actually a large fresh water lake near the coast).

Obviously a seafood or two are important for easier growth and they can also support workshops should there be no hills. They make for excellent production/commerce hybrids as the commerce from those water tiles and the trade routes do add up all the while the city is bringing in enough hammers to call it a production city.

 

[Framesticker]

If you're on a continent with 2-3 civs with reasonable relations, you can probably trade for Stone and build it in the late 1st millennia AD. Try to build in a city which is probably weak by itself (1 good food resource, a few hills and lots of water, say) but would become a major production site with Moai.

 

[Bibor]

I consider Moai if:
- it has enough water tiles (7 is minimum for me)
- i always prefer making Moai if there are fresh water lakes present (+1 food not bad).
- the coastal city doesn't have too much food, because in that case it'll be my GP farm
- if I don't have really good spots for it, I usually save it for some other civ's capital

 

[Tatran]

I usually completely forget to build it...

What happens with most national wonders in my games.

 

[GeorgeF]

I often don't build it - but I recently had a city on a one-square wide peninsula, all ice, with ice copper at the top and a fish in the second ring. Perfect Moai City! Don't forget to build it early, because Moai Cities thrive during golden ages.

 

[coanda]

Forests. It's 250 hammers; if you have stone, that's 4 chops. Anywhere with 4 forests is an excellent candidate.

 

[rugbyLEAGUEfan]

I`ll happily add the HE to it sometimes , depending on the map type . Add a few GG`s and a drydocks and you are in business

 

[Brian Boru]

- i always prefer making Moai if there are fresh water lakes present (+1 food not bad).
- the coastal city doesn't have too much food, because in that case it'll be my GP farm

^ That ^ plus building it early. Usually makes a nice city for cheaper units like boats, missionaries, longbows etc, but can also build commerce cities in reasonable time, esp in Golden Ages. Later game it's fine for Airships and Subs.

It needs to be early, cos that's the time when the two commerce on water tiles can count for something. With a Forge and Library, it's a nice early city.

I`ll happily add the HE to it sometimes

I usually combine HE with West Point. Moai city might build Red Cross or Mt Rushmore.

 

[AutomatedTeller]

Problem with HE getting west point is that it's a bunch of turns NOT making units. I've actually found that I rarely make anything in my HE city other than units.

Moai getting red cross is interesting, though, giving any ships built in it medic I would make naval warfare easier.

 

[BarbarianArcher]

In one of my games I have a coastal production city. If it's a coastal production city or a capital site they work nice there.

 

[cabert]

My favorite is to whip the moai in a 1 tile island surrounded by seafood (by that I mean at least 2 food bonus, 3 being better, 4 being great and anything over that meaning the globe theatre addition to Moai will make it a production center)

 

[VoiceOfUnreason]

Taken from RB Adventure 41.

 

[CHEESE!]

If I have a 1-T island I'd happily use a lucky GE to rush it. Maybe even add Globe Theater if there is lots of seafood.

 

[Bibor]

Taken from RB Adventure 41.

That's one pro Moai.

 

[AutomatedTeller]

Taken from RB Adventure 41.

And it can work more tiles, too! damn thing is unhealtthy AND unhappy...

 

[Tyrael]

I usually put it where land tiles are subpar. Typically this will be a city founded to get a tundra or seafood resource that's out of the way.

 

[Clam Spammer]

That thing about forests is an excellent point. Also with a food resource you can abuse whip overflow to get it built quickly. I won't build it at all without stone and/or Industrious - just too expensive. Coastal capital with Bureau may be an exception, if I don't move the palace. Maybe lategame with factories and power... not much use left in it by that stage though. But I certainly wouldn't use a GE on it - it's not costly enough to warrant one, and there's no competition from AIs since it's a National wonder.

Usually I combine it with HE if I need a navy at all, otherwise I leave it unpaired most times. Moai + Globe is an interesting thought, but if you're whipping or drafting a lot (which is where Globe shines) then you're probably working at low pop and thus wasting most of the bonus hammers.