Why doesn't irragation work?

[Vomaine]

Ok, so everyone knows, that if you can irragate, and you do irragate a tile, that tile should produce an additional food resource.

So what is the catch? What am I missing?

Every time I start a new game, irragation is one of the first things that I put my workers to doing, because I want my capital city to grow as fast as possible. But I get no love. After I irragate, grasslands still only produce 2 food, and tundra only 1. Very lame. I have noticed that in games where I progress further, all of a sudden I do start to get that irragation bonus. But when does that start? I haven't been able to isolate what causes me to get that irragation bonus. The mine bonus always works for me... why doesn't the irragation bonus?

Do you need a certain city improvement to get that bonus? A granary or something? Or maybe a certain tech?

Does anyone else experience this? I can't imagine that it's bug... it's just too obvious!

Any help would be appreciated!

Vomaine

[Spec]

You need peeps to work on those irrigated squares. You'll just have to wait for them to be born. Usually you dont need to irrigate right away, your better of making roads right away.

[Blaupanzer]

You don't get that extra food until you leave despotism. The government restricts potential food, shields, and gold. Tundra never yields an extra food, so don't bother unless you are headed for plains and grassland on the other side.

[dac]

Irrigation won't increase food on a tile beyond two while you're a despot. Your citizens don't like you that much and they won't work that hard for you. Once you move to a government beyond despotism, you'll get the full benefits of any modifications your workers do.

Hope this helps.

Arrgh, scooped by minute.

[Vomaine]

Thanks for all of your replies. Yes, that does answer my question. All of a sudden, the pop rushing tactic seems a little less feasible if you can't get more than 2 food from a square while under despotism.

Vomaine

[dac]

You can get more than two food per square, you just need one of those grain squares, or cow squares. Those will both produce more than two food, irrigating them won't help either, till you're out of despotism. I think you can irrigate flood plains and get a benefit, but I'm not sure.

[Worthingtons]

It works like this

In Despotism, whenever you get a tile producing 3 units or more of food/production/commerce 1 unit is lost.


The result is as follows

Grassland , Normal food=2, Irrigated = 3-1 (ie still 2)
however, if you have a bonus resource present it will show the effects

example

Grassland with wheat - Normal food = 4-1 =3
Irrigated Grassland with wheat = 5-1 = 4

The Same principle occurs when you mine a hill, you only get much benefit as you would a normal grassland sheild square.


The Despot Tile Penalty is a pain, but is only REALLY annoying if you get a Golden Age during despotism, avoid that at all costs.

[Vomaine]

Rothy,

That reply was by far the most informative yet, but you should have kept going! Now that I understand the despotism penalty better I can work with/around it.

But what about the Golden Age, why would that need to be avoided at all costs?

Thanks in advance!

Vomaine

[Willem]

You don't need to avoid a Golden Age, it's just that a lot of players prefer to have it happen later in the game, when you get more benefits from it. A Golden age will boost all of your production in your empire, and if you can you leave it until later, when your cities are more developed, you'll get much more of a benefit from it. Personally, I don't mind getting it early, I usually try for the Colossus in order to bring it on. I find it gives me a good head start going into the Middle Ages. I also use it in order to switch to Republic, Anarchy is much less severe during one.

[KithrupFugitive]

Originally posted by Vomaine
But what about the Golden Age, why would that need to be avoided at all costs?

Rothy is referring to the fact that your GA won't be nearly as productive under despotism because of the tile penalty.

[Fitz]

To elaborate on Kith's statement, some tiles (or is it all) recieve bonus production in a Golden Age, but the Despotism penalty may negate that bonus.

I believe the exact GA shield bonus is listed in the Civlopedia.

[Vomaine]

That all makes sense. It sounds like a playing preference. But this just begs my next question (don't have access to the civpedia since I'm at work... ). Are you limited to a certain number of Golden Ages? Only one in a given age? Or maybe just one in a given game?

Vomaine

[Vomaine]

... and does someone have an online version of the civpedia? That would be most helpful...

Vomaine

[Willem]

I could be wrong, but I believe each Civ only has one Golden Age throughout the game. That's why some people try to avoid it until they're at least in the Industrial Era. You get much more of a benefit then.