What determines resouce yield when a city is built?

[mogadon]

Ive not seen an answer to this in the manual(s), strategy guides, or after a quick search in these forums. I've only just started playing civ4, but this is one of the first questions I had. It mostly seems to be 2-1-1 (food, production, commerce), but some tiles yield 3-1-1, etc. Would someone be so kind as to direct me to the exact formula?

 

[xfactor99]

It's in the Civilopedia in the game menu, somewhere under the bars to the right - I forgot where, I think it's somewhere in the middle, but it should have a listing of Grasslands, Flood Plains (the best tiles) etc.

 

[mogadon]

I could not find the answer to my question in the Civilopeida under "Cities", or "Settlers"...

 

[JujuLautre]

when a city is built, it removes all terrains features (forest, flood plains...) and then gets 2 food/1 prod/1 commerce, unless the tile has more than 2 food or 1 prod or 1 commerce; in which case the best is used.

So settling on a plains hill (0/2/0) gets you 2/1/1, but plains hill's 2 prod is better than 1, so your city gets 2 prod, for a total of 2/2/1.

 

[divergence]

If you're talking about the yield of the city tile itself, rather than the other worked tiles...

As you say, the city tile almost always yields 2 food / 1 hammer / 1 commerce.

But if you settle on a plains/hill square (the brown hills, not the green ones) then you get one extra hammer. I've never seen a city site that gave extra food or commerce, but I haven't searched exhaustively either. And as far as I know, this feature isn't mentioned in the Civilopedia.

 

[Zhalvir]

Settling on top of resources will increase city production, so a city will normally produce 2/1/1, built on a wheat tile, will produce 3/1/1, built on an iron/plains/hill tile it will produce 2/3/1. I'm not sure what all the combinations are, but in general, if the tile is better than 3 of whatever (food/hammer/commerce) then it will produce an extra of that resource if you build a city on top of it.

 

[oldsaxon]

It's already been said, but to repeat the way it works:

- Remove forest, jungles and flood plains from the city's square
- Food is the square's food, or 2, whichever's higher.
- Production is the square's production, or 1, whichever's higher.
- Commerce is the square's commerce, or 1, whichever's higher.

 

[JujuLautre]

It's already been said, but to repeat the way it works:

No, no, no, never remove ressources! Remove terrain features only (forest, jungle, flood plains; is there any other?)

 

[oldsaxon]

**Facepalms** must remember to read what I write... of course you're right, I don't know how I typed that... editing now.

 

[Bhruic]

Don't forget to remove any improvements the tile might have.

Bh

 

[mogadon]

Thanks all for the prompt and useful answers. Now I can start playing the game

 

[Eunomiac]

Quick follow-up question: What happens to the resource if you settle on it? Do you gain access to it right away, or is it effectively lost? I assume you still need the appropriate tech, so do you gain access to the settled resource when that tech is researched? Ex: I settle on top of Stone. Do I gain access to Stone the second Masonry finishes researching?

 

[Saltiana]

Quick follow-up question: What happens to the resource if you settle on it? Do you gain access to it right away, or is it effectively lost? I assume you still need the appropriate tech, so do you gain access to the settled resource when that tech is researched? Ex: I settle on top of Stone. Do I gain access to Stone the second Masonry finishes researching?

yes. it's useful in some situation, when you need resource asap (like bronze for example).

 

[Verge]

Ex: I settle on top of Stone. Do I gain access to Stone the second Masonry finishes researching?

That's correct. A city settled on a resource will always link said resource as long as you have the appropriate technology. That's why you will often see the AI settling on top of strategic resources, especially if it's on a hill. I suppose the rationale is that it makes it difficult for an enemy to cut off access to the resource, but since you can't improve a resource underneath a city to gain the enhanced yield, this isn't something you see players do if it can be helped.

 

[Refar]

Quick follow-up question: What happens to the resource if you settle on it? Do you gain access to it right away, or is it effectively lost? I assume you still need the appropriate tech, so do you gain access to the settled resource when that tech is researched? Ex: I settle on top of Stone. Do I gain access to Stone the second Masonry finishes researching?

You get the ressource as soon as you have the tech.

 

[Darth Meanie]

floodplains effect it because they cannot be removed.
If you settle on a resource you get it. I don't think tech matters, but not sure. If it doesn't, I'm gonna have to build a city on the next oil well in the desert I see. That would be a huge boon.

 

[Morgrad]

Floodplains do get removed by a city settling on them. Try it. Better yet, settle a city on a floodplain, then get the city razed - the tile is now riverside desert, not a floodplain.

For resources, tech matters - settle on spices, and you don't get them until you have Calendar. Settle on oil, and you don't get it until Combustion. Etc.

 

[VoiceOfUnreason]

Many of the answers here are covered in Stuporstar's Guide