Panama Canal "Wonder"

[towigg]

I am a relatively new user currently playing in a Prince level world mixed between continents and islands. One characteristic in this world is that several land masses are connected by narrow isthmuses only one square wide. I have also played a previous world with a huge landlocked lake in the central continent that was separated from the main ocean by a strip of land one square wide. You can build what I call a Panama Canal "Wonder" by founding a city on one of these isthmuses. Your ships can pass through these cities, but your enemies cannot, giving you shortcuts through land masses and access to interior lakes that others can't use. This becomes a real advantage when sending around battleships and transports to conquer coastal areas. You can also send your navy through to destroy an enemy fleet on one side of the continent, then quickly go through the "Panama Canal" to destroy a fleet on the other side.

[lord of the mark]

quote: Originally posted by Scouse Gits on 03-07-2001 12:44 PM Agreed! In the early days when founding cities I always keep an eye on a possible strategic site that will allow naval access to more than one ocean. In the later stages of the game it is sometimes only worthwhile building strategic cities: a) The city which offers access to an "inland" capital by a lake - allowing ironclads to start work. b) The ferry port to transfer troops from one continent to the next. c) What I call "Cuba" cities - offshore mustering points for a major invasion. --------- SG(2)

im currently playing a game where i screwed up by not building a "cuba city" - in cuba!!

im zulus, playing diety, restless tribes, started with 7 civs no restart.
medium real world map.

its 1875, only surivivors are me, persians, french (a demo ruling from paris to russian far east - supreme for now) and the Aztecs.

After building up Africa, sealing the edges with strategic cities at tangier and cairo, and going to republic, i attempted to keep expanding (yeah, i know, folly on rep with HG but no other happy wow's)

I sent an explorer to south america, which, naturally, the Aztecs had left empty. I started a city in northern brazil (roughly Belem) to balance distance from the aztecs, yet being close enough to box them in, and to take advantage of gems special.

Well between the barbs, the aztecs, and the republic prodcution and happiness problems, its been a royal pain. the city has survived and finally stabilized, but i never did get to use it as a base for settling the continent. (Now that ive taken SOL from the Persians and gone fundie, it should be MUCH easier )

I should have started on cuba or hispaniola, where i would have been much safer from barbs and aztecs and built up before going for South america.

Lord of the Mark

[Edward]

lord of the mark ,

It's no wonder you and the Aztecs haven't settled South America. It's all jungle! It's been a while since I've played a real Earth map, but I remember always being excited to find the whole continent undeveloped ... then later realizing that there's nowhere to build a decent city. The southern tip is the only place where you can make terrain improvements without centuries of machete work. It's especially painful when you live in North America and want to keep your empire relatively contiguous.

Unlike Scouse Gits, my Panama cities are usually happy accidents (or I should say my lack of them are unhappy oversights!)

[Scouse Gits]

Agreed!

In the early days when founding cities I always keep an eye on a possible strategic site that will allow naval access to more than one ocean.

In the later stages of the game it is sometimes only worthwhile building strategic cities:

a) The city which offers access to an "inland" capital by a lake - allowing ironclads to start work.

b) The ferry port to transfer troops from one continent to the next.

c) What I call "Cuba" cities - offshore mustering points for a major invasion.

---------

SG(2)

[La Fayette]

quote: Originally posted by towigg on 03-07-2001 11:56 AM One characteristic in this world is that several land masses are connected by narrow isthmuses only one square wide. I have also played a previous world with a huge landlocked lake in the central continent that was separated from the main ocean by a strip of land one square wide. isthmuses.

Another situation is even more alike Panama. It is an isthmus 3 squares thick, with a tiny 'one square' lake included. You build 2 cities and you get the strongest naval stronghold of all (stacking your units in the inside lake, the AI can never hit you and you are able to strike hard on both oceans... fun!).

[Marquis de Sodaq]

The 'cuba' city is a fantastic strategic step for many reasons. My favorite examples are in the Mediterranean - Corsica and any Aegean island. You have cities just outside Roma and Athens.

Early on, build harbors and defenses. This offers you a safe base for trade ships and for staging invasions. Even in wartime you can usually deliver caravans without hinderance from this base. You have quick access to long coastlines, which gives you more options. You can scout for any vacant areas for your settlers, if you wish to expand.

Once you max your shield production, you've created a little powder keg. Build a navy and encourage the neighbors to take up deep-sea diving (after they leave port, of course).

Once you get amphibious warfare, build the port facility. If your navy wasn't supreme already, it will be now.

Once you amaze the world with the discovery of flight, start flying recon over the nearby lands. If you are at war with the neighbors, pick off all their settlers and caravans and wimpy units that dare to leave their cities. If they don't have gunpowder yet, simply fly in, kill all the defenders, and have your army go to town. You can capture big cities without losing a single ground unit.

Radio is great for this kind of city. Build airports and airlift a bad guy in every turn. When the boat is full, transport them to the beaches for some good fun!

[Sean]

The location of canal cities, and island cities really is a fundamental part of the game.

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Give me Liberty, or give me death!

[Shaka Naldur]

you can also make a two square canal

you build a city and you put in there all the ships that you want.
in the next turn while the city is still size 1 you rush build a settler or engineer and move to the other square and build a city, then move your ships to the new city and you can make that with all the squares that you want

quote: Originally posted by Shaka Naldur on 03-15-2001 03:56 PM you can also make a two square canal you build a city and you put in there all the ships that you want. in the next turn while the city is still size 1 you rush build a settler or engineer and move to the other square and build a city, then move your ships to the new city and you can make that with all the squares that you want

Does this actually work? I mean when you disband a city with ships still in it the square turns into land again..

[Shaka Naldur]

well, actually I never tried to do it , but that I heard about it a while ago in the forum and it makes sense, what happens to the ships if not??

[Thoth]

quote: Originally posted by Marko_Polo on 03-17-2001 09:12 AM Does this actually work? I mean when you disband a city with ships still in it the square turns into land again..

I think it will work. I've seen cities destroyed with ships still in them a few times. The ships sit in the land square, but can move normally on their next turn.

[Kuciwalker]

I do this ALL the time on the world map.