resource depletion

[hbdragon88]

Don't you hate resource depletion?

In one game it wrecked me. My last resource of aluminum ran out, and I was wondering why the hell I couldn't build a lot of units, especially modern armor.

I was stuck with producing mechanized infantry on a war against the Greeks, which sucked, because modern armor is THE unit I use in attacking. No other civ had extra aluminum to trade with me.

I was going nuts until I found a source of aluminum. That was in the empty spot where a Greek city once was. I established a city really quickly and hooked it up

 

[CrackedCrystal]

I do not like the randomness of the depletion. Although, if it was known how much was there (like this iron will create 25 swordsmen) it would be a great addition I think.

 

[Dragon67]

If that happens in my games(resource disappear or appear), I should be happy. I only play with 31 civ's, and it's not working at all, with so many civilisations. It starts happening when I have wiped out half of all my opponents, but that is late in the game
I really hope Firaxis will fix this problem in the next patch.

 

[cromagnon]

I've only had one resource disappear on me ever. Iron. In 1988 or so.

I'm sure it will happen to me sometime. Then I won't be but

 

[Quiet Sound]

I would like limited resources, eg. "this seems to be a small/medium/large/Comstock lode (okay, so there isn't any silver in standard Civ3...) deposit," but this random disapearance is really anoying. So, I disabled it.
I very much enjoy being forced to war over resources, but having them just randomly disapear really irks me.

 

[Dragon67]

Sorry, but I disagree. That will favor those civ's who has many resorces to much, and make the game easier.
But thats my thoughts

 

[Hygro]

I like it a lot. Yes, it's caused some REAL serious hardships, but I keep finishing games mad that I didn't need to trade enough.

 

[grntmb]

I would have to say that the randomness at which it happens totally seems unparalled to other features of the game to the real world. I agree it would be great if you knew how much iron or oil was there and how much it took to build the units. For the longest time I always thought that would be a great idea. However I learned a great trick. If you've got multiple stratigic resourses only build roads to one of them and if and when it runs out you can build to the others. Apparently when there is no road to a resourse it will not be used and therefore will not "run out".

 

[CrackedCrystal]

Originally posted by grntmb
I would have to say that the randomness at which it happens totally seems unparalled to other features of the game to the real world. I agree it would be great if you knew how much iron or oil was there and how much it took to build the units. For the longest time I always thought that would be a great idea. However I learned a great trick. If you've got multiple stratigic resourses only build roads to one of them and if and when it runs out you can build to the others. Apparently when there is no road to a resourse it will not be used and therefore will not "run out".

This is exactly what I do. Though I think Friaxis should have implemented it better than that. Just because a road is built to it, does not mean that it is being used.

 

[Alpine Trooper]

A road doesn't have to be built to it.

 

[warpstorm]

I think I've been screwed over and probably lost a game about 2 out of 100 games because of this. In the other games it either wasn't that important, I had a backup plan, or just had a tough game.

 

[Hygro]

In the 1970s people thought the world's oil would be gone by the 90s. Well, with huge oil reserves found recently in old soviet countries, it doesn't seem to be the case.

Maybe it's harder to tell when you'll run out or not (you can kinda get an idea by knowing the exuasting chance from the editor, but you won't actually know when/if).

 

[Dragon67]

It is also annoying when you do not have ex. Iron from the beginning. The chance that it appears later it's very low.
I do not now how it works with fewer opponents in PTW I have so fare not tested it. But with 31 civ's in one game, it does not work at all. Appear/disappear simply do not work, and I have played at least 6 PTW games now. I have double-checked the editor, and everything seems to be ok.

 

[hbdragon88]

Dragon67:

Lucky for me. In my first game ever, I didn't have iron at all and had to buy it from the Americans. FINALLY around 2400AD an iron source appeared and I cut the deal with the Americans as fast as I could.

 

[Dragon67]

Originally posted by hbdragon88
Dragon67:

Lucky for me. In my first game ever, I didn't have iron at all and had to buy it from the Americans. FINALLY around 2400AD an iron source appeared and I cut the deal with the Americans as fast as I could.

If you won that game, I must say gg, you really deserved that victory
Something similar happened to my in the last game. I was also lack of coal. But I went to war as soon as I got saltpeter (Cavalry), and I wiped out my two neighbours in north and south, then I got what I needed. But it was pure luck, they was weak, and lucky fore me that they did not attack me earlier, I was unable to train knights/pike’s, since I was unable to trade iron.

 

[wilbill]

Maybe 3 or 4 times it's been a real issue for me. I think it's one of the more interesting "monkeywrenches" that gets thrown into the game.

 

[Aggie]

I don't hate resource depletion, it makes the game more fun. And it's random, so annoying for everyone...

But I have to say that I NEVER had an aluminum resource depleted. Just as I never had rubber depleted.....

@hbdragon88: Did you have an aluminum resource depleted in a standard game?

 

[Globetrotter]

I kinda believe that some resources are more prone to deplete and reappear elsewhere than others. It seems that horses for instance stay throughout the game, whereas ironm coal, etc are likely to change spots from time to time, etc.

 

[Rheinmetall]

Yes it can be annoying, but it makes the game more intresting.

Sometimes it's stupid when coal/iron/whatever depletes and reappears right next to a square it left .

 

[joycem10]

i believe horses and rubber never deplete.