Teach me - Develop Floodplains or Corn(wet or dry) first?

[J F Muggs]

As you can tell from my post count, I'm kinda new to these forums, so pls forgive the seeming Noobishness of my questions. Way too many threads and posts to read through though I have used the Search function to investigate a number of subjects even before I registered an account.

I'm not the type to really look at threads describing actual game code (too much like having a HUGE advantage in any game, not just Civ x [but I do realize that my way isn't for everyone]). So, I'm learning by playing - taking much longer than many to get beyond basic strategy but really enjoying the challenge(s).

Anyway, I've got a new game started with 3 Corn resources, 2 dry and 1 wet (if I correctly understand that this forum terms a Corn resource beside a fresh water source as wet and 1 not beside a water source [or irrigated later in the game] as dry) and 5 Floodplains in the BFC(big fat cross, right?). FWIW, I chose a leader that starts with Agriculture so I don't have to research it.

So, the first question is: In what order should I improve Food tiles?
1. develop a Floodplain tile first - or
2. the wet Corn first (though I'd have to wait for the border to pop first)

The second question is: After the first improvement, do I then alternate improving the Floodplain and Corn tiles or prioritize one over the other?

My inclination is to improve a Floodplain first, then after the border pops, improve the wet Corn tile.
After that, improve the remaining Floodplains and finally, the 2 dry Corn.

I don't think I'm totally off base but I could be. Of course, I could just play 3 or 4 1000 year games and try different strategies and reach a conclusion out that way.

 

[Anysense]

There is nothing wrong with your way of learning the game, I learned in similar way up to immortal difficulty.
Your understading of dry/wet corn is correct. You want to improve best food available, because better food means faster growth and growth is everything. Naturally, your first improvement will be wet corn then dry ones; floodplains provide less food than corn and it takes more turns to farm them. You won't have to wait for borders to expand because they will do so before you even finished worker.
BTW this thread should be moved strategy and tips. Its not an article.

 

[salty mud]

Always improve food tiles first, in the order of which gives the most food. This is an unbreakable rule. As for floodplains, unless a city is particularly starved of food, I tend to cottage them. You have a site of an excellent cottage city there - floodplains and riversides are the best tiles for building cottages on.

 

[lymond]

Your border will pop long before the worker arrives anyway...not sure your point there. Definitely improve the corns first. Dam is a very good Bureau cap, so you will cottage the FPs and all the riverside tiles.

 

[elmurcis]

Wet Corn gives 6 food, dry Corn gives 5 food, Flood Plain gives 4 food (when all irrigated) - answer is very simple here - all Corns 1st and most likely - none of Flood Plains farmed at all (maybe for another city but not Amsterdam).
Happy learning - there are a lot to do for many years

 

[Chase_2_Rabbits]

You don't really want to be farming flood plains in any situation, unless you really have to (ie your only other food tile is a 3 yield plains cow or plains hill sheep). Here you've got 3 corn tiles in your capital's BFC and you're a FIN leader! Those flood plains need to be cottaged.

As has been stated, your borders will have expanded to fill out the BFC before your worker is finished. Wet corn first, then the corn to the north. From there, you'll have a decision. I'd probably ignore the third corn to the south for now, and either go for a cottage or a mine (having teched either Mining then BW or TW then Pottery). On higher difficulties, I'd lean towards BW as we want to check for copper and get some production tiles up and running and slavery available for barb defence. On easier levels, we can probably just get those cottages boosting our research ASAP.

For a full learning experience, post a shadow game and play short turn sets (especially in the vital early stages of the game). You'll probably get some experienced deity players dropping in with some good advice!

 

[Snowbird]

Well, you do not need to know game code for simple consideration... what does extra FP bring over corn? I think that answers the question what to improve...

 

[Pangaea]

Looks like you're playing Marathon. But this one is still easy. Always improve food first. Tons of food here, so pointless to farm any floodplains. It takes an eternity, especially on marathon, and those floodplains need to be cottaged.

First farm the wet corn. Then the northern dry corn (you get to it fastest), then the one in the south. Will take a long while to research too on marathon, but once you get pottery you can cottage the floodplains.

Build warrior when the worker is out, and start a settler on size 3, working all three farmed corns. It should get out in decent speed then due to the high yields. Scout with the starting warrior, and if barbs are on, park him nearby the most sensible 2nd city spot (maybe somewhere south along the nice FP-river?). There is a hut north too, so maybe you get something decent when borders expand.

 

[J F Muggs]

Ok. Good info.
Sorry about posting this in the wrong sub-forum. Tha's what can happen when you stay awake over 24h.. Mods pls move this as I don't know how.