Road ownership: what determines it?

[Ceterius]

From how I understand it, it follows two simple rules:

1. The civilization who has the road inside their borders pay for it.
2. The civilization who built the road pays for it.

That's very simple if it's the same civilization for both, or if only the latter applies. The confusion is when there are different civilizations for the two, in which case rule #1 takes precedence. So when you conquer a city, you'll pay for the roads within that city's borders, even though someone else built those roads, but for the roads outside the borders the civilization who built them will pay, since only rule #2 applies for roads in neutral territory.

In even simpler terms: The civilization who has the road within their borders pay for it, and if none have it within their borders, the civilization who built it pays for it.

As far as I know, this is consistent, with the exception of possible bugs.

What about roads you didn't build but which are used to connect your cities to the trade network? It's a huge advantage to the player if you don't pay maintenance for roads in neutral territory although they are used in the trade network.

 

[potatosalad]

What about roads you didn't build but which are used to connect your cities to the trade network? It's a huge advantage to the player if you don't pay maintenance for roads in neutral territory although they are used in the trade network.

I don't think that has anything to do with trade networks. If you manage to find a road that which has been built by someone else and which is not in your territory, and you find a way to incorporate in your trade network, you may profit from it. But I don't think this happens so often that it really makes a huge difference.

 

[potatosalad]

What about roads you didn't build but which are used to connect your cities to the trade network? It's a huge advantage to the player if you don't pay maintenance for roads in neutral territory although they are used in the trade network.

I don't think that has anything to do with trade networks. If you manage to find a road that which has been built by someone else and which is not in your territory, and you find a way to incorporate in your trade network, you may profit from it. But I don't think this happens so often that it really makes a huge difference.

 

[Ceterius]

I don't think that has anything to do with trade networks. If you manage to find a road that which has been built by someone else and which is not in your territory, and you find a way to incorporate in your trade network, you may profit from it. But I don't think this happens so often that it really makes a huge difference.

It happens basically always when you conquer several cities. AI has already connected those cities with roads which are on neutral territory.

 

[WeaselSlapper]

It happens basically always when you conquer several cities. AI has already connected those cities with roads which are on neutral territory.

I have never seen it. Now some roads the AI built have wound up in neutral territory after I raze a city, but I haven't seen any just in open territory. They AI usually has all their boards combined into one glob.

 

[Ceterius]

I have never seen it. Now some roads the AI built have wound up in neutral territory after I raze a city, but I haven't seen any just in open territory. They AI usually has all their boards combined into one glob.

Not in a huge map.

 

[WeaselSlapper]

Not in a huge map.

You may be right there, I don't play huge maps that often, my CPU can't really handle anything bigger than small/standard size.