Util for managing cities/resources?

SpacemanSpiff

Rational Spiritualist
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<FONT size="5"><u>UPDATED!</u></FONT s>
<FONT size="4">see also: SUMMARY (later in this thread)</FONT s>


Cunobelin of Hippo mentioned a good topic ... actually the main reason I first looked for a Civ site. In another thread, he said:
"I can't stand having 30+ cities! Too much clicking!"
While this may never make it into Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, CoH leads us to a new topic ... which I was going to post soon anyway:

<FONT size="4">Q: Is there</FONT s> (or can there ever be) <FONT size="4">a utility that gives better</FONT s> (more detailed) <FONT size="4"> reports on your civ than the City Status (F1), Unit Status (F2), etc.?

<u>HUH? WHAT?</u></FONT s>

I'm looking for something that will not only tell me how much food/trade/prod is being generated in each city (like the City Status), but also tells me how much of that prod is going to support, how much of that food is surplus, how much trade is lost in corruption, etc. (maybe in a similar screen, or maybe like a sortable spreadsheet). I'm looking for something that will not only tell me how many of each unit type I have, but also which cities support one of that type and maybe even appox locations (like "near Hippo"). And this may not be possible: but I'm also looking for something that tells me how many beakers I currently have (and out of what)!
<u><FONT size="4">FANTASY WORLD TIME AGAIN</FONT s></u> <IMG SRC="http://forums.civfanatics.com/ubb/cwm33.gif" border=0>
Boy, wouldn't it be great to double-click a unit under Unit Status and have every unit of that type blink on/off real fast while you scan the world to review their locations (even if hidden in cities)?! OK, OK, WAKE UP DREAMERS!!

<u><FONT size="4">BUT WHY THIS REPORTING FEATURE?</FONT s></u>
I think most of us are familiar with this: you look at the City Status screen for a high production city (maybe for a Wonder), and pick the best one, only to find it's supporting a bunch of units! So then which IS your highest NET producing city right now? You gotta review every city screen to find it, and then find it's already more than halfway through a Factory!

Or you want to rearrange unit supports: Which city's got too much support for their overall output? How do you tell? Same type of problems when reviewing for hunger or too much surplus food ... or who needs a Courthouse. And how about having trade levels on the same screen as money/sci? They're directly related but so many other factors imbalance them (improvements, wonders, tax/Einsteins).

<u><FONT size="4">COULD IT BE DONE?</FONT s></u>
Almost all this info is already available in the game somewhere but, like C says, you have to click all over the place to get it. I think this kind of critical & comparative info should/could be available collectively, whether inside or outside the game program. And since it seems so many of us are confessed perfectionists, esp. when it comes to city mgmt, I think we'd like to see a way to get the info we want most without all the clicking! It's hard for a perfectionist to manage many cities without this.

<u><FONT size="4">OH, THE PAIN! THE </FONT s><FONT size="5">PAIN!</FONT s></u>
So without such a util, if you want all that info in one place (to analyze for changes, etc.), you have to spend time gathering & building it yourself. I confess: I build spreadsheets when I'm at my wit's end, but really need the info for a strategic decision. And it takes FOREVER! And then after that, cities grow or I change a bunch of landuses and then it's all useless (static) data! AUGH! <IMG SRC="http://forums.civfanatics.com/ubb/angry.gif" border=0>

<u><FONT size="4">ANYONE DONE IT YET?</FONT s></u>
When I first surfed for a Civ site, I was sure someone "out there" (where exactly is that?) must have written a utility like this by now. Is that true and I haven't seen it yet, or am I asking for something that just hasn't been done yet, or can't be done, or am I just talking crazy here?

Feedback appreciated ....
and acted upon: original post highlighted for readability (better?) and summary posted later on

Spiff <IMG SRC="http://forums.civfanatics.com/ubb/scan.gif" border=0>

[This message has been edited by SpacemanSpiff (edited January 07, 2001).]
 
You talk too much. Didn't read it all. Could you summarize it for me?
smile.gif
 
man do i relate to this ...
and throw in war ...battle plans..
and surprise attacks....
managing 30 plus cities .....allllll that clicking makes my fingers hurt...
smile.gif


if you find an answer to this one ...
i am alllll ears...
 
true true vladmir, i just read the first few words, i think the answer is no spiff, i you read some of the Civ3 discussions then you will see pplz are demanding that sorta thing.
 
Originally posted by vladmir_illych_lenin:
You talk too much. Didn't read it all. Could you summarize it for me?

You're right, Vlad! Thanks for pointing that out. <IMG SRC="http://forums.civfanatics.com/ubb/tongue.gif" border=0>
I try to cover anticipated questions up-front when I should just wait to be asked for clarification. And I usually <u>write</u> a lot since I'm guessing at people's questions up-front ... in conversation, when I get immediate feedback, I actually don't talk all that much.

Plus, I didn't see just how long it really was from this tiny edit screen! Wow!!! I wrote a book!

<u>SUMMARY (for Vlad & others who don't read webnovels):</u>
Q: Is there a utility that gives more detailed reports on your civ than the City Status (F1), Unit Status (F2) etc.?

<u>MY IDEA OF "BETTER" MEANS:</u>
How many total food/shields/trade, BUT ALSO how many food in surplus, shields in support/waste, trade in corruption, etc. etc. blah blah blah (potential benefits described in the 1st post)

I'm looking for something a user may have already written to solve this (not thinking about Civ III yet). Thanks for the tip though, scorch! I'm so far from Civ 3, I haven't taken time to look in that forum yet.

THANKS FOR THE FEEDBACK SO FAR!!!

Spiffy <IMG SRC="http://forums.civfanatics.com/ubb/scan.gif" border=0>
*the shorter Spiff*

[This message has been edited by SpacemanSpiff (edited January 07, 2001).]
 
Something like this:

CITY STATUS U Su F P Sc Lu T B W Lo

CARDIFF
TINTAGEL
CAERPHILLY
ARMAGH
CORK
ZIMBABWE
...x50

U: Units stationed in city.
Su: x units supported
F: Food surplue/deficit
P: Production
Sc: Science
Lu: Luxuries
T: Taxes
B: Building
W: Wonders
Lo: Location

Someone tell me if I missed any.

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Consider a career in Hippo Taming.
 
"A picture is worth 1000 words."

Major Thanks, C! This is EXACTLY the kind of thing I was thinking! Esp. if your "P" is NET Prod, not Total. 'Units currently stationed in city' is the major one I missed. Good one!

Thanks for being there to back me up again, C! (x50?! <IMG SRC="http://forums.civfanatics.com/ubb/lol.gif" border=0> )

Spiff <IMG SRC="http://forums.civfanatics.com/ubb/scan.gif" border=0>

Raven's winning vs. 1st place Titans!! UNBELIEVABLE GAME!
<FONT size="6">GO RAVENS!
DISMEMBER THE TITANS!
</FONT s>

[This message has been edited by SpacemanSpiff (edited January 07, 2001).]
 
I have developed the skills for micromanaging up to 254 cities & 300+ engineers. At that point of course there are no military operations other than obliterating the guerilla uprisings with stealth fighters.
jesus.gif


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Gauis Mucius Scaevola Sinistra
Pontificator Pedanticus
Older, richer, and wiser than you.
 
I never had any trouble managing my cities. I sorta have a rountine of building the improvments so when the message comes up telling me its finished, lets say a bank, i immediatly follow up with a uni. I dont care where its on the map. Cities that are fighting wars just churn out the units and get airlifted to the frontline.

But of course such a utilitiy of which you speak of would be nice to have.

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I am disrespectful to Dirt! Can you not see that I am serious?
 
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