PSA: What you see is not what you get with happiness yields

[Giskler]

The tile yield preview before placing after a growth event is not what you actually get when it comes to happiness. By placing an improvement the happiness yield actually is reduced or goes away completely. I think this might be tied into an appeal system, but how it works is not explained very well. It would be nice if there was an appeal lens like in Civ6 so we could better understand what is going on. So, if you are like me and you thought that you could boost happiness after an age transition by working farms or mountains, think again.

 

[Melkus]

I've fallen for this many times. Even realized at some point that it doesn't work like that, then forgot about it and chose those tiles for a quick happiness boost again.

 

[evonannoredars]

yeah noticed this when I was trying to find spots for that city state improvement that requires happiness yields to be placed! seems like they copied the appeal mechanic over from civ 6 without properly considering it'd interact with not being able to work unimproved tiles. If they removed improved rural tiles from the appeal equation i imagine it'd get a lot more predictable

 

[Melkus]

Experimented with this a bit (all same turn) - this one stayed after expanding


the woodcutter to the left as well (did a leapfrog)


this one did not (missed the "Before"-Screenshot - i promise it indicated two happiness):


But why?

 

[Melkus]

A few turns later - surely the mine on the niter will tank appeal, therefore happiness?


Nope...


And consider this interesting case study - what will happen to the farm on the left / the tile to the west of the jade? Can you guess?



I couldn't... (the extra food is from the granary I leapfrogged with ofc)

 

[MrRadar]

Have you checked in the city yields banner, if this disappearing happiness gets transferred to the city nevertheless? I also noticed the disappearance but forgot to do consistent observations when last playing.

 

[Melkus]

@MrRadar It does not. The preview is "wrong" (or something changes - but it's supposed to consider that?) - the tooltip after expanding is correct.

 

[Cymsdale]

So it's a bit of a double fail. It was always annoying not really understanding where those mystery yields even came from, but now it sounds like you don't even get them. Makes me wonder what other UI elements are lying.

 

[99-percent-sure]

I reported this to Firaxis a couple of weeks back, and it's listed on the issues page. You might want to check in and give it an upvote to show that it's also affecting you. I even sent them before/after photos of the desert tile I placed a farm on, to show them that the happiness yield didn't register. I agree it's probably related to carrying over the appeal mechanism from Civ VI, but it's also seemingly inconsistent in how/when it manifests. They absolutely need to know this requires clarification or correction.

 

[Vennlig]

Thanks! I had not noticed this and sometimes take a less optimal tile if I want to get to a celebration quicker. I am also confused about the rules for generating those happiness yields feels like a random lottery if they are there are not.

 

[TheMarshmallowBear]

I've noticed this particularly in Modern Age, I don't know how often this happens in previous ages. I always wondered if it was something to do with "unimproved" tiles.

 

[Melkus]

I've noticed this particularly in Modern Age, I don't know how often this happens in previous ages. I always wondered if it was something to do with "unimproved" tiles.

That was my working theory as well - but what about this one? The surroundings don't get more unimproved than this.

 

[Taefin]

That was my working theory as well - but what about this one? The surroundings don't get more unimproved than this.
View attachment 724537

Oh that farm looks like such a dreadful place to live, at the foot of a mountain near a horrifyingly picturesque forest with all those horses running blissfully in the sun next door.

 

[TheMarshmallowBear]

Just a quick PSA: Appeal is in this game, and is utterly not mentioned anywhere (yet). I believe if the tile has a specific value it gets a happiness yield bonus.

 

[Yzman]

So all of those happiness tiles i choose do nothing? What about mountains that give like 6?

 

[Giskler]

So all of those happiness tiles i choose do nothing? What about mountains that give like 6?

Some of them end up giving only 1 happiness.

 

[JNR13]

Just a quick PSA: Appeal is in this game, and is utterly not mentioned anywhere (yet). I believe if the tile has a specific value it gets a happiness yield bonus.

It doesn't have to be mentioned because Appeal itself cannot be affected. In theory, all a player needs to know is if a tile grants natural Happiness or not, which the game *should* show on the tile if things worked properly. You can neither build nor remove Mountains, Vegetation, or (navigable) Water. These are the things giving Appeal.

The bonus is 1 Happiness per age.

Some of them end up giving only 1 happiness.

Mountains no longer have good Appeal by default like in Civ VI. However, 1 Happiness is part of their base yield. To get more they need to have high Appeal just like other tiles, but Mountains do not give Appeal to each other.

 

[ProMeTheus112]

This is probably my main confusion with the interface^^ along with city connections sometimes.