17-11-2001 07:38									#1
	2-sized cities? Support Apolyton

I've learned a convenient tatic from the computer: 2-sized cities.

When you see a resource (be it a luxury or strategic one) far from your territory, consider sending a settler and a garrison unit there and build a city (even if the surrounding terrain is crap, like tundra) right next to it.

It can be used to get resources that are in the thin border of another empire's territory, but you must take care of cultural assimilation (first thing to build is a temple, even if there's no other empires nearby - being a religious civ helps alot here). Build a road, connect it and voila.

Sure, "2-sized cities" mean that you don't NEED the city to grow, but if you can make it is surely much better.

Thing is that, when you use this tatic, the city is usually too far for it to be productive (even with a courthouse) or difficult to have much population. Just build a temple, let it grow to at least size 2 or 3 and garrison it accordingly to the threat it can suffer. (being near hostile territory, or remote locations were barbs like to make raping parties...). If you can afford it, build a barracks in it too.

Oh, another thing: don't use "2-sized cities" as a reference to were to build a F. Palace. Concentrate on the cities that you built to be productive (or the territory that you aims to conquer). To real "2-sized cities" (hell, gotta name this thingies, I hate repeating the same thing many times ) the only objective is to secure a resource.

If you can afford to make the city a productive one, it's no more a "2-sized city" only.

Works quite well here

	17-11-2001 11:22									#2
	Support Apolyton, buy Alpha Centauri

I've been calling them "Resource Cities". I hardly ever build a colony (the one exception is early on to get that Iron resource sitting a couple squares outside your borders) since colonies usually require a nearby city w/ harbour to be useful anyways.