Where do you build a city

[terveurn]

Has anyone made up a chart on the best land (best to worse) to build a city.

Would assume a hex for snow would be at the bottom, with tundra above that - but what would be the best - wheat for growth ?? Banana's ? etc...

 

[Civking5]

I kinda like the challenge of having cities in harsh lands ( as long as these cities are not my capital) and making them grow in population. In this game, it is possible to have decent coastal cities even in snow tiles as long as there r 2 or 3 see resources near the city. Also keep in mind that, as strange as it is, u can even farm snow tiles beside the lakes and rivers. Each farmed snow tile gives two food ( = 1 population). In tilted axes map, I could have cities on snow tiles with population more than 20 ( combined with right social policies + few CSs ally).

 

[MisterBoomBoom]

I pretty much always try for a coastal city (Colossus etc), next to a river (mill etc) and mountain (Observatory & Machu Pichu etc). This type of location also gives nice natural tactical defenses.

 

[Crafty Bison]

A lot of it depends on your civ and your pantheon, which can alter things. It also depends what you want the city to do, some locations are good for growth, others for production, but generally you're looking for:
1) Lux's. If it's your first city, ones you can acess via a tech tree path you would be taking anyway are the best. land generally quicker than sea. If it's later cities, new Lux's or Lux's you can trade are useful.
2) If not the 1st city, any strategics you want and don't have.
3) Bonus resources. If they are upgraded by a granary then all the better. Or if all the bonus resources are upgraded by the same building, e.g. all fish for a lighthouse. In your 1st city especially, number of rings from city location is important too.
4) River. Gold, strategic defence, and civil service. Also lets you farm hills if wanted. Can build watermill.
5) Settle on hill. +1 hammer from the get go, and higher city defence.
6) Settle adjacent to Mountain. Allows Observatory. A couple of mountains also provide locations for MP and Neusch. Close Mountains also provide strategic defence.
7) Natural Wonder if not 1st city (or if settler rush!).
8) Forest, especially in 1st city or if on Tundra. Help no end with early wonders llike NC.
9) Coast. Canbuild ships. Usually help with defence, but not vs. say Betty.
Things that can go either way/not really good or bad:
1) Jungle. Great science yields later on, but big barrier to growth early on, and building on it / chopping it is very slow, gives no added production like forest.
2) Grassland/flood plains. Good for growth, not production.
3) Hills (except on snow). Good for production, not growth.
4) Plains. Somewhere in between.
Bad things.
1) Marsh. Low tile yield, weak units, slow movement. However, can be used well strategically in war, esp on defence.
2) Tundra, no hill, forest or resource. Low yield.
3) Snow or flat desert. No yield.

There are, of course many exceptions and additions to these, like likely locations of NW's, strategic resource density, locations for good pantheons etc.

 

[RobinOak]

I try to focus on getting my cities in a location so that at least after the culture spread there will be at least 3 of either cows,sheep, or horses, and or stone/marble... if you have at least 3 cities with 3 or more of these they will be good producers and almost guarantee the game... against comps at least.

 

[sennomulo]

I like to build my cities wherever they happen to capture the most resources, particularly the ones I don't already have. Of course building the city on a river is preferable, building the city on a hill is preferable, building the city on the coast is preferable, and any combination thereof is even better. For my capital, my favorite resources to see are wheat (can farm it right away) and salt (just need mining, then you get +food AND +production!!)

 

[Socratatus]

I`ve taken to trying to build next to river, coasts in general with greenland, but sometimes if I see a perfect defensive choke point like a mountainous area that`s protected on most sides I will take it because I know it`ll be hell for anyone to take a city with a good natural defence. I also like making cities near lakes since the AI and will turn its troops into ships to get to me across it and nothing lasts long on water.

 

[Tempto]

I take into consideration the amount of and types of resources around the city, as well as whether it's on a hill/river/coast. Depending on the map I may or may not make many coastal cities. Though I will always build on a river/hill if possible. I also do my best to settle near a mountain if going for a science victory.

Also, note that settling on an area with not many visible resources isn't always that bad, especially if you take a suitable pantheon belief. There also may be valuable resources that you will discover later on in the game on these tiles.

 

[Gdown94]

I think Crafty Bison stated it pretty well. I generally try to found cities with at least 1 luxury nearby, or in places that offer strategic advantages (ie if you are blocked by a mountain range from another civ, controlling any passes is pretty important...)

 

[Marklevi]

6 tiles inbetween more neverless cause i like my cities to be able to work all tiles evetually. But I will take in defencive considerations first then resorces grabbing. I also like to get a monopoly on a certain resourse. And Ilike to grab all the stratigical resourses I can away from atleast one neihbor then I know they will be nothing to worry about.

 

[manu-fan]

6 tiles inbetween more neverless cause i like my cities to be able to work all tiles evetually. But I will take in defencive considerations first then resorces grabbing. I also like to get a monopoly on a certain resourse. And Ilike to grab all the stratigical resourses I can away from atleast one neihbor then I know they will be nothing to worry about.

I like to have them 3 tiles between them so that I can road them up for the minimum maintenance. I'm always looking at 'What's the best spot 4 tiles away that will give me other cities 4 tiles away from the others for optimal placement' etc.

Cheers.

 

[chazzycat]

lot of good points already mentioned, but i'll add resource allocation. for instance you generally want to space out horses and ivory in as many cities as possible, so you can build more circuses. sheep, on the other hand, you want to get those all in the same city, so you can build one stable and get the max benefit in that city, rather than have to build 2 stables in 2 cities and get a smaller benefit in each city. same for stone/marble, wheat/deer/bananas, sea resources, iron, etc.

 

[Marklevi]

Well I like my first four cities to have all there space as possible. I may use my capital for wonders my outher citys for gold science and production. I dont want to handicap my first four cities. Then My next cities may be to block another civ or to grab strategic land. I may even try placing a city where there doesnt seem to be much on a wild hair there might be late game resourses in these spots. Later after ten cities I will usually buy all the nesassary buildings if I have 7500 gold in the bank. So I dont miss out on certain wonders that reguire all cities to have certain buildings. Which is a pain in the but. I may send a small army to gaurd a space I want with a settler and let them sit there until this wonder is complete. Just so the other civ cant get that spot.

 

[SnowKomodo]

My favorite city location is next to a river and a mountain. If I have that then I could care less where I am. But basically I settle where I can get the most resources. Even better if the city with the resource is also within range of a natural wonder. I also try to get an early coastal city if possible

 

[Tabarnak]

Generally you want your 2nd city near 3 food tiles. There is usually 1 around. The reason is that a single boost your research with some extent pre-NC. It helps to research early techs faster. Let this city grow until 4-5 pretty fast and pump useful things from there.

Others can be at some particular spots like 2 tiles within a mountain for Machu Pichu or 1 tile for observatory, for example. Best overall spots are riversided too.