Useless vs. Must-Have City Improvements

[darski]

When I try to leave cities with only one defender, the enemy goes right past my fortified border cities and heads for the weak one. I really hate rivers because I can never get back to that weak city. Like I said, much to learn.

 

[MAS]

When I try to leave cities with only one defender, the enemy goes right past my fortified border cities and heads for the weak one. I really hate rivers because I can never get back to that weak city. Like I said, much to learn.

your horseman and knights can move 6 tiles over your road network, their horseman can only move 2 tiles in your land, and most of the time, the AI will use one-move units. Cav can even move 9 tiles on your road network, and when you have rails up, you don't even need to worry about unit movement points at all.

If an enemy moves into your land, you should be able to attack it before they reach any of your undefended cities.

If a non-hostile civ moves units in your land, and you are not sure if they just want to cross or sneak, and you don't want to sullen your relationship by demanding they leave: just follow their units around with a small stack, and whenever they are within striking distance of a city, move your stack inside that city, and out to the next city when they move on.

 

[downhill]

I ususally only put defenders in border cities.
Btw welcome to the forums, downhill.

Thanks for the welcome. I'm pretty new to the game (just finishing my fifth game), but I've learned a lot here, especially reading SG threads.

 

[Desertsnow]

I've learned heaps of stuff from experts here. Read some of the stories threads, some of those games are amazing.

 

[Aceman101]

Thanks for the welcome.

That's ok.

I'm pretty new to the game (just finishing my fifth game), but I've learned a lot here, especially reading SG threads.

You'll find that you will become a much better player here. When I was new I couldn't win on a chieftain game. But now I won all my warlord games and I'm going to move up next game.

I would probably still be playing chiftain if I hadn't found this site. There's help here whenever you need it.

 

[ahamid13]

Keep in mind that he couldn't research optional techs in that game, so no cavalry. Also, he had to fight to get oil, so tanks were out for a while, too. Under those circumstances, infantry was the best offensive unit available.

ah, i forget. thanx for reminding me Norton.

what about coastal fortress for worst improvement? it's supposed to bombard passing enemy ships, but mine didn't. or you guys finish the game long before u can build it?

 

[Aceman101]

Was the naval unit that passed an enemy? And did it go right next to the Coastal Fortress or just a few squares away?

 

[ahamid13]

yeah it was an enemy.. and it passed right next to the coastal fortress.. just happened the one time though so i assumed it was a glitch or something.. now i don't build it anymore..

 

[Aabraxan]

My understanding is that coastal fortresses simply don't work.

 

[AznWarlord]

You don't need defenders in every city. Station a few stacks of fast attackers around the perimeter of your empire and use them offensively. IOW, kill intruders before they can attack.

God forces my cities to always be unhappy and rebel so my "defenders" are actually my military police. I want to set the luxury slider higher, but then I find myself slowing down in research, which I think is a very bad thing.

Also, the having cavs or knights around my border to kill intruders seems to be a widely used strategy, but when I'm in war, all my offensive units are busy expanding my borders. Of course, I could make a wall of defending units around my border. That looks fun. But pretty much unrealistic.

 

[MAS]

the coastal fortes bombards passing hostile ships. But the AI will just go around the coastal fortress, out of its range. So no AI ship will end up damaged by it.

Now this could hypothetically still have been useful if you can use it to prevent the AI from landing somewhere, but the range of the CF is 1 tile. Also it only works on passing ships, it doesn't work for ships that move directly at the city. (just like zone of control)

And if you where expecting it to defend against amphibious attacks, you where expecting wrong, it doesn't.

So that are 40 shields that could better be invested in cannons, you can use those to actively bombard enemy ships near the coast, on any place near the coast.

 

[AznWarlord]

So you're saying coastal fortresses work like the spearmen that stab your units when you accidentally go around them? (happened to me a couple of times).

 

[Aabraxan]

God forces my cities to always be unhappy and rebel so my "defenders" are actually my military police. I want to set the luxury slider higher, but then I find myself slowing down in research, which I think is a very bad thing.

What government are you using? And what version are you playing?

 

[AznWarlord]

I have Complete and the latest patch, usually under Monarchy.

I think it's actually my amount of units, Monarchy supports a lot of troops but that happen until Metro's after Hospital. (I spit out masses of legions/swordsmen early in the game.) So I guess that's why I fin I can't have over 50% of science/luxury totalled.

It's those habits.

 

[Aabraxan]

I suspected that you might be in Monarchy. You really should give Republic a shot. Monarchy has more (theoretical) unit support, but you should be able to support plenty of units in Republic since you won't have to worry about MPs.

 

[ahamid13]

the coastal fortes bombards passing hostile ships. But the AI will just go around the coastal fortress, out of its range. So no AI ship will end up damaged by it.

Now this could hypothetically still have been useful if you can use it to prevent the AI from landing somewhere, but the range of the CF is 1 tile. Also it only works on passing ships, it doesn't work for ships that move directly at the city. (just like zone of control)

And if you where expecting it to defend against amphibious attacks, you where expecting wrong, it doesn't.

So that are 40 shields that could better be invested in cannons, you can use those to actively bombard enemy ships near the coast, on any place near the coast.

thanx for clearing that up MAS.. now i don't build them anymore..

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

I build everything

 

[TheOverseer714]

On the scale of useleseness, Coastal Fortresses are tops, hands down. On my list, I add Civil Defense, Recycling Center, Coal Plant, Solar Plant, and Mass Transit System. There are others I rarely build, but usually because theres other, better options. Especially if you get Hoover Dam, why pay for power plants?

 

[Sashie VII]

I wouldn't say the plants are useless, if you don't get Hoover's then you'll look at them differently. And on archi maps, Hoovers have limited effect.

Mass Transit System and Recycling Center are also on my use-list, they reduce pollution. I hate it when a pollution pops up and ruin my nice 2-turn tank factory production With these they happen less.

 

[Aceman101]

I just made a big mistake. I built coal plants in lots of cities and soon after built Hoover Dam. I thought that even with Hover Dam, the coal plant still gives a 50% increase in shield production.