Worker Automation

[MestreLion]

there is an option in OPTION where you check (...) "Do not destroy forest (and jungle)"

Actually, it is "Atuomated Workers Leave Forests". Jungles ARE chopped even when this option is checked. And that is a good thing, because jungles bring NO benefit, and several disadvantages (unhealthyness, -1 food, -1 commerce when next to rivers, cant build improvements, etc)

Even the +25% defense bonus they provide is NOT a good thing, IMHO. When its within YOUR border, usually only the invading AI troops benefit from it. You have the advantage of roads/railroads (fast attack from cities to marauding troops, and then retreating back to safe spots, or even back to the cities). So YOUR troops are usually inside cities, and they only come out to attack invaders, not defend (thus not geting defensive bonus froom jungles).

Also, most (if not all) jungles are in grassland tiles, so chopping them make room for chaining irrigation with farms between distant cities with no direct access to fresh water.

Last but not least, automated workers build improvements even outside cities radius. That seems useless, but when youre done with improvements inside cities radius, thats good too: invading AI troops LOVE to waste turns razing improvements, even those distant, useless ones. So having lot of cheap (turn-wise) improvements like cottages near your borders (or everywhere) REALLY slows downs the dumb AI, giving you much more time to wipe out invaders before they even get close to your cities.

Just my 2 cents...

 

[KrikkitTwo]

(also the improvements build outside city radius are often Farms, allowing for more "chain paths")

 

[djKianoosh]

I agree, I've come around and realize that worker automation doesn't do you any good, but I tried it in one game and after a while, the automated workers have nothing to do and end up just camping out in a nearby city not doing anything.

What do you do in this situation? You have too many workers and not enough work.

 

[fret]

because jungles bring NO benefit,

..until Medicine is researched and Envoiromentalism gives +1 happy from them.

 

[Lord Chambers]

I generally regard automating workers as a bad habit to get into, and so I strongly advise beginners never to use it. If they leave improvements to the AI from the start they never really learn how to make the most of their workers and terrain. The same is true for just about all the other in game automation functions. They may be better than a beginner, but by far the best way to learn how to make the best use of things is to try and use them yourself, even if you do make a lot of early mistakes.

I agree with him. I think if I were to bring a newb up in Civ4 I wouldn't encourage him to use any automation. There are plenty of blue cicles, flashing icons, and advisor suggestions to allow a player to skip thinking from time to time so the game doesn't get burdensome. Unlearning a bad habit like automating workers will be a very unfun one to overcome, not to mention that never having to think about how one should improve his land will be a long term handicap for a player. I would tell a newb to figure out what improvements to use on his land early, since that kind of planning is so fundamental to the entire game.

Should I improve for shields? For food? For commerce? What is the impact of each? Having answers to these questions is the fundamental core of Civ gameplay. Not having to answer them isn't helping a player.

 

[CharleyS]

I have been playing Civ4 for about 3 months. This is the first Civ game I have played, so the learning curve has been steep. I started out with automated workers just because I didn't have a clue. After finding this site and reading ALOT, I now manually control my workers the whole game except for one or two dedicated to road network improvement.
I'm still not sure I make the right decision's on anything, but I am winning on Warlord, so I must be doing okay so far.

 

[MestreLion]

..until Medicine is researched and Envoiromentalism gives +1 happy from them.

Good point! I forgot that one...

But still, as jungles need to be within city radius, i think one would never really benefit from this. Because by the time you get to Medicine:

- Your cities are big, and you want to have all tiles improved. Jungles prevent that.

- Happiness is not such a big issue as health (no doubt unhappiness is worse than unhealthiness, but its also more controllable). Jungles are a tradeoff between health and hapineess. Not a good one, imho.

- You dont want to give invaders such a nice defensive spot that close to your cities. (ok, same applies to forests. but at least forests give you health AND happiness, and allows inprovements)

 

[scotchex]

How come when I conquer AI cities, they usually have lots of cottages, but when I automate my own workers they tend to build lots of farms? It doesn't look like the same strategy is being used by the AI civs and my automated workers.

 

[bloodzombie]

I automate my workers for one reason - my turns would take forever if I didn't. I tend to create a LOT of workers to get my tiles developed and also to build forts on my borders. I never play single player, always hotseat games with my wife. She would die of boredom waiting for me to move all those workers around every time - it gets excruciating enough waiting for each other when a war is going on and we have a lot of military moves.

 

[VilleDick]

The only automation I use is the "Build Trade Network" after I get railroad. That saves me the hassle of building my rails. Other than that I'm all manual now. Mostly thanks to this forum. I used to let the computer handle it, but now I'm more smarter.