What you do after getting Steam Power you don't get Coal in your territory?

[Traex]

I'd like any advice on how to do when I've got Steam Power tech but no Coal in my territory to build Railroad with. War is only option?

 

[justanick]

You can gift Steam Power to a nation with more than one coal and pay some significant gtp for importing it. Make sure to have plenty of workers, enough to complete railroading in less than 40 turns. So that is 3 to 5 workers per settlement and thus not quite cheap in terms of unit support.

Once all your tiles have been railroaded you are free to stop importing coal. That may however render coal power plants useless. Truth be spoken, i never investigated what happens with power plants after losing their required resource.

 

[tjs282]

AFAIK, having a resource(s) required for a building is generally only a concern when you want to start construction: if the resource is lost even just 1 turn after that point, the building will still be completed (so long as you don't switch away from it partway through).

Otherwise, once the building completes it will provide its effects regardless of whether the required resource(s) continues to be available. The only exception is unit auto-production: if access to the required resource(s) is cut off, auto-production will also be halted.

 

[Spoonwood]

I'd like any advice on how to do when I've got Steam Power tech but no Coal in my territory to build Railroad with. War is only option?

Either trade for some surplus source of coal once you get an AI Steam Power, or road up their territory so that they have an extra source.

 

[Traex]

If other civs are still far away from Steam power then no choice but to capture the resources from their territory.

 

[justanick]

If you wish to avoid gifting the needed techs immediately, then you might first research replaceable part for faster workers. It also has the sideeffect of better units for warfare should you choose this path.

 

[Spoonwood]

If other civs are still far away from Steam power then no choice but to capture the resources from their territory.

Nope. You can gift them technologies and rail up their territory if they have two sources.

 

[Traex]

Nope. You can gift them technologies and rail up their territory if they have two sources.

How to do that? I can't find anything in the Diplomacy page.

Edit: Wait, don't tell me that I'll need to gift all required techs from their current position until Steam power?

 

[Spoonwood]

How to do that? I can't find anything in the Diplomacy page.

Edit: Wait, don't tell me that I'll need to gift all required techs from their current position until Steam power?

Indeed, gift them all required techs from their current position until they have Steam Power. If they have two sources which are on their trade network, then you will have the ability to trade for coal.

 

[Traex]

Indeed, gift them all required techs from their current position until they have Steam Power. If they have two sources which are on their trade network, then you will have the ability to trade for coal.

That's very hilarious... they'll become super 'Gracious' to me then
So I assume it's the better strategy than going to war to capture the Coal then.

 

[justanick]

So I assume it's the better strategy than going to war to capture the Coal then.

It can be. But the main point is only that you do have a choice. Which choice is the better option does vary.

If trade allows you to get coal immediately at a reasonably price while war would mean a significant delay in addition to the significant costs of the war as well, then trade is probably the better option. Of course often you are in a more or less grey area where both options are more or less on par.

The best approach can simply be to conquer enough territory upon researching military tradition in order to have good chance on coal in your own territory. Cavalry excels at warfare at its time. This window of oppprtunity is practically begging to be used.

 

[Spoonwood]

Cavalry excels at warfare at its time. This window of oppprtunity is practically begging to be used.

Especially if an AI doesn't have saltpeter or Nationalism yet.