After settling first city, warrior or scout explores surrounding area. Often, it will come across some nice locations with lots of resources, but these locations are "far." Is it better to have the next settler (and accompanying warrior) take the extra turns it will need to get to this distant location, or just settle closer to the capitol?
Settling second city
- Thread starter rafisher
- Start date
Sisiutil
All Leader Challenger
As with all things in this game, it's really up to you. However, I think most players would urge you to build out towards that enticing resource rather than rushing there.
The further a city is from the capital, the higher its maintenance cost. In addition, it's harder to support it--it takes longer and is riskier to move units and workers there, and roads you build are more vulnerable to barb or enemy plundering--so you could lose access to that resource. The few workers you have this early on get preoccupied with building roads rather than building other, probably more useful tile improvements.
Myself, I usually build close to my capital and expect a rival to rush a city to that resource. How terribly convenient, I always think as my Axemen rush there...
The further a city is from the capital, the higher its maintenance cost. In addition, it's harder to support it--it takes longer and is riskier to move units and workers there, and roads you build are more vulnerable to barb or enemy plundering--so you could lose access to that resource. The few workers you have this early on get preoccupied with building roads rather than building other, probably more useful tile improvements.
Myself, I usually build close to my capital and expect a rival to rush a city to that resource. How terribly convenient, I always think as my Axemen rush there...
If you're pretty sure you could reach that spot with a 3rd settler without AI getting there first, then use 2nd settler to bridge the gap to that nice spot while your workers improve land around first 2 cities. Unless it some really kickass location, then you might want to secure that spot sooner.rafisher said:
Another situation where you may consider settling 2nd city "far" from capitol is when map layout favours particular spot to create a "choke" so no other civs can pass it allowing you to settle the rest of the land at your own pace.
StrideCollosus
Chieftain
Generally I would say no for the following reasons:
- you want the cities up sooner rather than later
- maintenance costs due to the distance
- could take time to get the cities linked
- the further you have to go the more risk from barbarians along the way
Exceptions to this would be:
- a choke-point (seee NuWorld's comments above)
- an absolutely fabulous site that you must have now
- you want the cities up sooner rather than later
- maintenance costs due to the distance
- could take time to get the cities linked
- the further you have to go the more risk from barbarians along the way
Exceptions to this would be:
- a choke-point (seee NuWorld's comments above)
- an absolutely fabulous site that you must have now
spinalcracker
Chieftain
I would say it depends on what you consider far away. If you could fit two or three city crosses in the distance, it is probably too far for a second city. If the AI ends up settling on your perfect square, you just found your first enemy to attack.
Spinal Cracker has the basic idea. Settle close a possible while still maintaining a managable empire until you get Code of Laws. In the meantime, you should be building an army. Once you can afford it, attack and capture the far-away city site (or raze it and build it in a better location if the AI picked a bad one). In general, its better to stabilize your local situation and expand later. The EXCEPTIONS to this are:
1) It will be your ONLY way to get a VITAL resource (like copper) OR
2) it is an obvious pinch-point and you can blockoff future AI expansion. HOWEVER, be away that this tends to piss-off the AI making them attack sooner.
1) It will be your ONLY way to get a VITAL resource (like copper) OR
2) it is an obvious pinch-point and you can blockoff future AI expansion. HOWEVER, be away that this tends to piss-off the AI making them attack sooner.
Settle close.
If you settle close, then you can attack the enemy for the resource if he beats you to it. If you settle far..... you'll get the resource, but a nearby enemy will be able to attack you for it, and you won't have the connections to defend it.
If you settle close, then you can attack the enemy for the resource if he beats you to it. If you settle far..... you'll get the resource, but a nearby enemy will be able to attack you for it, and you won't have the connections to defend it.
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