To build or not to build...

[kcbob]

That is the question.

Well, that's not really the question. The real question is, should you build a city on a resource square? If it's a luxury resource, your problem with happiness is eased, if it's a wheat, you growth is helped.

Thoughts?

[alexman]

A couple of thoughts:

Do not build cities on resources that give bonus food because that bonus is lost.

Build cities on luxury resources on hills, because you get the commerce boost without having to sacrifice growth.

Otherwise, if you are going to work the resource tile anyway, it doesn't matter if it's under the city itself, or in its radius.

Build cities on critical strategic resources at the edges of your empire, to avoid pillaging and bombardment.

OT thought: I like your avatar

[Arrian]

I will build on luxuries, strat resources at the edges (like alexman said) and I will build on gold hills early in the game. I will not build on bonus resources like cows, wheat and deer. That's a waste, as the city square will produce 2 food/1 shield base, no matter what it's built on.

-Arrian

[Harovan]

True. If you have various tiles, the rule is, build your city on the worst food tile. This implies, that you don't build it on a food resource (wheat, cattle, game). Other bonus resources, like gold, do not create a penalty. Fish and whales, anyone?

Since strategic resources don't appear in groups, it's a good idea to build your city at it. Especially if it's horses or rubber, which never deplete. But keep in mind, where the resource is .

Luxury resources can appear in groups. It's not bad to build the city on one of them. That's even good, because the others probably will be no farther than 1 tile away and can't be stolen anymore.

[alexman]

Originally posted by Arrian
the city square will produce 2 food/1 shield base, no matter what it's built on.

Cities get a one-shield-minimum, that's true. But I don't think there is a maximum. In an experiment I did once to figure out corruption, I moded the terrain to give 25 shields, and the center tile still produced 25 shields.

It's a bit of a waste to build cities on bonus grassland, but only until the city grows to size 7. After that, the city gets two shields in the center tile, whereas if you had build it on regular grassland it would be still getting one.

Is this all true, or do I remember incorrectly?

[Aeson]

I think the bonus production comes from being industrious. 1.17f did away with any of the production exceptions that existed. Like building on a fur tile originally gave 2 production. Now the only difference is commerce.

I never build on food resources (including grapes), and try not to build on production resources (iron, coal, bonus grassland) in non-corrupt areas.

[alexman]

I just did a little test. There is no center tile shield penalty. For an example of a center tile giving two shields right away, build a city on a cattle resource in plains.

Here is the complete list of center tile properties:

The center tile:

• Produces exactly two food for all terrain.
  
• Uses terrain shield production, but has a one-shield-minimum.
  
• Uses terrain commerce production. Includes road commerce bonus, if appicable to the terrain. Capital produces four commerce minimum (new to 1.21f, and subject to government penalty).
  
• If size 7+, produces one extra shield and one extra commerce.
  
• If size 13+, produces yet another shield and another commerce. On top of that, but only for this size, commercial civs produce an extra commerce, and Industrious produce an extra shield.
  
• Despotism/Anarchy tile penalty applies as for any other tile.

Hope this helps clear things up.
Happy city placement!

[DeepO]

Originally posted by alexman
Hope this helps clear things up.

It did... thanks for testing it out!
DeepO