[GS] To chop or not to chop, that is the question!

[GeoffreyCZ]

Hello everyone,

since Civ 6 release I have always struggled with chopping/harvesting resources. Also some guides recommend chopping/harvesting while some don't, seems like it depends on the writer's preferences and the current patch (Magnus was op at some point, also lumber mills got buffed, right?).

I usually don't chop/harvest since I am afraid that I will end up with low yield tiles that will ruin my late game. Is there any rule what resources are worth keeping and what I should harvest and also when is the best time for doing so.

The whole tile improvement management is still hard to grasp for me. While I understand how adjacency and other thing work, I am still doubting I am improving tiles right and efficiently.

 

[Kaan Boztepe]

always chop , game is all about snowballing , and the sooner you can do that the better it is for you.

 

[GeoffreyCZ]

So early chop is better than lumber mill on f.e. plains with trees?

 

[ghost88]

So early chop is better than lumber mill on f.e. plains with trees?

It is for Kaan Boztepe's playstyle, it may not be for yours.
Look at the thread down page titled "Chopping Imperative" for an in-depth discussion of your question.

 

[Chefofrats]

I play on king difficulty and almost never chop. I only do it when I'll be placing a district or wonder on the tile. Chopping seems like an extremely silly game mechanic, and it results in an ugly, empty map on top of it. I can't imagine enjoying a game where I chopped like crazy.

 

[lotrmith]

I play on king difficulty and almost never chop. I only do it when I'll be placing a district or wonder on the tile. Chopping seems like an extremely silly game mechanic, and it results in an ugly, empty map on top of it. I can't imagine enjoying a game where I chopped like crazy.

Silly though the mechanic may seem, it is historically accurate in a historical simulation.

 

[The Highwayman]

Send Magnus on tour and chop with him everywhere possible. May not be worth it for some cities given the time constraints of establishing and finishing the game in x amount of turns, so prioritize cities with many harvests. Cities with only one or two forests with few hills may warrant a lumbermill or two. Still, with some planning, your builders can travel the land and arrive at their destination as soon as he establishes. Choppity chop chop. Move Magnus and builders to the next destination. With proper timing, new cities in the mid game can mature very quickly and wonders can be one or two turned with enough builders. You can strategically replant at Conservation if need be.

 

[Bangau]

There's a few threads on this already, check them out for more info. My short answer: chop for fast winning times, chop only a little for more 'roleplaying' type of games. If you want just a little efficiency: chop tiles where you're planning a district or wonder and chop a few forests to make sure YOU are the one building a specific wonder you want to have.

 

[9gkj548hkm20vk79dj689bnj4]

Silly though the mechanic may seem, it is historically accurate in a historical simulation.

yes but multiple tiles away? and even in another Civ's borders ? and instantly? I could at least understand how chopping adjacent woods would rush production. if that's how the game works, fine. I just think it's a cheap "gimme".

 

[Tabarnak]

If you are able to finish very early then chopping gets huge value.Usually it's more valuable early on but i suggest to reach the classical era first for best results. If you are more average or slow then it's mostly better to build lumbermills.

That said, in multiplayer games i play i chop only a few of them(mostly when i build settlers or want to put a district) and keep most for lumbermills because games are longer than single and you can get 20-25 production per turn for the last 25% of game which is better overall especially when you need some huge production cities to chunk costly things.

Chopping also get better value for slower speeds.

 

[lotrmith]

yes but multiple tiles away? and even in another Civ's borders ? and instantly? I could at least understand how chopping adjacent woods would rush production. if that's how the game works, fine. I just think it's a cheap "gimme".

You cannot chop tiles outside your territory. Multiple tiles away is still within the territory of your city. Historically enormous swathes of forested lands were cleared to pave the way for settlements and industry, not the least of which to clear land for space but also for building materials. Also in game a chop takes a full turn, which is indicative of years or perhaps even decades (depending on your era and game speed).

As the eras progress I actually find the opposite of your adjacent argument to be the expectation. It would be far more realistic if you could harvest resources from one city to 'use' for production in another, and in that vein to be able to shift at least some portion of one city's production to another city to help (perhaps at a +10% rate per era).

 

[Sostratus]

So early chop is better than lumber mill on f.e. plains with trees?

This question comes up a lot. Some people attempt to answer it by giving the classic answer "it depends."
Chopping is a very deep mechanic. But it is, ultimately, a tool in the player's toolbox.
Why might a player want to use this chopping feature?
The player wants things- units, districts, etc - and he wants them now. He would prefer sooner vs later.
Chopping can affect both parts of that statement: by chopping, you can get things produced sooner. This is one type of chopping.
But, a sudden infusion of production can also allow you to build something you wouldn't normally be able to - usually, beating a rival to a wonder, or perhaps getting a settler out so you can claim a key location.
In this case, chopping is the difference between having the thing and not having it at all.

When chopping is used to win a race for something, that judgement call is something you as a player have to make; it's harder to give good guidance over the internet. But in the first case, where you are considering chopping to speed up your build queue, that can be evaluated for a somewhat deterministic result. As always, good analysis depends on reasonable assumptions and approximations, but here is an example from this thread. The charts should be loosely interpreted as "chopping before the middle ages just to speed up a monument or district or something is usually not worth it (unless you need to clear the tile anyways.)" But early game is when rushing out settlers can be most game changing, so that's when that judgement call comes in. Sometimes it's important to remember too that it only matters if your city will work the tile at all; if you have 10 other, better tiles already for your size 10 city, then chopping it out really won't hurt you because you won't work a random tundra woods anyways. However, in some cities, the few woods tiles may be the best ones it has.

 

[GeoffreyCZ]

Thanks everyone for their answers and suggestions. To put it in few words, you chop when you want to specifically rush something (settler, wonder) with Magnus, or when you know what you are doing, otherwise it is better to have better yield with lumber mill. What about harvesting stones, wheat, rice etc? I also forgot to write that I am playing on Immortal with a lot of success and trying to win Deity which I was able to do once and I am usually going for domination or science victory although I want to try the other types of victory soon.

 

[Disgustipated]

I don't chop nearly as much as I used to. It always seems to result in droughts, and droughts are annoying. Keep in mind I play on epic speed, and I like long games. If you want to win asap, then chopping is the way to do it. Drought mechanic and stronger lumber mills is enough reason for me not to do it often.

Biggest reasons to chop: when you plan on placing a district of wonder in that tile, to get room to make farming triangles (I like big cities even if it's not optimal), or to use to get a key wonder in before the ai.

 

[Vincent_lacruz]

Thanks everyone for their answers and suggestions. To put it in few words, you chop when you want to specifically rush something (settler, wonder) with Magnus, or when you know what you are doing, otherwise it is better to have better yield with lumber mill. What about harvesting stones, wheat, rice etc? I also forgot to write that I am playing on Immortal with a lot of success and trying to win Deity which I was able to do once and I am usually going for domination or science victory although I want to try the other types of victory soon.

I tend not to harvest ressources, since they are not too bad for tiles productions. I generaly only harvest them when I need the tile for other thing (mostly districts or wonders). One of the thing I do harvest/delete is marsh, since it is bad production-wise, and can help the city grow fast (and a farm is more usefull anyway).