[Suggestion][UI] Valid Settlement Location Overlay and Multi-turn "Found City" Commands

from Elemental Forums

Demiansky's post on hazard range reminded me that I have another UI suggestion.

There is a minimum distance between cities.  This distance is not yet set in stone, and may change based on playtesting as we try to eliminate city spam.  I have no idea what this distance is.

I also find myself wanting to send my sovereign to found a city multiple turns away.  I'd like to be able to click "found city" and then target a square on the map.  My sovereign and his entourage then go and found the city without any further input from me.  Center map on location and popup the normal found city prompts when they get there.

When you click the found city button, overlay a valid/invalid coloring onto the map, so I know where I can place my cities.

Advantages:

  • We can see where all possible city locations are.
  • We can automate the founding of long distance cities.
  • We lay the groundwork for Demiansky's "Hazard" concept, or something similar by getting map-overlay functionality in.

Disadvantages:

  • We add 1 click to our base case of the sovereign already being where we want to found the city.

Thoughts and comments?

4,727 views 3 replies
Reply #1 from Elemental Forums Top

The only current problem I see is that two cities youbuilt too close to each other will overlap their available tiles for buildings. And as the resources are reserved as soon as they get on a city influence, you won't be able to choose which city can build a mine if you build the two cities too close to the mine.

Reply #2 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting vieuxchat, reply 1
The only current problem I see is that two cities youbuilt too close to each other will overlap their available tiles for buildings. And as the resources are reserved as soon as they get on a city influence, you won't be able to choose which city can build a mine if you build the two cities too close to the mine.

I think that the minimum distance between cities rule which is already in place will help deal with the first issue (overlapping city buildings).  The second issue, harvesting non-city resources, needs some work.

Right now, cities build the resource gathering buildings, which take up slots in the city etc.  Have we monkeyed around with the concept of small "resource villages" or something that connect to your road network?

Siege of Centauri
Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

Kohan and Age of Wonders both used an overlay for city placement, and other games (Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Starcraft) have used similar overlays for building placement to great effect. I am in favor for such an overlay. It also doesn't have to be automatic (to skip that extra button click when founding a city) but could just use some key command, than when held down, would call the overlay. Quick tap of it, and you have that second's peak you needed to plan for another city.