Question: How do you raze a city?

[Moonsinger]

Would someone give me the formula or the rule for razing a city? Assuming the "No city razing is not checked", how come some city can't be razed? Does it has something to do with the culture boundary?

For example: In my recent game, I gifted some of my cities away and later capture them back. I can raze some of them without any problem, but some of them can't be razed. Why? Thank you in advance for your answer!


PS: I missed the "Disband City" option from Civ3.

 

[Dracandross]

Would someone give me the formula or the rule for razing a city? Assuming the "No city razing is not checked", how come some city can't be razed? Does it has something to do with the culture boundary?

For example: In my recent game, I gifted some of my cities away and later capture them back. I can raze some of them without any problem, but some of them can't be razed. Why? Thank you in advance for your answer!


PS: I missed the "Disband City" option from Civ3.

I don't know which is the treshold but it has all to do with the population in the city. If it has too much your population you can't raze it (the slider just above culture in city and below buildings). I'll assume if you have 50%+ your pop you can't raze it but it could be lower.

If you give city away it assimilates slowly to new owner at least to some extend. Speed depends on how small it was as it grows it gets more of it's new master. So older gifts are more probable to razing.

-Dracandross

 

[Harbourboy]

I was going to give a really simplistic answer to this, but then I saw that the question came from Moonsinger, which means I almost certainly don't know the answer (or even fully understand the question) so I won't attempt to provide any answer other than "I have never had any problems razing cities."

 

[Methos]

I was going to give a really simplistic answer to this, but then I saw that the question came from Moonsinger, which means I almost certainly don't know the answer (or even fully understand the question) so I won't attempt to provide any answer other than "I have never had any problems razing cities."

To be honest, I thought the same thing.

 

[Dracandross]

To be honest, I thought the same thing.

Well, there are others reading this forum and they might not know. Therefore at least they need to know answer of some level. Besides if you know something that is not stated in question you can assume it is not known.

I thought I shouldn't answer too first anyway

-Dracandross

 

[Jean d´Eath]

i can't give an exact answer but only what i experienced in my games

to me it seems that you can raze any city in which you are not the leading cultural civ

 

[Misotu]

Yes ... it's an important issue in a time victory. There are cities you cannot raze and if you're not paying attention and one of them contains the Sistine Chapel that's a bummer

I think Jean d'Eath is in the right area. It's definitely linked to cultural influence. I've never been able to raze a city that was once mine ... so it's interesting to find out that it can be possible.

 

[Moonsinger]

I don't know which is the treshold but it has all to do with the population in the city. If it has too much your population you can't raze it (the slider just above culture in city and below buildings). I'll assume if you have 50%+ your pop you can't raze it but it could be lower.

If you give city away it assimilates slowly to new owner at least to some extend. Speed depends on how small it was as it grows it gets more of it's new master. So older gifts are more probable to razing.

-Dracandross

I think you may be on to something there. I will test out your theory tonight after work. My plan: starve the city population down to size 1 before gift it away. Then (1) try to take it back immediately; (2) try to take it back later.

I have noticed that even when the city has 100% of other civ population, I still could raze it. Perhaps, it has something to do with its size like you said.

 

[Shoot the Moon]

It might have to do with what the nationality of the city is (ie that little bar in the lower left of the city screen). I think that is what Dracandross is saying, but I'm not sure.

 

[Conquistador 63]

I used to think (or have read somewhere) that you could never raze a city if you ever generated culture in it, even if you have founded the city itself. Was that the case in your game?

 

[Moonsinger]

to me it seems that you can raze any city in which you are not the leading cultural civ

Base on what you said, I think it probably has something to do with the city leading cultural (not with the leading cultural civ, but with the leading cultural city).

For example, if our city has 100 points of culture before we gift it away, unless the other civ get more than 100 points of culture in that exact city, we couldn't raze it. Sound logical, but I need to test this out. Thanks for the idea!

 

[Moonsinger]

I used to think (or have read somewhere) that you could never raze a city if you ever generated culture in it, even if you have founded the city itself. Was that the case in your game?

Yes, my city had a lot of culture before I gifted it away. In fact, I gifted it away to avoid the domination win. Like Misotu said, this is an important issue for the Time victory.

 

[Moonsinger]

I have tested various theories mentioned above and my finding as follows:

1. When capture a city of size 1 (regardless of how much culture the AI has built in it) and we have zero culture in it, the city will be auto razed.

2. When capture a city of size 2 or greater and we have zero culture in it, the city can be razed.

3. When capture a city of any size (regardless of the type of population living in it) and we have at least 1 culture point in it, the city can be razed if and only if the AI (or any AIs regardless of the current owner) has built more than 3x our culture points. For example, if we gift away a city that has 15 of our own culture points; unless the AI has built at least 46 (46 = (15 * 3) +1) culture points in it, we can't raze it. Note: this is the answer for this thread. Thanks again for your contribution.

Btw, it doesn't matter if the culture for our entire empire is greater or lesser than the AI.

 

[Tosti11]

Quick question: is it the sum of all the AI culture that has to be at least 3x+1 more than your culture, or is it a single AI has to have 3x+1 more culture?

 

[Moonsinger]

Quick question: is it the sum of all the AI culture that has to be at least 3x+1 more than your culture, or is it a single AI has to have 3x+1 more culture?

It is the single AI that has to be 3x+1.

 

[KMadCandy]

thank you!!! i knew there was something about culture when you couldn't give away cities that used to be yours. i'm glad to hear it's not permanent and even more happy to know the formula

 

[jesusin]

I have tested various theories mentioned above and my finding as follows:

1. When capture a city of size 1 (regardless of how much culture the AI has built in it) and we have zero culture in it, the city will be auto razed.

2. When capture a city of size 2 or greater and we have zero culture in it, the city can be razed.

3. When capture a city of any size (regardless of the type of population living in it) and we have at least 1 culture point in it, the city can be razed if and only if the AI (or any AIs regardless of the current owner) has built more than 3x our culture points. For example, if we gift away a city that has 15 of our own culture points; unless the AI has built at least 46 (46 = (15 * 3) +1) culture points in it, we can't raze it. Note: this is the answer for this thread. Thanks again for your contribution.

Btw, it doesn't matter if the culture for our entire empire is greater or lesser than the AI.

Regarding 1, there is a 1bis:
1bis. When capture a city of size 1 that has been size 2 in the past, and we have small culture in it, then the city can be razed (won't auto-raze).

Regarding 3, I thought the threshold was 25% our nationality, but your answer about the individual AI having 3 times our culture makes it wrong.

 

[Thrallia]

actually, wouldn't the AI having 3x+1 your culture give you >25% your nationality?

 

[jesusin]

actually, wouldn't the AI having 3x+1 your culture give you >25% your nationality?

Well, yes and no. If only 1 AI has ever owned the city, then it is the same to say 25% or to say 3x. If 2 or more AI have had culture in the city, then it is not the same.

 

[Thalatta]

Here's the thing - you can disband cities that revolt to you, so why wouldn't you be able to raze them, too? I've only run into being unable to raze a city once in all my games, and I did have a higher percentage of culture, but it also gave me the option of gifting it.