I have created three dot maps for us to study and learn from. The first one is for an RCP of 4, the second an RCP of 3 and the third is just trying to select the best sites around the capital.
RCP = 4
City 1 Red
Good: The immediate advantage from this city is the Ivory. More Happy citizens means less rioting. And less Luxury Tax, more for Income or Science. It is also on the north coast, so we could be galleys and such to explore this landmass and find other civs. I would plan to road NE from the capital, then N, and N again, which connects Red City and the Ivory, both at one time.
Bad: needs an aqueduct. Has two mountains in its initial nine tiles. Also has unknown terrain.
City 2 Blue
Good: Plenty of water, plenty of food. Coastal city that opens to the West and SW seas. I do not think this is a lake. Attackers from the west must cross the river, so any defensive units are stronger.
Bad: wastes a flood plain. Must cross a river to get troops to it, which means two turns to reinforce.
City 3 Pink
Good: Just like Blue City, it has plenty of water and is a coastal city, on the east side of Spain. It is barely a coastal city, but barely is good enough. It has grassland and forests around it.
Bad: One mountain, one hill and one desert in the starting nine tiles. Takes two river crossings to get here from the capital, which is not as bad as it sound. From the capital, S to cross river and end the first turn. Second turn, SE (1/3 movement, SE (1/3 movement) which leaves 1/3 movement remaining and that will allow the unit to cross the second river.
City 4 Baby Blue
Good: Not much to recommend it, just that it fills a gap to the NW. This is a defensive city. It is built on a hill. It is built to keep others out. It could be productive later, but at first it will just limp along and grow slowly.
Bad: No fresh water for good growth. Hills.
City 5 Orange
Good: Built on a hill, good defense. Plenty of fresh water, good growth. Looks like a lot of green around this city.
Bad: Must make a road through a forest, takes longer than on a plain.
City 6 White
Good: Lots of green around. Coastal city.
Bad: No fresh water. Must road through a mountain, a very long chore.
City 7 Gray
Good: Secures us Incense.
Bad: very far away. Requires the White City to insure some sort of protection. Lots of unknown land around the city.
RCP = 3
With an RCP of 3 our cities are closer to each other and can better support each other in a time of war. They also tend to overlap each other. The biggest difference between the RCP 4 and RCP 3 is the number of coastal cities. With RCP 4 we had four coastal cites (Red, Blue, Pink and White). With RCP 3 we have two coastal cities (Blue and Green). Is this critical? I do not know.
Both of these involve a major effort to get and keep the Incense. In both RCP 4 and 3, the Incense tile is a city spot. But to protect it means building a series of cities out to it. In RCP 4 it meant one city, White. In RCP 3 it means two cities, Green and Purple.
No RCP, just picking good spots.
If RCP were not an issue, here is how I would select cities. This is basically the same as RCP 4 but with two notable differences. Blue city is one tile closer to the capital and there is no defensive city to the NW of the capital. The Orange City has been moved NW by one and is now Baby-Blue.
All three of these dot maps have emphasized supporting the Gray dot of the Incense city. My sense of priority in each of these is the same
- Get the Incense. (future happiness)
- Get the Ivory, both if possible. (current happiness)
- Build a coastal city to the SW of the capital (exploration and contacts)
- Build cities, two or three, to the Incense city. (create a southern barrier and finally take advantage of the incense)
As always, this is open for discussion.
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