settling archipelago cities

[Squidmaster]

What are the minimum requirements for settling a city on an island/archipelago map? For instance, on a map I'm currently using, I can found the city in either or both of these situations:

• a one tile island with wine on it with one fish and one atoll within range
• a two tile island with a hill with gems to be mined, also with a fish and atoll

Are either of these sufficient for founding a city if going wide? If not, what would be the lower limit?

Thanks.

 

[Stone_Age]

I can't really say if either of these are useful city sites. My best guess is that most high level players would advise not to settle these kinds of islands simply because of the lack of production and the lack of long term growth. Those sea tiles will mostly be 2 food tiles after you get up the lighthouse. I can say for certain that island 2 is better than island 1 because island 2 will have access to a 3 hammer tile once it is mined.

 

[Resipsa]

Depends, I typically war on water maps (big fan of naval warfare) I'd probably settle it as a repair station and airport if its in a strategic location.

 

[Squidmaster]

What would your minimum standard be?

 

[JeSuisNapoleon]

the second Island with gems sounds better.

it pretty situational. Sometime getting that one new resource is all you need. But I always despise settling on a single tile island, even with fish.

If its early in the game, I would want a better spot. if its mid game and you need that spot for some reason (controlling a seaway perhaps? future airbase?) then *maybe* i would settle, if there is a resource.

 

[Squidmaster]

Hypothetically, if the isLland with the gem had one more hill tile, would that make it viable? If not, what would it need to possess in order to tip the scales?

 

[eewallace]

If you are playing an economic strategy, a location like that can be very good, at least in mid-game or later, assuming you need the luxury and it is a good location for trade ships reaching new territory. Since building anything there will take a long time, you want to settle it when you can afford to buy the basics you need (usually a lighthouse, a harbor and a market/bank) to make it worthwhile. Build your trade ships elsewhere then rebase them to your island. I also have found that (at least on emperor/king levels) the AI tends not to target such cities--I have not yet lost any of them in a war.

 

[joncnunn]

Both city sites above meet the minimum requirement as they do bring in a luxury; (unless there was a different placement that allowed all the resources in your empire to be brought in with one fewer city)

Going tall though, it becomes the question of is that site one of the 4 best sites you are aware of?

 

[Squidmaster]

Right. I probably should have mentioned that I'm thinking this from the perspective of going wide. It's a lot simpler if one is going tall.

 

[joshua43214]

To paraphrase a WWII admiral whose name I forget; "An island is a body of land surrounded by battle ships."
One tile islands suck...

Unless you plan to buy lighthouses, workshops, harbors, etc, do not even consider a city with zero production, let alone 6 tiles it can be attacked from

 

[Squidmaster]

Assuming you have a wide Empire, what takes a small island location from being merely acceptable by virtue of having a luxury to worth having for other reasons as well? Is there a certain amount of production you look for? How much defensibility?