Tectonics map strategic resource spawning.

[ridjack]

I'm currently in my second recent game with severe strategic resource starvation. I've had games with a lack of strategics before, but this one has ascended to the point of just being silly:

Spoiler :

That's ten cities (plus an eleventh off-screen to snag Great Barrier Reef) with a grand strategic resource total of two Horses and literally nothing else (unrevealed late-game resources notwithstanding.) I have two Iron coming from a CS alliance; otherwise, I'm up a creek and Polynesia has my paddle.

I've always used the default strategic resource distribution, and have never before seen paucity to this degree. Anyone have any insights, or at least want to commiserate with my misery?

 

[Bhawb]

I imagine a significant part of the issue is you are almost entirely in flat jungle, so you have very few tiles open that would allow Horses or Iron to spawn. Iron needs hills or tundra IIRC, and Horses need flat grassland/plains, and you have very few of any of those that weren't already filled with bonus resources (which get placed first I believe). I think you have a decent chance for later strategics, but that's assuming you can last.

I've had similar issues with Aztec in a lot of games (different maps) with Jungle starts and end up hoping the poor sap that spawned next to me has something for me to liberate.

 

[Deljade]

I have observed that, in such cases, you tend to have a lot of later game strategic resources so I'd expect lots of aluminum coal and uranium within your borders ripe for some late game power spiking.
To be honest I thoroughly enjoy this variety in strategics. Makes me seek out the ones I lack agressively and think in order make do with what I got at the moment. Besides, horses are not that great in jungle terrain
Of course if this is not your thing at all you could try "Strategic Balance" or maybe some other map...

 

[ridjack]

Iron needs hills or tundra IIRC

Nah. That image is from the same game and shows multiple flat iron tiles. I did notice while scanning around, however, that the only wooded sources of iron were on hills or in tundra.

bonus resources (which get placed first I believe).

Really hope that's not true. Seems backwards if so.

I think you have a decent chance for later strategics, but that's assuming you can last.

I have observed that, in such cases, you tend to have a lot of later game strategic resources so I'd expect lots of aluminum coal and uranium within your borders ripe for some late game power spiking.
To be honest I thoroughly enjoy this variety in strategics. Makes me seek out the ones I lack agressively and think in order make do with what I got at the moment. Besides, horses are not that great in jungle terrain
Of course if this is not your thing at all you could try "Strategic Balance" or maybe some other map...

This is what I'm banking on. Portugal also has a ton of iron in a tundra area nearby, so she'll probably be my first victim once I actually build a military.

 

[Deljade]

So? Did you manage to acquire the goods? : )
Myself I had a very good start in my current game with 40+ horses in my surrounding massive grasslands and 20+ iron. However once the industrial age hit I was very starved for Coal, needing to feed a massive number of factories and train stations, until and even after coal refineries, which meant that not only could I not build everything I wanted but I also had to forget about ironclads for a while. Oil is even worse! Now that I doscovered it, I only found a grand total of THREE (3) oil in a reserve on a city state I subjugated before. Will really have to push hard on my neighbors now to get those planes going. Let's hope 3 landships are enough...
Aluminum is better since it's more common I think and the 17 I got will have to do for now.
Definitely seeing the reverse effect in my game.

Now let me emphasize that im talking about a wide empire of about 20 cities. I had tall games where I was swimming in late game resources (even without the policies)
Not complaining though. I am enjoying this aspect of the game.