So about Changing Capitals

[TheMarshmallowBear]

So, I've always wanted to know what the criteria for changing capitals is. It's not really mentioned anywhere.

I finally took a closer look at the age-transition-post-load scripts and realised that it does 2 things:

1. Only two Cities are ever given a card, but this can absolutely be made to be increased (it's a constant written in the script)
2. Cities are sorted by population, it seems to sort them by the difference in population, so I'm assuming that bigger settlements get priority.
3. The card is generated ONLY if the settlement is not already a capital, has Trade* (not sure what that points to specifically, I assume it's a failsafe?) and, most importantly, is connected to the Capital by Land.

Which is ironic because this results in my game having no options to move with for the first time ever xD

 

[Yzman]

Thanks for explaining this. How do people get distant lands capitals then?

 

[Leucarum]

Thanks for explaining this. How do people get distant lands capitals then?

Let your home continent get conquered?

 

[Krikkit1]

So, I've always wanted to know what the criteria for changing capitals is. It's not really mentioned anywhere.

I finally took a closer look at the age-transition-post-load scripts and realised that it does 2 things:

1. Only two Cities are ever given a card, but this can absolutely be made to be increased (it's a constant written in the script)
2. Cities are sorted by population, it seems to sort them by the difference in population, so I'm assuming that bigger settlements get priority.
3. The card is generated ONLY if the settlement is not already a capital, has Trade* (not sure what that points to specifically, I assume it's a failsafe?) and, most importantly, is connected to the Capital by Land.

Which is ironic because this results in my game having no options to move with for the first time ever xD

All make good sense except the last one…ridiculous to not allow especially with the whole DL mechanics and some civs unlocked by DL cities.

 

[Noble Zarkon]

All make good sense except the last one…ridiculous to not allow especially with the whole DL mechanics and some civs unlocked by DL cities.

Seems pretty sensible to me given the setup of the game.

 

[CivKirk64]

I made a transition to Hawaii a few games back, it was the one time I wanted to move my capital out from the tundra corner it was in, I received no options to switch to. Yay.

Hopefully there can be some update, if I want to move to a costal city, or on a large island nearby because I have a costal civ that would be handy.

 

[vorlon_mi]

Seems like it assumes you're playing a contients, continents plus, or terra incognita map.
From Antiquity to Exploration, any capital move would have to be within the Homelands. No ocean crossings yet, so no island cities yet. From Exploration to Modern, you may have been super aggressive in conquering settlements in Distant Lands, to have a potential capital location over there, but it's more likely that your larger / more developed cities are in the Homelands.

All of that goes out the window if you're playing an archipelago map. Not many settlements connected by land to your capital.

Not having *any* options for moving, while on a continents map, seems like an error / bug.

 

[TheGhostEnthusiast]

Why exactly is there not an option to just chose any Settlement you wish? I guess it's less clutter on the legacy selection screen, but I'd be willing to have some more things to scroll through if it means I can scroll to those things and pick them.

 

[stealth_nsk]

Why exactly is there not an option to just chose any Settlement you wish? I guess it's less clutter on the legacy selection screen, but I'd be willing to have some more things to scroll through if it means I can scroll to those things and pick them.

I'd limit it to any city, not any settlement (in my current game I ended exploration with 16 settlements).

 

[Krikkit1]

Why exactly is there not an option to just chose any Settlement you wish? I guess it's less clutter on the legacy selection screen, but I'd be willing to have some more things to scroll through if it means I can scroll to those things and pick them.

I'd go with any city and the 2 Largest settlements (if they are not cities... so Carthage or an optimum playing Augustus could change over)..
Maybe, once connections are unbugged, require it to be in your trade network.

 

[UWHabs]

I'd go with any city and the 2 Largest settlements (if they are not cities... so Carthage or an optimum playing Augustus could change over)..
Maybe, once connections are unbugged, require it to be in your trade network.

That seems fair. Even if it was just any city, with a limit of some number (2? 4?) sorted by population, that seems fair.

 

[Taefin]

I agree it should be any city, maybe with a “not on your trade network” warning if applicable (rats…that’s why my DL resources aren’t available automatically with FQ, capital is landlocked). I shouldn’t have to game numbers to make my best city (highest production) also the largest in pop.

It does seem to fit the aesthetic (what I assume was an active choice) trying to make the game/UI more intuitive and less spelled out (obviously a mistaken assumption since it’s so painful to learn, and the limited options really backfire as often as not).

 

[chazzycat]

From Exploration to Modern, you may have been super aggressive in conquering settlements in Distant Lands, to have a potential capital location over there, but it's more likely that your larger / more developed cities are in the Homelands.

I usually have a goal in exploration of building up one city in distant lands as my colonial capital, supported by a few fishing towns so it grows fast into a proper city. Fishing towns seem like a very effective way to make use of those island chains, if you play on Continents+. It would definitely be nice to have the option to move my capital there for the modern age. Not that I would do it every time but I don't see why it shouldn't be allowed. Would be especially thematic for USA.